Vodafone declined (for £12 a month!) because of database error?

Si_Clist

I recently applied to switch to Vodafone for broadband and landline but was declined. This has never happened before: I am a pensioner, homeowner, and have had two credit cards for over 20 years which I use regularly and pay off in full each month.  I have never missed a payment on anything. I suspect I know why I was declined, but a Vodafone credit check appeal did not give me the specific reason.

I have lived at this address for over 20 years, and have long been aware that one (only) of the databases that firms use to check addresses has an error when it comes to this property.  According to that database, the address for my postcode is 1 Wide Road.  There is no such address.  My address is actually 1 Something House, Wide Road.  When I applied to Vodafone, the woman taking my details found that her system would not allow her to enter my correct address manually, despite her trying to force it.  Then after a few more questions, she told me that she had got a "declined".

I did a quick check on my credit score with TransUnion and it said "Excellent 676 out of 710".  I have today got my credit report from TransUnion and there is nothing whatsoever on it to give a clue why I was declined.  I am still in the process of getting a check from Equifax, but there is a problem with my application for one to Experian:  I cannot complete the online application because their system will not allow me to enter the correct address.

I am currently waiting for Experian to get back to me on the address issue.

Suggestions please as to where I go from here ...

MorningcoffeeIV

Check all three files (none of the scores). 

If nothing there, it may be a PAF issue with your address.

Si_Clist

MorningcoffeeIV said:

... it may be a PAF issue with your address.

What on earth is a PAF issue?

penners324

What does Royal Mail say your address is?

CliveOfIndia

Si_Clist said:

MorningcoffeeIV said:

... it may be a PAF issue with your address.

What on earth is a PAF issue?

Postcode Address Finder, used by lots of companies to verify addresses.  You've probably seen it in action when buying stuff online, and it asks for a delivery address - you stick your postcode in, and it pops up a list of 20 or whatever address that are in that postcode, and you select yours.

In the OP's case, if the address can't be verified then that could very well be the reason for getting declined.

prowla

Who is your bank and who is the credit bank?

I've had issues with companies who use Barclays; I've tried finding out and had all sorts of "we don't disclose details" responses, but someone then in passing said it's because my bank doesn't do instantaneous credit checks, so the credit broker can't do their validation on-the-spot.

Si_Clist

penners324 said:

What does Royal Mail say your address is?

The correct one.  Postcode applies only to this property and next door.

Si_Clist

CliveOfIndia said:

In the OP's case, if the address can't be verified then that could very well be the reason for getting declined.

RM address finder shows correct address, as do other databases.  It's just this one, which I've never been able to get the name of ... because of "data protection laws" 

Si_Clist

prowla said:

Who is your bank and who is the credit bank?

Irrelevant to this matter.

razord

Ask for their credit referrals team email address. Looking at their privacy policy, you can contact the credit referrals team here: credit check appeal form

I've had the exact same with with EE that they were able to resolve for me this week.

DullGreyGuy

Si_Clist said:

According to that database, the address for my postcode is 1 Wide Road.  There is no such address.  My address is actually 1 Something House, Wide Road.  

Most companies buy the Royal Mail PAF, the F is for file not finder, this allows them to lookup a postcode and return an address, you can see the structure of the file https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postcode_Address_File

There are competing services out there as the PAF file, used to at least, be really expensive.

Not all companies use the same structure for address entry, look at the average webform it'll have address 1, address 2, town, postcode but you will see the PAF file has 13 different address elements. Someone somewhere will have to have made a decision on how to map the PAF file to their DB format and what to do with extra components or excess characters

We used to have a similar problem to you but it was nothing to do with the database but the fact that "Something House" had been recorded in the "Dependent Thoroughfare Name" rather than Building Name. It would appear in some cases companies had decided this was too rare a field to deal with and so dropped it... in fact it was hit and miss with some companies as my online banking (and telephone banking) dropped it but printed statements contained it so clearly they had an inconsistent approach. 

Credit files are on the person not the address. When you do a query to get a return which includes a confidence factor of you and the data being the same. Its likely with a partial matching address the CRA could identify you but may have given it a lower confidence factor because of the missing element and as such Vodafone werent willing to extend credit.

Separately, getting ancillary credit like this is going to get harder going forward. The FCA are saying all lenders should be doing affordability checks before giving credit not just banks and dedicated credit providers. These companies arent set up for asking for payslips etc to ensure you can afford the loan for your car insurance etc and so we will see more declines in coming years.