Are debt collectors allowed to search my credit files / report history?

[F1fan]

I have just used equifax to obtain my credit report and I was quite surprised to see a search from CapQuest Debt recovery LTD which is only a few weeks old.

 

As far as I am aware I have no account and no debt with CapQuest and I have had no recent credit applications.

 

Are they allowed to leave a footprint on my search history regarding a possibly? old debt....?

[Old Cogger]

I have just used equifax to obtain my credit report and I was quite surprised to see a search from CapQuest Debt recovery LTD which is only a few weeks old.

 

As far as I am aware I have no account and no debt with CapQuest and I have had no recent credit applications.

 

Are they allowed to leave a footprint on my search history regarding a possibly? old debt....?

 

who do you owe money to - that maybe why, they are not doing it for fun??

[unclebulgaria67]

They are allowed to perform a basic search if they are looking to buy a debt or have recently purchased a debt in your name.

 

What type of search is shown ?

[Gerald Gardner]

You will find lots of threads of here regarding this,let me guess the search that cr@pquest made was in table 1 of the report and says outstanding debt.

[harrassed senior]

who do you owe money to - that maybe why, they are not doing it for fun??

 

Not a helpful comment, OP was asking for advice.

 

It may just be a phishing search for someone with your name, or who resided at your address. It may also say 'trace'. Mostly these searches are only visible to you.

 

The ones which are visible to all are usually the ones where you have applied for credit.

 

There is an upsurge at the present time of DCAs trying their luck at Statute Barred, or nearly SB debts so it could possibly be an old debt which has recently been purchased by them. If it really worries you, you can write to equifax and request that it is removed.

[F1fan]

You will find lots of threads of here regarding this,let me guess the search that cr@pquest made was in table 1 of the report and says outstanding debt.

 

Hi, yes the search appears under table one 'credit searches; searches undertaken in connection with credit applications'. It is listed as 'outstanding debt' 'capquest debt recovery ltd' and the search was made less than 14 days ago. I have not applied for any credit recently.

 

I will have another search on the forum but I couldn't find anything first time? Any links appreciated.

 

This seems rather ouut of order IMO, as I haven't applied for credit and I have never had any dealings with capquest.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Table 1 Searches are headed SEARCHES MADE I CONNECTION WITH CREDIT APPLICATIONS

so I belive that DCA searches should not appear on that table, DCA's don't give credit!!!

I am fighting a DCA and Equifax over the same thing.

The explanation fro Equifax is confusing to say the least firstly they say the searches are on T1

to alert you and don't impact on credit status, then they say they may been seen by companies that

use automated searching systems and may have an impact,after this statement they say that

these searches are presented in a different format when accessed by potential lenders and do not have an impact

on credit status!! Confused I certainly am:confused:

Challenge the DCA by post for searching without authorisation and send letter RD FAO the Compliance Manager,do the same to

the CRA.

You will have a long wait for a reply from Equifax but they are a waste of space on t he phone.

 

Just a point one DCA has paid me considerable compensation for this an I know of a least 1 other Cagger who has

had the same.

[Bazooka Boo]

Doesn't matter if you have applied for credit or not, these monkeys aren't in the business of giving people credit, they're debt collectors, they're checking up on you to see what other credit you have, a mortgage perhaps or HP car loans credit cards etc, just to see how likely they will be in extorting money out of you.

 

Agreed it is an extremely underhand and despicable practice, but then as the CRA's are paid money by the DCA's to add adverse data to peoples CRF's without them havin any permission from the owner of the CRF, then they will continue to flout this loophole and carry on with this practice carte blanche until the Govt. or the ICO puts a stop to it.

 

You can contact the CRA's and ask them why they have allowed a search to be carried out on your file when they had no permission to do so, then lodge a formal complaint with them, I hate CRA's as much as their bosom buddies DCA's as they all P in the same pot.

[unclebulgaria67]

Have you ever received any correspondence regarding a debt ?

 

If the answer is yes, give it say a month, as see if CapQuest write to you.

 

If answer is no, make an enquiry with Equifax as to why CapQuest have added such a search, when you do not have any debts.

[Bazooka Boo]

I am fighting a DCA and Equifax over the same thing.

 

Once you have exhausted Equicr@ps complaints procedure take it up with the ICO, something really needs to be done about these DCA's in disguise.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

I you believe this search is damaging for credit status please urgently

get in touch with the CRA and the DCA as Equifax is notoriously slow

in my case 19 working days to reply and 6 weeks to remove the search after

the DCA instructed them do so, alot of damage can be done in that time.

