Bank Account Address Query

Tabitha_T

Hi, I wasn't really sure which section to post this in but here goes...We recently moved house and still have a mail redirection in place from our old address. Today, my OH and I received individual letters from Lloyds Bank (relating to really old savings accounts that haven't been used for years) saying that previous letters sent to the address they hold on file (our old address) have been returned to them. Now, this is of concern for two reasons. 1) Why has the post office redirection not worked? and 2) (most importantly) the bank are asking us to confirm our (new) address, the letters having actually been sent directly to our new address. How did they get this information??? We opted out of being searchable on electoral roll, does this mean they must have had to pay to find out this information? I'm concerned that anybody can find out my address now, and I have some scary people in my past - can anybody help with this please?
Thanks, Tabs

grumbler

Tabitha_T wrote: »

(relating to really old savings accounts that haven't been used for years) ...1) Why has the post office redirection not worked?

What's the point in guessing? Can it be some "really old" address that you moved from "years" ago?

and 2) (most importantly) the bank are asking us to confirm our (new) address, the letters having actually been sent directly to our new address. How did they get this information??? We opted out of being searchable on electoral roll, does this mean they must have had to pay to find out this information?

What about CRAs? Do they not have your new address? Do you have a mortgage? I think some utilities companies report to CRAs too.

I'm concerned that anybody can find out my address now, and I have some scary people in my past - can anybody help with this please?

You can't keep your address secret from your bank(s).

Mojisola

Tabitha_T wrote: »

the letters having actually been sent directly to our new address. How did they get this information???

Have you contacted the bank and asked them how they found out your new address?

Goldiegirl

Perhaps you've got accounts with other banks in the Lloyds group, such as BOS or Halifax?

Tabitha_T

Thanks for replies. No, the bank, (well, Lloyd's Call Centre) won't be drawn on how they find out such info. They're not even our bank any more (and we don't have any tie-in with others in the Lloyds group). We asked for these accounts to be closed around two years ago and this is the first we heard from them.
We don't have a mortgage either...
Do you mean they could have gone to a CRA and found our address from say, a link to a utility company? There's no default from a utility company or anything like that. In any event, wouldn't you have to pay in order to obtain personal info via a CRA? Confused!

anna42hmr

my only guess at this stage if you don't have accounts within the group is it could be that they have done a soft check on your report against your old address and found the linked new address under that, or unless they have some agreement with royal mail that redirected addresses can be provided (not sure if that ones even possible)

EssexExile

When the letters arrived at your old address I wonder if the new owner wrote "moved to..." on them & put them back in the post box.

grumbler

Tabitha_T wrote: »

Do you mean they could have gone to a CRA and found our address from say, a link to a utility company? There's no default from a utility company or anything like that. In any event, wouldn't you have to pay in order to obtain personal info via a CRA? Confused!

CRAs just collect the information on you from all lenders. This information includes the updated address if you informed some lenders about the new one.

EssexExile wrote: »

When the letters arrived at your old address I wonder if the new owner wrote "moved to..." on them & put them back in the post box.

That was the point. It shouldn't have arrived because of the redirection.

Tabitha_T

So can anybody go to a CRA and find out somebody's address?

grumbler

Limiting access to information
Access to the credit account information we hold is strictly limited. Only lenders who are members of CAIS can see it, and then only with the consumer’s permission. They must be companies who grant credit and must be registered with the Office of the Information Commissioner under the Data Protection Act

http://www.experian.co.uk/downloads/consumer/creditRefAgencyExplained.pdf

Tabitha_T

Hi, thanks for link, we had looked through the CRA booklet and page 16 appears to be the most relevant. Still can't wholly understand who can look at personal info and what constitutes public domain and what the other public sources are that they refer to. My main worry (about from the 'intrusion' by the bank, and we fell out with Lloyds years ago, I'm really hacked off that they have my new address) relates to a problem with an ex-partner. If Lloyds have found me, maybe he could too.....now that worries me