Help/Advice to get access to credit file and/or get professional support v Experian

Tether

Hi everyone - first post today out of desperation.


So I lived abroad for a while and so my UK-centric credit file was in limbo all that time.


Now I am back in UK and to get access to my Experian 'account' they want a bunch of details of my current address (as if I am a normal householder with bills in the UK and so on). They insist on original documents.


But I am by definition 'in transit' at the moment because I just moved back to UK and don't have any documents like that. And even if I did this is the 21st century they are all electronic now.



I waited weeks for a complaint resolution but just heard from them basically completely ignoring my original request.



Long story short does anyone have any tips how I can access my credit file (e.g. an organisation I can walk into with my passport and verify who I am)?



Or how I can engage support to gain leverage with Experian? Is there an ombudsman or MSE support or ?



Or something??? Starting to lose my mojo.:(

BoGoF

When was the last time you had credit in the UK?

Tether

Hi, 2012 was when I went. But I did maintain UK bank accounts etc etc while I was away - it was really only my address that was non-UK.

sourcrates

What particular reason have you for wanting to access your credit report ?
Personally I went half my life without viewing mine, are you just wanting to see whats there or what ?

BoGoF

Aside from the fact there is going to be very little on it, they have a duty to protect your data. If you don't yet have a UK address then you are stuck. Your first step will be to notify your bank of a UK address.

sourcrates

BoGoF wrote: »

Aside from the fact there is going to be very little on it, they have a duty to protect your data. If you don't yet have a UK address then you are stuck. Your first step will be to notify your bank of a UK address.

Agreed, you file only shows the last 6 years of data, so it will be completly blank, whats the point trying to access it yet ?

Build up some UK credit history, using your bank account, maybe a sim only phone contract, give it a year or so, register UK address, get on electoral role, then try again.

Tether

Thanks to everyone who've responded so quickly! Honestly if you haven't had problems yourself you're probably not best placed to help... but to answer the questions:


Because not having a live credit report is the same as having bad credit in the eyes of the 'system' and so my finances are dead in the water. I can't even apply for a credit card.



But the no1 problem is I need to at least rent a place to live (imagine if I had to borrow money to buy a place!!) - Estate agencies are just the same - they will see 'dodgy file' and look at me like a leper.


And per BoGoF yes actually it is MY file these people are holding to ransom. So I want to be able to access it to control it.



The irony is that I changed my details with any number of my own banks and other organisations (ie who handle real money) without a problem. Its only these erm 'people' who are making it impossible.



(Meanwhile every week some hacker or other makes off with some supposedly 'secure' organisation's data, hilarious isn't it?)



Advice my bank gave was 'get your credit file back in the green asap' which is what I am trying to do per your advice i.e. start small and make regular payments etc.



Also their opinion of the 'system' that even having two addresses that appear live (because the system is slow to be updated) can mess your file up - just because you are moving frequently! So you (I/we) must manually intervene because the system can't cope with rapid change. Or anything that is not vanilla really.



Don't get me started on the entire tail wagging dog insanity that we have with these unaccountable 'agencies' who basically make their money out of your /my/our misery. A 'good' credit report is based on you being up to your neck in debt like credit or mortage or lease and still managing to keep your head above water and pay them each month. That is the 'system' in a nutshell. It's only 'good' for them.

[Deleted User]

Tether wrote: »

A 'good' credit report is based on you being up to your neck in debt like credit or mortage or lease and still managing to keep your head above water and pay them each month. That is the 'system' in a nutshell. It's only 'good' for them.

That's a 'bad' credit report. A good one is where you're carrying minimal debt and managing payments easily.

Have you managed to check your other two credit files?

BoGoF

What a stupid rant.

What do you expect to see on your file that you can 'control' given you have been out of the country for 7 years?

Tether

I know there are other agencies but naively I assumed getting access to one would be to all.... Is that not the case?



But one step at a time Malcolm...

[Deleted User]

No. The three files are separate and different lenders report to, and check, different files.