Voters Roll: was never on it at previous address, what to do?

Skywriting

Hi, really hope some of you incredibly smart people can help me!

I recently got turned down for a loan with Tesco who reckoned they could not reconcile my previous addresses. I got a phone call and some questions about why I wasn't on the Voters Roll at an address I mentioned in my application -- and a few days later I was declined.

Here's the deal:

When I first left home I lived with a mate who owned his own house. I lived there for two years, but was never on the Voters Roll. I've since moved (twice) and now I don't know what to do. To be honest, I was so young I had no idea that I had to update my details with the Council or whatever when I moved. Am I now going to be haunted by this mistake forever? My credit report is otherwise rated as "Excellent".

My Experian credit report shows financial searches performed whilst I lived at this address, but my Equifax one has no record of anything at all to do with this address.

What can I do? Can I go back to the Council of my former address from years back and say "please add me to to the Voters Roll for this period... even though I have no evidence"? Can the Equifax do anything to help me?

Heeelp!!!

jude47

Hi Skywriting

Hmmm, difficult - but not impossible. The Council won't add you to the Electoral Roll retrospectively I'm afraid - it would be illegal for them to do so. If you really want to go ahead with Tesco, would they accept a letter from your employer (I'm assuming you're working?) stating that their records show you resided at such and such an address over such and such a period? Or from your College if you're a student?

Dunno if any of this helps, just trying to think of anything that might! Good luck and let us know how you get on.

Jude x

Burlesque_Babe

Hi - I don't think you can be added retrospectively to an electoral roll for a particular period.

It won't affect you 'forever' but it may well come up for the next few years. I was missing for 1 year through an error and it still shows up on my report.

If you aren't already on it,ensure you are on the roll for your current local authority. Some update annually, some monthly.

Skywriting

Hi Jude and Keren... thanks so much for your responses.

That's an interesting idea about my employer, that should be do-able.

However, another thought comes to me.

Looking in close detail at my Experian credit report, I have no "Financial Associations" listed for this dubious address. I had basically moved 20 minutes from home and continued to collect mail from my parents, so financial intitutions, from my record, seem to have not ever known of this address. The address only comes up under Linked Addresses, which I believe are ones I have informed them about.

Would I be better off trying to purge this address from my reports and applying for a different loan without mention of it?