Failing credit check due to old address on file

MrMaxP

Hi all,

I'm banging my head against a wall on this one. I am, now and then, declined when using my credit or debit card online or on the phone. As a guess 6 months ago I tried a declined transaction with my old address and it passed. This has worked several times since.

Just this evening I tried to pay my Santander credit card with my Santander debit card via the Santander website, and it failed until I tried my old address!

I got on the phone with them to check and they say they have my new address on all their records and have had for over a year. I'm on the electoral role and I've changed addresses at every single place I can think of when I moved in Nov 2015.

Who on earth has the wrong address for me and how do I contact them to correct the problem? It's driving me mad. I've just been declined a broadband transfer based on my credit check (showing as excellent on CheckMyFile) and I suspect it's due to the wrong address somewhere!

HELP!

Stu :mad::mad::mad:

[Deleted User]

What do the three credit files show?

Which card(s) are being declined - from which providers?

MrMaxP

Deleted_User wrote: »

What do the three credit files show?
Which card(s) are being declined - from which providers?

Are you referring to the three credit check agencies? I can't see on the CheckMyFile website where they say what address the specific agencies have for me, but the website itself has my address correct and lists my full address history correctly for me and my wife on the main page and electoral roll.

Both my Santander debit and credit cards are randomly declined by various people, including Santander's own banking website it seems!

The last place I remember being declined at before providing my own address was the BMFA (British Model Flying Association). The one before was Cadbury World online ticket sales.

Vodafone have also declined me a broadband line but can't tell me why, they say they just type in my info and get an answer back.

[Deleted User]

It seems that the problem is with Santander then. I suspect your old address is within their system somewhere.

It would still be worth checking the three CRAs individually though.

MrMaxP

Deleted_User wrote: »

It seems that the problem is with Santander then. I suspect your old address is within their system somewhere.

It would still be worth checking the three CRAs individually though.

Thanks. I'm in the process of contacting the three CRAs regarding my address.

I spent some time on the phone with Santander and they dug down "their words" into all of the systems where addresses are stored and said they were all up to date. That's an address per card, including my wife's, and our addresses on the bank itself. They then went away and spoke with the credit check dept and confirmed that they don't store addresses anywhere. They sounded very sure of themselves, but I guess you never know!

brianposter

Some years ago one of my relations had trouble with their car insurance - whatever they did they could not get the relevant documents posted to them. Checked addresses over and over again but the documents never arrived.

Then, after several years some document did arrive, and it had the correct address but with the London postcode missing. Somewhere in the insurers computer system was a set of addresses which nobody knew existed but was used for the post.

So it does happen !

Good luck.

MrMaxP

So... I tried to switch to Vodafone for broadband again tonight and was declined on the credit check. I tried again with my wife's details which are exactly the same as mine but with her name, and it passed! Her personal credit score is much less than mine (but still ok) and we're linked financially with the credit agencies!

This is driving me mad. I'm currently attempting to contact all of the agencies separately to confirm my address. I've already done CallCredit who have my correct address. Unfortunately the vodafone searches that failed show up as CallCredit searches!

Still as confused as ever,
Stu

Ben8282

Your posts do not really make any sense.
If your credit and debit card transactions are being declined due to incorrect address, how do you know this is why they are being declined? If a transaction doesn't go through it does not usually flash up on the screen 'DECLINED DUE TO INCORRECT ADDRESS'.
You say the cards work with your old address.
If this is the case it has nothing to do with the CRA's. It means that the issuing bank for whatever cards are affected still have the cards at the old address. A credit check through CRA's is NOT carried out each time you attempt to use your credit or debit card!

You say that you tried to switch your broadband to viodafone 'again' but were declined. How do you know this has anything to do with your address. If you were previously declined it is hardly surprising that you were declined when you tried again.

Your credit score is meaningless. Why your application in your wife's name (which I assume she consented to) passed while yours did not I don't know but again there is no evidence here that this decline is anything to do with your address.

MrMaxP

I apologise for not making any sense to you. Let me try to clarify things a little. And as you seem to be very knowledgeable on how the whole system works, maybe you can suggest a fix to my problem?

As previously mentioned, I suspect the failed transactions are due to an incorrect address, not because of a big flashing sign on the screen, but because on 5(ish) different occasions, after a transaction was declined on the first attempt, I tried again with my old address and it was accepted. You mention that this is a bank issue not a credit check issue. That's great to hear, but I have checked with the bank and they have confirmed my address is up to date on their system in every place where an address is stored and suggested I check with the credit agencies.

As for the broadband, this is speculation biased by the previous issues I've been having as there is no reason I should be declined £25 per month worth of broadband based on my situation, credit score with all the agencies and never being declined anything before. True, it could be something else. Maybe the previous owners did something unspeakable to Vodafone and they've blacklisted the house (still wouldn't explain my wife's details going through, though), but after figuring out many of my other problems were to do with the check needing my old address, I guessed it's a good chance it's the same issue. Oh, and to put your mind at rest, yes, I had my wife's permission. She was sitting next to me at the time. It wasn't in writing or anything, though. Our marriage is a little more amicable than that...

So, given that the bank swear blind my address is correct and has been for a year, my credit report from each agency lists me at my current address and all give me a clean bill of health (although, thanks to you, I now know this is irrelevant), and since I can, right now, try to pay my credit card with my debit card via my online banking and have it declined until I enter my old address, can you think of anything it could be? Where do I go now? Is the Vodafone thing a random blip and nothing to do with the address issue on my cards? Is the bank stupid and should I push harder for them to check their system? I would very much appreciate it if you could make sense of the situation for me.

Cheers,
Stu

[Deleted User]

MrMaxP wrote: »

Maybe the previous owners did something unspeakable to Vodafone and they've blacklisted the house

House blacklisting isn't a thing.

MrMaxP

Good to know, thanks.