Hard search on my credit file Wrong bank Wrong date Help!!!

Chavy89

Hi so im about to complete on my house purchase and my solicitor has said he would request to draw down the founds yesterday around 16:48 so i just assumed he would do that today... however i woke up this morning to an alert from clear score saying a new hard search would be recorded on my credit file which isn't a problem as i knew the bank could do one just before they release the funds however when i logged in to my equifax account it said Halifax mortgage did the search when im actually using Barclays and the date of the search is the 20th of April before anything had been requested im just so confused as to if this is fraud or a mistake from the credit agencies  

the reason why this worries me is because originally i did look at doing my mortgage with Halifax they did do a hard search but in the end i went with Barclays funny enough there hard search has never appeared on my file i did do the original search with in a couple of weeks apart 
is there any chance halifax still have my details on file and have accidentally done a hard search i just dont know please any advice would be appreciated  

ACG

Ask your solicitor who he has requested the money from? 

Chavy89

I Have emailed him and waiting for response which i will let you know however how would it even be possible for him to request the money from Halifax as i dont have a mortgage offer from them 

ACG

I wouldnt have thought so. 

Chavy89

just heard from my solicitors he said he has requested the money today so this was not my bank which is very worrying now as someone or something has done a hard search on my name 

MovingForwards

What does the search say it was for?

Do you have any accounts with Halifax?

Chavy89

I dont have an account with Halifax i did phone them however, as like i said we did an application with them back in January that we didn't go ahead with however when i spoke to them today they said they did not do a search on my name, so i contacted equifax and they have raised a dispute (not what i wanted so close to completion) but such a strange situation i was hoping someone else would of had something similar happen to them, i guess this shows the importance of checking your credit report regularly   

it says its for halifax mortgage

kingstreet

Don't Halifax hard searches for a first mortgage still come up as Bank Of Scotland?

[Deleted User]

Did you look at the Equifax website before raising the dispute? If you order your statutory report (free version, not the 30 day trial) and then check the searches.

I've found clearscore app hasn't always been very clear (no pun intended!) as to what type of search it is. Your Equifax file will tell you 'from the horses mouth'.

If that's still showing a hard Halifax search, then you can dispute it. But personally, I wouldn't dispute it unless the solicitor advises there are problems with your lender/getting the funds.

Notices of Correction on credit files are a pain in the backside and more of a hindrance than a help.

If you've already raised it and they've added it to your file, not much you can do now. But if they haven't, tell them to cancel it.
Presumably you're completing in the next few days. Wait for that to happen, then do your disputes.

Even if your lender raised an issue as a result of the search, the disputes process is so ridiculous and drawn out it won't actually help you in time, so it's your lender you'd need to speak to if there are issues, not Equifax.

Chavy89

@Somerset_La_La_La
thank you for this, unfortunately i have already raised it they said it will be sorted in the next five days and im moving on the 30th of April, now im really scared as you have said this i hope it wont effect anything as my solicitor has requested the founds now this is the last thing i needed... 
is the lender likely to refuse to release funds due the a dispute????

[Deleted User]

Maybe CRAs do have some kind of escalation process for urgent issues, but whenever I've dealt with disputes (as a customer) they've been thoroughly useless - and everyone says their problem is urgent so I'm not sure a priority system would actually work, which is why I'd try to leave it alone. If the 5 days is correct, it could be resolved in time anyway.

Have you spoken to Halifax to find out what's gone on? Due to the potential risks, I'd try and get them to issue you with a letter/email ASAP confirming that it's their error - then you should be covered whatever comes of the extra search/NOC etc. Obviously Coronavirus etc. will impact their complaint handling times, but they should still be trying to resolve your query (complaint if needs be!) at first point of contact - if that means sending you an email to confirm it was an error, then they're likely to do it (it'll keep you happy, and take up a lot less of their time down the line if it gets escalated)

The key thing to remember is that Treating Customers Fairly is a key principle for financial services firms. An extra search is potentially an issue (e.g. for credit scoring, if you were borderline and that search has knocked you down into the next band). Likewise a NOC is likely to need manual review (if they pick it up). But, they still have to show that in order to not continue with your legally binding offer they have strong and valid reasons (e.g. material change/misleading information by yourself). A recent (disputed) search with another lender isn't likely to meet either rules on withdrawing an offer or TCF principles.

If your credit profile is rubbish anyway, then an extra search could well be the final straw - but presuming you have an otherwise fine profile, they'd really struggle to justify withdrawing an offer.

Some (most?) lenders also wouldn't routinely credit search prior to release of funds. Although they all retain the right to re-search and score you as and when needed, generally there has to be a trigger. Most companies wouldn't just randomly re-score people because funds have been requested - it causes problems in very tight cases. E.g. if applicant is borrowing maximum available, then credit card balance is re-checked and is £100 higher by completion, it'd cause chaos for Underwriters to go round checking out what's going on (as the available lend figure will have dropped).

I'm fairly sure that they won't even know about the search or the dispute, you just need to be prepared if they do. Generally funds are sent the day before completion anyway (or earlier), so your Solicitor should be able to confirm receipt of funds before moving day to put your mind at rest.