Check if loan company uses Equifax or Experian

I regularly check my credit rating with Experian and ClearScore (which I think uses Experian data?)

Both give me VERY different ratings - it seems because 1 of them takes into account a large car finance that is in my name as a partnership business partner but the other doesn't show it.

I am looking for car finance for a personal car now and in applying for finance it would see to make it much more likely to be accepted if I apply from a finance company which checks using Experian which is the agency I have a very good rating with. Is it possible somehow to find out which finance companies check with which credit rating agencies? Or do they check them all anyway?

Many thanks in advance for any help.
CC1:£7800 (26%) CC2:£3510 (15.9%), Loan1:£5150, Loan2:£2250 and roughly £2000 in catalogues.

Comments

  • Clearscore use Equifax.

    Your “rating” (and score) means nothing in the real world.

    Lenders don’t see, care about or use them.

    They only look at the data on your files and your account behaviour.
  • mac1fm
    mac1fm Posts: 10
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    Ah ok, thanks Gary
    CC1:£7800 (26%) CC2:£3510 (15.9%), Loan1:£5150, Loan2:£2250 and roughly £2000 in catalogues.
  • Ben8282
    Ben8282 Posts: 4,821
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    edited 19 October 2019 at 12:45AM
    It can be very difficult to determine which CRA or CRA's a lender will search in respect of an application.
    A couple of years ago I applied for a credit card. The lenders website made reference to contacting Experian to check credit files if application was declined with no mention of any other CRA so it would be a reasonable assumption that they used Experian.
    Now I had no problem and got the card ok but no search, soft or hard, ever appeared on my Experian credit files although they do report the account to them. Who did they search? Don't know becauser I didn't bother to look but they obviously didn't use Experian.
  • mac1fm
    mac1fm Posts: 10
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    Thanks Ben - I think I should probably just go ahead and apply and hope for the best.
    CC1:£7800 (26%) CC2:£3510 (15.9%), Loan1:£5150, Loan2:£2250 and roughly £2000 in catalogues.
  • gionnetto
    gionnetto Posts: 234
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    mac1fm wrote: »
    Is it possible somehow to find out which finance companies check with which credit rating agencies?.

    Check this thread:
    https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=2419785
    and this article:
    https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/loans/credit-rating-credit-score/

    Because my score is higher with Experian, I've only applied for credit from lenders checking Experian. It worked so far! :T
    Your cholesterol levels are not seen, or used, by your heart and arteries, so ignore it.
    :eek:.
  • Ben8282
    Ben8282 Posts: 4,821
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    gionnetto wrote: »
    Check this thread:
    https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=2419785
    and this article:
    https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/loans/credit-rating-credit-score/

    Because my score is higher with Experian, I've only applied for credit from lenders checking Experian. It worked so far! :T

    This thread is nine years old and the information in it cannot be relied on to be accurate.
  • mac1fm
    mac1fm Posts: 10
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    Thanks Ben - that thread is exactly what I'm looking for! Many thanks
    CC1:£7800 (26%) CC2:£3510 (15.9%), Loan1:£5150, Loan2:£2250 and roughly £2000 in catalogues.
  • gionnetto wrote: »
    Because my score is higher with Experian, I've only applied for credit from lenders checking Experian. It worked so far! :T

    Your “score” has nothing remotely to do with the success of your applications.
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