Credit check without permission, what are the rules please? 24 February 2021 at 9:13PM in Credit file & ratings 6 replies 272 views

e30dan

Hi, I did a quick search but couldnt find anything relative, as per title, I have had a credit check done without my permission or even being told it would be done, I only noticed because I was enquiring for a remortgage at the time and saw my score had gone down. 
Is this legal? I always thought permission was needed?

Many thanks

Nebulous2

What kind of check? 
Hard check? Soft check? What company, one you have used before? 

It may be that you did give permission at some point, without noticing it.

Jamesyb123

We would need more information about what led to this it maybe that you had a broker who you asked to get you a mortgage offer in principal? Or if you’re remortgaging they may have enquired with a lender? If you had no conversation or anything along those lines with a broker or lender it’s unusual for a random hard search to be done. Don’t worry about the score going down but if the hard search is truely unwarranted and there is no reason for it then you should query it.

cymruchris

There are lots of reasons as to why a search may be carried out - we'd need more information before being able to give any kind of meaningful advice. Was it a hard or soft search? Was it a financial institution you've had dealings with? You need to be a bit less vague with your question. 

Thrugelmir

By requesting something not unusual to agree to certain terms and conditions. Buried in the small print will be your agreement to be credit checked. Anything finance related will have a check of some kind as a basic requirement. 

Farfetch

Your fictional score changing will have no impact at all on your mortgage process. Neither will a soft search

nic_c

If you were enquiring about a remortgage, then they could well have done a search then. How else are they supposed to give you a quote? A soft search is often done for an agreement in principle. They may even have done a hard search if they thought you were applying to get it.