Regularly check Crediva and National Hunter?

HeCh

As often recommended, I am now regularly checking the big three credit reference agencies (ExperIan, Equifax and Callcredit) using the free services (MSE Credit Club/ExperIan Credit Matcher, ClearScore and Noddle). I primarily check the accuracy of the files' contents but also enjoy the entertaining and interesting hobby of trying to identify correlations between changes in file contents and changes in the scores these agencies generate.

Should I also check Crediva and National Hunter (and any others?) at least once a year or is that an unnecessary waste of £12/year plus postage needed for the statutory report and subject access request to get information from these two companies?

connor08

HeCh wrote: »

As often recommended, I am now regularly checking the big three credit reference agencies (ExperIan, Equifax and Callcredit) using the free services (MSE Credit Club/ExperIan Credit Matcher, ClearScore and Noddle). I primarily check the accuracy of the files' contents but also enjoy the entertaining and interesting hobby of trying to identify correlations between changes in file contents and changes in the scores these agencies generate.

Should I also check Crediva and National Hunter (and any others?) at least once a year or is that an unnecessary waste of £12/year plus postage needed for the statutory report and subject access request to get information from these two companies?

I find that call credit noodle and Experian have totally different information according to my creit file while Experian has my passed history noodle and call credit might bring three things up but I check all of them never heard of crediva or national hunter

smallbusiness

I have an awful Crediva score, not sure why? Yes, I know you're going to respond the score doesn't mean twot.

Experian/Equifax/Call Credit I'm slightly better but still poor. Guess its a waiting game until my CCJ gets removed in 2018.

PixelPound

Crediva is one of the main four credit reference agencies in the UK, alongside Callcredit, Equifax and Experian.
Unlike the other three agencies, Crediva does not currently report account history information

So what do you get from a report?

You can expect to see the following information:

Your personal details
Electoral Roll registration
Any public records such as County Court Judgments (CCJs) or Insolvencies
Searches on your file made in the last to 2 years

Why bother!:rotfl:

HeCh

Why bother!:rotfl:

Because these agencies do make clerical errors? For example, Crediva might be erroneously recording a CCJ that doesn't appear on the agency's records. Or is that just paranoia?

PixelPound

HeCh wrote: »

Because these agencies do make clerical errors? For example, Crediva might be erroneously recording a CCJ that doesn't appear on the agency's records. Or is that just paranoia?

Who uses them though? As they don't appear on MSE: Who Uses Who it probably is paranoia

HeCh

Fair point. I have no real idea who actually uses Crediva or National Hunter for that matter!

Maybe most creditors do use them but because they don't report monthly account information their profiles aren't high enough to raise interest in the information they hold? I'm sure I have read somewhere that National Hunter is almost always used by lenders to track inconsistencies in credit application information and identify fraud.

Perhaps they are only worth checking if a credit limit is suddenly decreased, credit account closed, credit application declined etc without any obvious apparent reason/explanation or before a mortgage application.

JuicyJesus

HeCh wrote: »

I'm sure I have read somewhere that National Hunter is almost always used by lenders to track inconsistencies in credit application information and identify fraud.

That's right. The only reason you'd want to check Hunter is if you're getting declines for things specifically referencing Hunter. The vast majority of people won't have anything on there because it literally just tracks inconsistencies - if you keep your information consistent and true you won't be on there.

I've also never heard of Crediva and I'm not aware of any banks or other lenders who might use them. So not sure why you'd want to check them.

GingerBob_3

Crediva; you might not want to check them now, but their ambition appears to be that you WILL want to check them in the future. As if it isn't bad enough in this country having to deal with three financial surveillance operators, it appears that soon it will be four!


Crediva is part of the RELX Group, formerly Reed Elsevier. Have a look at their Wikipedia entry:


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RELX_Group


Here's an interesting quote from that article on the subject of privacy (pertaining to their operation in the USA):

Reed Elsevier collected, used, and sold data on millions of consumers.It has settled a Federal Trade Commission action taken against it, for failure to provide reasonable security for a database containing names, current and prior addresses, dates of birth, drivers license numbers and Social Security numbers, amongst other data. This information was obtained from credit reporting agencies and other sources, and made available to purchasers through a password-secured website which permitted easy-to-guess passwords, allowing identity thieves to steal records on over quarter of a million people. This breach occurred in 2005 through a recently purchased subsidiary, Seisint

You might also like to read the laughable management speak guff that this type of company can't help vomiting up when describing itself:


http://www.crediva.co.uk/company-profile/

Bet you can't wait till this bunch is screwing up your ability to obtain credit, in much the same way as the other three do. :beer: