What's the best method of checking my credit rating?
What's the best method of checking my credit rating?
Author
Discussion

sparks_E39

Original Poster:

12,738 posts

236 months

Thursday 1st September 2011
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Google search brings up so many different companies I don't know where to start! Do I have to pay?

DanGPR

991 posts

194 months

Thursday 1st September 2011
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Credit expert by experian, cancel your membership before the 30 day trial expires.

Easy.

sparks_E39

Original Poster:

12,738 posts

236 months

Thursday 1st September 2011
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Thanks!

davido140

9,614 posts

249 months

Thursday 1st September 2011
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the "credit rating" score is essentially meaningless.

Any scoring system is entirely dependant on the lender and nothing to do with the reference agency.

For example the experian site will give you a score based on your history but doesnt take into account your employment status at all!!!

What credit expert does give you is a very nice view of your last 6 years of credit history (in theory all that is relevant, but may not be the case) and the history of payments, late payments, defaults, CCJs, etc. and can give insight into reasons why you may be declined credit that you didnt know about (a default from a forgotten about mobile phone contract is a common one!)


Fat Audi 80

2,403 posts

274 months

Friday 2nd September 2011
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DanGPR said:
Credit expert by experian, cancel your membership before the 30 day trial expires.

Easy.
I did this, it works. HTH. smile

anonymous-user

77 months

Friday 2nd September 2011
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A great bit of product management. You can write to credit agencies such as Experien and they're legally obligied to send you your credit history at no cost.

Alternatively you can apply online for a tenner.They have made a killing out of getting customers to pay for information they can have for free!

Sarnie

8,305 posts

232 months

Friday 2nd September 2011
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Noddle

sanf

673 posts

195 months

Sunday 4th September 2011
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Bandit said:
A great bit of product management. You can write to credit agencies such as Experien and they're legally obligied to send you your credit history at no cost.

Alternatively you can apply online for a tenner.They have made a killing out of getting customers to pay for information they can have for free!
Sorry that is wrong. As consumers we are entitled to submit a subject access request to a data controller - they can charge up to a maximum of £10 for you to see the data they hold on you. You can see your standard credit file for £2 - this is a mandatory cost and the amount agreed between the bureaux's and the ICO. You cannot see your data for nothing.

http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_the_public/personal_info...

Like everything in life the CRA's have then started to offer extra services such as credit scoring and credit file monitoring. For anyone that has been hit by identity theft they will tell you how useful the monitoring products are. These are all optional - and as mentioned just remember to cancel the subscription after the 28 days if you don't want to pay.


Going back to the question - is it credit score, or credit file info you are after? If the latter then send in your £2 to Experian, Equifax or Call Credit and your good to go. If it's credit score look for the free deals and just cancel before the free period ends.

The scores do have some use, while many of the large banks will use bespoke scoring there are plenty of mid size and small lenders that will use the bureaux's own scores - either generic or enhanced. So they will give you a rough idea of where you stand based on your credit FILE data only.

mcflurry

9,184 posts

276 months

Monday 5th September 2011
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Sarnie said:
Noddle
+1 if your not in an immediate hurry, as they are releasing it in a phased manner smile


(reworded)

Edited by mcflurry on Monday 5th September 17:03

J381

534 posts

211 months

Tuesday 27th September 2011
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I've got an account with Equifax but I can't seem to find a way of cancelling it (£5.95 per month!)! Anyone know how I might go about this?

DanGPR

991 posts

194 months

Tuesday 27th September 2011
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DanGPR

991 posts

194 months

Tuesday 27th September 2011
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DanGPR

991 posts

194 months

Tuesday 27th September 2011
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DanGPR

991 posts

194 months

Tuesday 27th September 2011
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Cupramax

10,916 posts

275 months

Wednesday 28th September 2011
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DanGPR said:
DanGPR said:
DanGPR said:
DanGPR said:
So is that little delete icon on your multiple posts biggrin