Credit searches by Next

Soli_bear

Next have apparently performed two searches on my credit history this year. I've never applied for a store card and can't remember the last time I bought anything from them online - certainly not this year. Any ideas why they would have performed these searches? Is it legal for them to do so?

[Deleted User]

Soft or hard searches?

Soli_bear

How do I tell? It just says "no search type"

sharronej

I have been looking at my report on ClearScore and have 4 searches from Capital One plus other loan companies which say search for credit quotation- I haven't applied for any credit! You would imagine that companies need your consent to search your file and theirs not much information on how you actually report these transactions to check them out!

Soli_bear

I also have some of those - Capital One and Barclaycard. Apparently they do pre-checks on you before they give you any offers

lewisa

If you have been given a gift card in store by a member of staff where they take your email address and get you to register on their website you are actually signing up for a Next account and they will credit check you.

The staff member wont tell you that, but the small print on the website will.

20aday

Soli_bear wrote: »

I also have some of those - Capital One and Barclaycard. Apparently they do pre-checks on you before they give you any offers

Capital One and Barclaycard do 'soft searches' on my credit files pretty much every four-six week period as do various insurance firms.

Don't know why Next have viewed your reports if you've not purchased anything online in the last 10 months although they've been crafty in the past.

A couple of years ago they opened an account for me despite declining the chance when ordering online for in-store collection.

GingerBob_3

20aday wrote: »

Capital One and Barclaycard do 'soft searches' on my credit files pretty much every four-six week period as do various insurance firms.

Don't know why Next have viewed your reports if you've not purchased anything online in the last 10 months although they've been crafty in the past.

A couple of years ago they opened an account for me despite declining the chance when ordering online for in-store collection.

Soft searches - so just who sees what when these are done? Maybe it's all done electronically, but who knows whether any staff of the prying companies get to see your financial details. This appears to be yet another grey area of credit reporting, which is effectively unregulated. It seems to me this is also a data protection issue and should be reported to the ICO for their (worthless) "opinion".

Daisy84

I had one of these from Next. It turns out it was from when I ordered something to be sent to the store...even though I'd paid in full for it!?

GingerBob_3

Do Next try to harvest your date of birth whenever you have any dealings whatsoever with them? Presumably they need this before they can smack you up with credit search - or maybe Experian and the rest don't even impose this basic requirement on their customers.

lewisa

GingerBob wrote: »

Do Next try to harvest your date of birth whenever you have any dealings whatsoever with them? Presumably they need this before they can smack you up with credit search - or maybe Experian and the rest don't even impose this basic requirement on their customers.

Not sure about if you just randomly turn up at their website and place an order.

Their sneaky credit account dragnet works like this...

- Staff member in store offers £10 gift card, it has a coupon code on it.
- Staff member takes your email address as a condition of the free gift card
- Next email consumer with marketing bumf 'click here to claim voucher'
- The small print in this email mentions credit checks
- consumer clicks link in email which takes them to a register/claim coupon page, this captures details needed for credit account.