How to obtain credit reports

Monochrome wrote: »

I pay my Experian membership subscription monthly, but I can't find all my details (monthly payments) on my Experian credit report. I mean it's only Lloyds TSB who appears there (I'm also banking with Barclays, Premier Division but nothing about Barclays appears in my credit report). Nothing about my monthly payments to Virgin Media, for example. Only O2 appears there (and I have 10 direct debits set on my Barclay Account). Do I have to do anything in order to see my monthly payments through my Premier Barclays account on my credit report? My first opened account was with Lloyds. Do they need an update or something like that?

Unless credit facilities are involved (eg. mobile phone), your payment histories with utilities are not normally reported to the credit reference agencies, provided that you are not in arrears. In other words, utilities neither help nor harm your credit history, if you always pay up on time.

Note: in the last four months, British Gas has begun to report new customer accounts to the CRAs. [Obviously, BG needs a customer's permission, so only new account holders are affected.]

Do not go with experian. I cancelled my subscription and they kept charging me.

I'm wanting to check my credit reports for potentially adverse info.

I read elswhere that:

* A report based on Callcredit data will show you the most detail.
* A report based on Equifax data will show you exactly what lenders see.
* A report based on Experian data will show you only your public data - very little compared to the above options, but will show you what employers and landlords typically see.

Question: Is this correct? Specifically - am I right in thinking that by ordering my own reports I'll see more than 'they' (potential lenders/landlords) do?



I've also read that many lenders/landlords don't bother with Callcredit.

Question: Is this correct?



I'm wondering about Equifax and Experian... and whether the info available in the 'become a paid member' is the same as that supplied in their 'statutory, £2' versions?

Question: Is there a difference?



Both the Equifax statutory report and the Experian free-trial one don't show all the bank/other accounts/ccj stuff I'd expect - either at the current address or previous ones.

I'm wondering if this is because I'm now using a different forename than I once did. I didn't tick the 'have you been known by any other name' options as I simply dropped my original forename and thought that the date of birth I supplied would ensure some 'ah, same person' thing.

Question: Am I right in thinking that if stuff doesn't show on the reports, then such info (including potentially adverse stuff) remains inaccessible?

Just wanted to moan about Equifax - I tried to order the statutory report and view it immediately online, rather than get it posted. Having entered all the details, created my account, they found my file and asked me to log on to view it. Then they claim my log in details are not valid (I just entered them twice to create the account 30 secs prior!) If I click on the 'forgotten password' link and enter details they claim 'the information provided does not match our records'.

Net result: £2 paid and no credit file provided... will have to wait to Monday to call and complain...

....this actually seems to be a technical problem at their end, anyone else suffered the same situation?