Anglain water searches on credit report

ajp2009

Recently checked my credit report and its showing 2 credit searches by anglian water services.I have never lived in the area that anglian covers(actually live miles away!) .I've rang them and have been informed the search could have been carried out in error when they have been trying to trace a person of a similar name but obviously with this showing as a credit search i'm a little concerned ...does anyone have any ideas on what i can do to have this removed etc Thanks


*Update Anglain water are as baffled as we are as it seems to be a hard search ? Manager involved and they are currently contacting equifax etc as according to Anglian they don't actually report to equifax..has anyone had any thing like this happen to them as we are really confused

GingerBob_3

Water companies have taken it upon themselves to hard search, soft search and report accounts without any consent whatsoever from their customers. Your problem stems from this disgusting policy, but it sounds like an error, compounded by their total disregard for the idea of consent. Please report this to the ICO.

ajp2009

Anglian are trying their best to sort it now ,like i mentioned in the first post they said it was an error at first but as we have never had any dealings with them whatsoever and never lived in the areas they cover it seems very strange.The first adviser i spoke to fobbed us off and basically passed the buck and told us to take it up with equifax, I was really unhappy with her response so rang and received a call of the data manager who advised it would be thoroughly investigated. Today we have received a phone call of a really helpful man who is trying to resolve it.

I have read elsewhere that the search was obviously carried out without our consent, I see you mentioned reporting to the ICO what can they do about this ? will it help us to get the searches removed? Thanks

GingerBob_3

ajp2009 wrote: »

Anglian are trying their best to sort it now ,like i mentioned in the first post they said it was an error at first but as we have never had any dealings with them whatsoever and never lived in the areas they cover it seems very strange.The first adviser i spoke to fobbed us off and basically passed the buck and told us to take it up with equifax, I was really unhappy with her response so rang and received a call of the data manager who advised it would be thoroughly investigated. Today we have received a phone call of a really helpful man who is trying to resolve it.

I have read elsewhere that the search was obviously carried out without our consent, I see you mentioned reporting to the ICO what can they do about this ? will it help us to get the searches removed? Thanks

The ICO should be able to help get the searches removed, if Anglian and Equifax are dragging their heels. Longer term though, the issue is one of policy. The current approach of the water companies and the CRAs drives a coach and horses through the notion of consent, so the ICO need to explain why they are letting them get away with it. Incidentally, you don't have any contract with a water company, so you don't consent by accepting their service.