Car insurance quotes and credit file

pamril1

I recently visited a car insurance comparison site (don't know if I can mention its name but the one advertising a million pound draw) anyway. I'm a learner driver and had viewed a few different cars so I went on the comparison site 3 times to find out what the insurance would be like for each car. I didn't realise they did credit searches for quotes!!!!!! :eek: I only thought that once you were taking out insurance they did one. Only when I checked my file because I received alerts did I realise what had happened. I doubt there is anything I can do to get them removed but I have certainly learned my lesson the hard way! Just out of curiosity does anyone know how long they will stay on my file for?

HannaB

Hiya pamril,

Someone will correct me if I am wrong, but I think credit searches only stay on your file for 12 months. Actual credit your have (credit cards, etc) will stay on there for 6 years after the debt has cleared.

I went through a spate of applying for loans at the end of 2006, without realising that each one will be on my file. I got an updated report from Experian a couple of months ago and there are now all gone.

Don't worry though, I don't think 3 searches on an insurance comparison site will make too much of a difference if you're planning to apply for credit within the next year.

Hope this helps

H x

Bayblue

I wouldn't worry too much about it pamril1.

A couple of months ago, when I started my DFW lifestyle, I checked my own credit file and was surprised to find 3 recent 'searches' that I didn't recognise from (I think it was) 'Sun Alliance'. I can only think that this was from insurance searches. in order to work out a sort of annual budget I had been playing around with quote sites trying to find out what my car insurance might be this year- and it's not due till Sept. It seems a bit daft now, but I thought it was a good idea at the time.

Anyway the good news is that it doesn't appear to have affected my credit ratings, I got both a 0% balance transfer and another card in the past few weeks so you should be OK.

pamril1

I feel like a right numpty but never mind hard lesson learned an all. Thanks for your replies you've reassured me so I wont worry about it now.