Can lenders consult other credit reference agencies without declaration?

Wilmot

My question is concerning limited information/missing accounts on certain credit files.


Thanks.

molerat

I have never seen a lender state "we will consult Experian" etc. Santander for instance state

For credit account applications like loans and bank accounts, we may pass your details to a recognised credit reference agency to help process your application.

so can use any of them.

Thrugelmir

Declaration to what?

meer53

My bank uses both Experian and Equifax

GingerBob_3

Just to be clear, lenders, and just about anyone else prepared to pay for the "privilege", can view the CRA files about you at all three agencies, with, or without, your consent. They can also write to those files, with or without your consent.

m4rc

GingerBob wrote: »

Just to be clear, lenders, and just about anyone else prepared to pay for the "privilege", can view the CRA files about you at all three agencies, with, or without, your consent. They can also write to those files, with or without your consent.

Are you sure 'just about anyone else' can? Letting agents can't, for example, they say they do a credit check but in reality they see very little, just if you are bankrupt, have a CCJ and they can confirm address information, they can't see what credit you have or payment history. I was under the impression the only organisations who could see credit files were financial organisations who had a need and were given permission to do so. I thought these organisations must be part of the CRA account sharing scheme and could only see the same types of information that actually provide, so if they provide repayment history they can see it - with your permission to do a search unless you have ready agreed this in advance.

What do you know that's different to this?

GingerBob_3

m4rc wrote: »

Are you sure 'just about anyone else' can? Letting agents can't, for example, they say they do a credit check but in reality they see very little, just if you are bankrupt, have a CCJ and they can confirm address information, they can't see what credit you have or payment history. I was under the impression the only organisations who could see credit files were financial organisations who had a need and were given permission to do so. I thought these organisations must be part of the CRA account sharing scheme and could only see the same types of information that actually provide, so if they provide repayment history they can see it - with your permission to do a search unless you have ready agreed this in advance.

What do you know that's different to this?

This has been discussed before. The ICO give pretty much carte blanche to any organisation (sorry, should have clarified that) to rifle through the files of the CRAs and write data to them. They just need a so-called legitimate reason, which is vaguely defined. For instance banks (even when they aren't lending you money) debt collectors, water companies, local councils, central government and many others have wide access.



https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/credit/


See in particular these sections:


Why are the CRAs allowed to hold all this information on me? I haven’t given consent for this.


Do companies need my consent to carry out a credit search?

Summary answers to the above two questions are: They don't need it, and No, respectively.

m4rc

Thanks for that. I agree 'legitimate reason' is a little vague, but I can't see how someone could just searched because they thought it would be fun or for a spot of marketing, it's more broad ranging than vague I guess, but still has set criteria that defines a legitimate reason. Where the ICO is very clear is that they must have told you they would search, they don't need your permission but they need to tell you but as well as having one of he legitimate reasons they must have told you.

I never doubted that banks, debt collectors, water companies (and other utility companies), local councils and central government could search a fail, as they all also report and provide all of the information they would be able to see, which as I pointed out is the requirement to access credit files,

I guess my question was who were these other organisations who don't provide and report this information? The way you said it made it sound as if Jones the Butcher could do a search or my mate Dave as he wanted to see if my new car was on finance or not. Silly examples of course, but you get the point. As far as I can see the list is quite clearly defined, so,e Mir think it's a bit too easy but I for one am not really bothered, my file has little of interest to anyone and if they are really interested in me they must be bored!