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Credit Reference Agency Records
When you apply for a loan, credit card, bank account or mortgage, the chances are that the company involved will run a check on you with a credit reference agency. These agencies check the electoral register to confirm that people live where they say they do, and report on bad debts, bankruptcies and perhaps on how well people keep up repayments of existing loans. If any of the information about you is wrong, it could be extremely damaging. The Data Protection Act allows you to see this information.
If you are about to apply for a mortgage or other major loan it may be worth checking in advance to see what information credit reference agencies hold on you. Correcting any errors in advance could help you avoid problems at a later stage, when you may not be able to get things put right in time.
When you apply, you should state that your request is limited to personal information relating to your financial standing. The data controller then has to reply within seven working days. The maximum fee it can charge you is £2 and you should enclose this with your application.
Under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 you are entitled to have incorrect information corrected. If the file contains mistakes, the agency must correct them and tell you what it has done within 28 days. If it refuses, or you are not satisfied with the amendment, you can send it a note of correction of up to 200 words, which it must add to your file and send out whenever information about you is supplied in the future.
If you are having problems obtaining credit as a result of the credit records of, for example, other family members living at the same address as you, you can apply to have your credit records ‘disassociated’ from theirs. You need only make such an application to one of the main credit reference agencies. That agency will also notify the others.
If you have problems obtaining credit, it may be useful for you to read the information leaflet 'Credit Explained' published by the Information Commissioner (www.ico.gov.uk)
The three main credit reference agencies in Britain are:
Call Credit plc
One Park lane
Leeds
West Yorkshire
LS3 1EP
Tel: 0113 244 1555
Fax: 0113 234 0050
http://www.callcredit.co.uk/
Equifax plc
Credit File Advice Service
PO Box 1140
BRADFORD
BD1 5US
http://www.equifax.co.uk/
Experian Ltd
PO BOX 9000
Nottingham
NG80 7WP
Tel: 0870 241 6212
http://www.experian.co.uk/
If you are about to apply for a mortgage or other major loan it may be worth checking in advance to see what information credit reference agencies hold on you. Correcting any errors in advance could help you avoid problems at a later stage, when you may not be able to get things put right in time.
When you apply, you should state that your request is limited to personal information relating to your financial standing. The data controller then has to reply within seven working days. The maximum fee it can charge you is £2 and you should enclose this with your application.
Under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 you are entitled to have incorrect information corrected. If the file contains mistakes, the agency must correct them and tell you what it has done within 28 days. If it refuses, or you are not satisfied with the amendment, you can send it a note of correction of up to 200 words, which it must add to your file and send out whenever information about you is supplied in the future.
If you are having problems obtaining credit as a result of the credit records of, for example, other family members living at the same address as you, you can apply to have your credit records ‘disassociated’ from theirs. You need only make such an application to one of the main credit reference agencies. That agency will also notify the others.
If you have problems obtaining credit, it may be useful for you to read the information leaflet 'Credit Explained' published by the Information Commissioner (www.ico.gov.uk)
The three main credit reference agencies in Britain are:
Call Credit plc
One Park lane
Leeds
West Yorkshire
LS3 1EP
Tel: 0113 244 1555
Fax: 0113 234 0050
http://www.callcredit.co.uk/
Equifax plc
Credit File Advice Service
PO Box 1140
BRADFORD
BD1 5US
http://www.equifax.co.uk/
Experian Ltd
PO BOX 9000
Nottingham
NG80 7WP
Tel: 0870 241 6212
http://www.experian.co.uk/
