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Credit Style doing soft searches

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This week I looked at my credit file and found a soft search from Datasense UK. I contacted them and asked who their client was, and they said it was a company called Credit Style (I think these are the same as CST Law?)

I imagine this relates to a parking charge I recieved letters about a while ago.

Is this a new thing now? Are debt collectors doing soft credit searches before deciding to make a court claim? If so is this not outrageous?
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Comments

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 35,242 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 20 July 2022 at 9:45PM
    No, it's not a new thing or outrageous. The benefit to you is that it's far more likely they will use your correct address, so that you will know about any CCJ.
  • fatbelly
    fatbelly Posts: 22,901 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Cashback Cashier
    I think this is questionable and it would be interesting to see how the ICO view this, sjhould you make a complaint, which I think you should do.

    The cra perspective is this

    https://www.experian.co.uk/consumer/guides/who-has-access.html

    and the ICO say this

    https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/credit/#creditsearch

    Data protection law doesn’t actually require these organisations to have gained your consent before they can carry out a search of your credit file as long as they have a lawful basis for doing so and you have been told that this search is going to take place. If you have taken out a loan or credit card you will probably find this in the original terms and conditions that you signed.


  • judrop500
    judrop500 Posts: 104 Forumite
    100 Posts Third Anniversary Name Dropper
    Thank you both
  • judrop500
    judrop500 Posts: 104 Forumite
    100 Posts Third Anniversary Name Dropper
    Apologies - the company who did the search were called DataTrace not DataSense
  • fatbelly said:
    I think this is questionable and it would be interesting to see how the ICO view this, sjhould you make a complaint, which I think you should do.

    The cra perspective is this

    https://www.experian.co.uk/consumer/guides/who-has-access.html

    and the ICO say this

    https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/credit/#creditsearch

    Data protection law doesn’t actually require these organisations to have gained your consent before they can carry out a search of your credit file as long as they have a lawful basis for doing so and you have been told that this search is going to take place. If you have taken out a loan or credit card you will probably find this in the original terms and conditions that you signed.


    They will be doing the search as an identity check to find them and see if they can issue a CCJ correctly, it's at least a step up from just sending it to the first person with a name vaguely like the OP. I would hazard a guess if the OP knows they have unpaid parking tickets it'll be somewhere in the terms of the parking firm that they are allowed
  • judrop500
    judrop500 Posts: 104 Forumite
    100 Posts Third Anniversary Name Dropper
    Ok to update you they say this is in relation to court case that happened and was settled in their favour in 2021. So I replied to ask why are they running credit searches in 2022 if the case has been completed and settled? They replied to say they were “rewiring for legal action.”

    But the case is done and settled? 
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 35,242 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Have you paid the CCJ? If not, it's not done and settled. 

    They probably want to check your current address so that they can pursue the debt and not get timed out.
  • judrop500
    judrop500 Posts: 104 Forumite
    100 Posts Third Anniversary Name Dropper
    Have you paid the CCJ? If not, it's not done and settled. 

    They probably want to check your current address so that they can pursue the debt and not get timed out.
    Yes I paid on the day
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 35,242 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Then if the debt is paid in full, you don't need to do anything more. If they contact you, provide them with evidence of the settled debt.
  • judrop500
    judrop500 Posts: 104 Forumite
    100 Posts Third Anniversary Name Dropper
    edited 17 August 2022 at 6:40PM
    Then if the debt is paid in full, you don't need to do anything more. If they contact you, provide them with evidence of the settled debt.
    But why would they be running credit searches on me? Surely they don’t have due cause?
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