Not on the electoral roll? You must register to get credit!

Ricksteruk2005

Well The ER has had a massive impact on my credit. I have recently been trying to obtain a unsecured loan. I have never defaulted on anything, make all my payments on time. I dont however have a credit credit although i have store cards with a 0 balance on them as i pay them in full everytime. Whilst i was searching for a good loan i kept getting refused so eventually after about 10 companies i thought something was not right so i went to Experian to look at my credit report to see what was wrong.

I moved 18 months ago and I told all my lenders etc i had moved. I was on the ER with the local council etc however, experian only had my current address as a linked address so to a lender it looked like i didnt live here, it was just somewhere where i am associated to. Once i changed my personal details with experian something i pressumed was automatically done for you my credit score went up from 649 to 821 so as you can see it is a big difference.

because i was unaware of this issue with my credit file, I now have around 10 recent applications for credit on my file another thing frowned upon by lenders.
I also found out that most lenders dont just use experian, they also use callcredit. So I would suggest people get their credit report from there as well. With experian you get a months free trial so it dont actually cost you a penny for the first month. Callcredit charge you £12 month,however I have found that you can also get a FREE credit report from noddle.co.uk (this is actually CallCredit's sister company and they share information)

If you have not checked your credit report recently, Go do it because otherwise you could find youre getting a adverse score for something you knew nothing about and by something that you had nothing to do with creating!

forgotmyname

Sister has got a problem. She had been out of work for a while.

Couple of years ago she got a job met someone and things are looking up for her.

Because of her situation she didnt have a bank account, Not had credit cards, store cards or loans etc.

Another strange thing was, She never ever received applications for credit cards, catalogue's etc. Which i thought strange as i get tons of the junk.

Even when i was off sick and fell behind in my credit cards myself. The applications still came?

Anyway. She got her equifax £2 report. Seems although she has lived at her current address for over 10 years. She is only listed as being there for just under 2.

She contacted them to query this, Which was a nightmare she said. Foreign call centres and people who dont understand simple questions when asked.

Seems when her boyfriend was living there for a short time he gave his name to a caller for the voting. Then gave her name and used his surname.

She thought nothing of it as it was just the voting card.

How can she put this right? Not had a sensible reply from equifax so far.

Thanks.

zerog

Contact the council.

Leyfy

Just applied for a Barclaycard to try and get their 0% offer and shift some of my existing CC debt. Never been turned down before - I am a homeowner and recently got a car loan so thought my credit rating was okay.

Found out today (letter came in the post) that I'm not on the electoral role at this address! D'oh! Just popped into the council offices with the form so hopefully that will be sorted out.

Moved in February...

Found it a bit interesting that Toyota gave me finance for a car, though? Bought the car a few months after moving house.

Buzby

I'm assuming you provided your original address, and WERE listed on the ER for that address? No mystery then!

Leyfy

Buzby wrote: »

I'm assuming you provided your original address, and WERE listed on the ER for that address? No mystery then!

Don't think so? Unless they asked for addresses from the previous 3 years, in that case I would have provided that address as well. However, the address I had given them where I was living wouldn't have then matched up to where the electoral role says I am?

rickbonar

I've recently had problems with electoral situation in that my details have come up on 192.com

I get a lot of marketing junk through the post and a relative told me that they had signed the roll but with another name (maiden name) and the junk mail comes through in that name even though they had always ticked the box for edited roll.

Now the interesting thing the lady concerned has only moved to this address in the last 4 years and has used that name for this purpose there only.
So it proves that marketers do use the main roll...

We've already note that they have access to the unedited roll for "credit checks" ; clearly there is more to this than simply registering to vote, big brother is watching you! And government etc snooping is helped by this.

As for credit ... who needs it?

caela_2

Hi all,

Bit of a weird one here but I don't want to be on the electoral register because whilst they say they don't give out your information (as long as you tick the right box), I'm pretty sure they still do. I don't vote and I don't want people knowing where I live cos they are only going to share this with my banks and other people who wish to harass me.

The letter is addressed 'to the occupier' so I am assuming they can't prosecute someone whom they don't know the name of. Apparently there is a £1000 fine if you don't fill out the form, much like the who census thing. I know at our last address I never filled it in and nothing happened but I was only there for 6 months and the landlord probably did it in the end.

I know the form is also to vote so please don't all get mad about that cos I don't vote (I'm sure everyone has an opinion about this but please save it for another forum sorry!)

I called the number on the form and they said it was illegal not to return it under the 'Representation of the People Act'. Never heard of it but going to look it up.

Anyone know anything about this?

Buzby

To make any prosecution valid, you would have to admit receiving the document that requested the details and refused to comply. However, for all the Council know, the person at that property may actually have a vote at a different address, and as you are not allowed to vote twice - by responding to the tick-box than there is nobody entitled to vote, will not cause any follow-ups. Whereas, simply ignoring it probably will, it just depends on whether your Council has the time and energy to pursue it.

Under the RPA, there is nothing that formally requires/forced you to vote, but the form itself IS a requirement. It would be better to deal with this, and each reminder for the new register on an annual basis.

If you do decide to go for a loan or financial product, this policy may work against you, but if you are not bothered, go for it. As to your suspicion that the edited register is still disclosed to third parties, you are absolutely right. Your address details are still sold on to CRA's as normal (for 'anti fraud' and 'responsible lending' purposes) so for many, the distinction is irrelevant.

moshoodo1

Its normal thing i sent off mine already. if no amendment, you can do it online with the code provided on the form.