Credit report needed to prove my mortgage is paid-off

Sluicer

So, last week I discovered that my mortgage payment protection plan with L&G was still active, despite my mortgage having been paid-off in 2017.  For whatever reason, the small monthly premiums were missed, until I spotted the policy renewal document from last year in a pile old documents I was sorting.

I gave them a call, got the policy cancelled, and was told I would be refunded the premiums going back to when the mortgage was completed and paid-off.  The two stipulations made were that I provided a copy of the mortgage redemption letter from the lender, and my full credit report.

The former wasn't a problem, bu the latter is giving me big problems.  Firstly, I haven't used credit facilities for a very long while (over fifteen years), so when I asked Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, not only have I struggled to open accounts to start the report process, when I did get a report from Experian it had no references to my mortgage whatsoever.  Equifax just locked me out, presumably because I have such a thin file, as did TransUnion - who I am now supplying a written application to.

Have I done something wrong, or is this standard for someone in my situation?  I've had a couple of email exchanges with different people at L&G now, and at one time it seemed that they were asking me to provide something they themselves are well able to check themselves.  They have all my details; I have had house insurance with them on the property in question for nearly thirty years (my period of occupancy), and then there's the payment protection plan which sparked this (apparent) wild goose chase.

Any help would be appreciated, cheers.

[Deleted User]

Sluicer said:

So, last week I discovered that my mortgage payment protection plan with L&G was still active, despite my mortgage having been paid-off in 2017.  For whatever reason, the small monthly premiums were missed, until I spotted the policy renewal document from last year in a pile old documents I was sorting.

I gave them a call, got the policy cancelled, and was told I would be refunded the premiums going back to when the mortgage was completed and paid-off.  The two stipulations made were that I provided a copy of the mortgage redemption letter from the lender, and my full credit report.

The former wasn't a problem, bu the latter is giving me big problems.  Firstly, I haven't used credit facilities for a very long while (over fifteen years), so when I asked Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, not only have I struggled to open accounts to start the report process, when I did get a report from Experian it had no references to my mortgage whatsoever.  Equifax just locked me out, presumably because I have such a thin file, as did TransUnion - who I am now supplying a written application to.

Have I done something wrong, or is this standard for someone in my situation?  I've had a couple of email exchanges with different people at L&G now, and at one time it seemed that they were asking me to provide something they themselves are well able to check themselves.  They have all my details; I have had house insurance with them on the property in question for nearly thirty years (my period of occupancy), and then there's the payment protection plan which sparked this (apparent) wild goose chase.

Any help would be appreciated, cheers.

Opening an account isn't necessary to view the card agencies information, all 3 are free to view and contain several pages within them, you'll be able to see your financial history to date.

Sluicer

Catsacor said:.

Opening an account isn't necessary to view the card agencies information, all 3 are free to view and contain several pages within them, you'll be able to see your financial history to date.

Sadly, I've already discovered this, and when I requested a report from Experian after not being able to open an account, the report they sent me did not have any references to my mortgage - which is exactly what L&G want.  I sent them the full report, but they rejected it.  I'm hoping that Equifax don't send me something similar, because the same thing has happened when I tried opening an account with them for the same purpose.

400ixl

Are you sure that is what they are expecting to see. My mortgage was paid off and as it is no longer a credit line it dropped off of my credit file pretty quickly. They maybe want to see that there is no mortgage on your credit file as evidence it has been paid off.

Maybe you need to ask them for clarity on what they are expecting to see as you may not have an issue at all.

emmajones1976

Surely its beyond ridiculous they arent just accepting the letter from the lender.

Sluicer

emmajones1976 said:

Surely its beyond ridiculous they arent just accepting the letter from the lender.

Yes, it does appear ridiculous to me.  Hence why I’m starting to think the goalposts are being moved to prevent the refund.  I have proof, but it does seem strange that (if they really wanted to help) they could do the credit check themselves, and none of this would be necessary.

[Deleted User]

Sluicer said:

emmajones1976 said:

Surely its beyond ridiculous they arent just accepting the letter from the lender.

Yes, it does appear ridiculous to me.  Hence why I’m starting to think the goalposts are being moved to prevent the refund.  I have proof, but it does seem strange that (if they really wanted to help) they could do the credit check themselves, and none of this would be necessary.

Their processing of data policy probably wouldn't allow that, and they won't risk an ICO complaint for you.

If they genuinely didn't want to help, they'd have simply told you no refunds.

Fighter1986

I mean, your credit file shows no mortgage, you have this copy of your credit file from Experian so send it off along with your mortgage redemption.

It's absolutely asinine for them to ask for your credit file, you're absolutely right, but if cowtowing to their box ticking exercise yields you five years worth of refunds, hey it's worth doing.

Good luck!

Sluicer

Fighter1986 said:

I mean, your credit file shows no mortgage, you have this copy of your credit file from Experian so send it off along with your mortgage redemption.

It's absolutely asinine for them to ask for your credit file, you're absolutely right, but if cowtowing to their box ticking exercise yields you five years worth of refunds, hey it's worth doing.

Good luck!

It gets better.  L&G have responded today, intimating that I have removed or omitted parts of the report I got from Experian.
You couldn’t make it up as a Whitehall farce.

emmajones1976

Why dont you just write them a Letter Before Action giving them 30 days to refund you, before taking them to small claims? You have jumped through both hoops they have asked you to jump through.

Sluicer

emmajones1976 said:

Why dont you just write them a Letter Before Action giving them 30 days to refund you, before taking them to small claims? You have jumped through both hoops they have asked you to jump through.

It’s certainly moving up the to-do list after this morning’s little ditty from them.