ICO has written to Equifax on my behalf but gives them 8 weeks to reply.

[F1fan]

I will contact equifax. I am hoping that can be done online as I paid for their gold membership thingy.

 

If the DCA was searching to see what my credit status is then I guess they will be disappointed.... Basically they can't get blood out of a stone, I have no cash to be paying for alleged debts with companies I have never even heard of before!

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

These searches are ''supposed'' to be tracing searches but Equifax seem to do what they want.

The DCA who compensated me admitted that they had no control as to where the searches

are posted with Equifax, but any way both are liable as co data controllers, the more of us who

complain to the ICO the better as they do seem to respond better than the other regulators.

Please keep at it;)

[harrassed senior]

Had Equifax report today, 2 searches on the same day from Clarity with whom everything is settled. Said to be 'Trace' - been at same address for 22 years!!!

 

1 from Muck Hall also 'trace' just prior to recently receiving a very threatening letter for a debt which was Statute Barred in 2001!!!

 

Complaint being drawn up this evening.

[Rayne]

Agreed it is an extremely underhand and despicable practice, but then as the CRA's are paid money by the DCA's to add adverse data to peoples CRF's without them havin any permission from the owner of the CRF, then they will continue to flout this loophole and carry on with this practice carte blanche until the Govt. or the ICO puts a stop to it.

 

is that just an opinion or fact? If fact can you point me in the direction of the substantiation as I'd LOVE to hammer Experian atm :D

[Gerald Gardner]

From reading the posts on here it would seem that dca is claiming that they have no control over where the search appears on your report and the cra are saying that the search is just to trace you and not visable to anyone who searches your file when applying for credit.

 

Has anyone been able to asses the impact on your credit score with a few of these outstanding debt searches on your file?? is it stopping you getting credit because of it?

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Yes I was turned down for a tiny (100) overdraft by NatWest (RBS) with whom I have a long and

unblemished record, and was told that it was due to searches by a DCA (Lowell & Mackenzie Hall).

I used this to get compo from MH, am still fighting Equifax.

[Gerald Gardner]

Yes I was turned down for a tiny (100) overdraft by NatWest (RBS) with whom I have a long and

unblemished record, and was told that it was due to searches by a DCA (Lowell & Mackenzie Hall).

I used this to get compo from MH, am still fighting Equifax.

 

Brig,Did you have some statute barred debts that these **** were trying to collect on or were they for a different reason?

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Hi Gerald,

The reason for the searches I discovered from a source within a DCA.

Was that I had been helping cost friends and particular relative with debt problems

and had cost them a very considerable amount of money,and in one case compensation.

[Gerald Gardner]

Hi Gerald,

The reason for the searches I discovered from a source within a DCA.

Was that I had been helping cost friends and particular relative with debt problems

and had cost them a very considerable amount of money,and in one case compensation.

 

So they did that to you because you was helping someone, wow that's serious out of order.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Every search date was 2-3 days after I had posted a letter to them,coincidence? I THINK NOT:rolleyes:

[F1fan]

UPDATE:

 

CrapQuest have now made a further 3 searches on my credit file, all showing under table one, all with the reference 'outstanding debt' or 'debt collection'. This brings the total to 5 searches in less than a month.

 

I have contacted Equixfax and so far they have not actually replied to my question, however they have now added a notice of a correction or dispute to my credit file!!!!

 

I am absolutely fuming and I have no idea what to do next, I do not want a notice of correction on there, I want these unauthorised searches removed.

 

Can someone please help me draft a letter to these tossers?

 

NOTICE OF DISPUTE:

'' NOTICE OF DISPUTE - THE INDIVIDUAL CONCERNED HAS DISPUTED THE ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION REGISTERED AT THIS ADDRESS AND WE HAVE NOW CONTACTED THE SUBSCRIBER CONCERNED. CARE SHOULD THEREFORE BE TAKEN WHEN USING THE DATA AT THIS ADDRESS TO ASSESS THE CREDITWORTHINESS OF THE INDIVIDUAL CONCERNED.

''

[F1fan]

I recently used equifax to obtain my credit report and I was surprised to see FIVE searches in the last month from Capquest debt recovery LTD. The searches appear under table ONE regarding credit applications and have the reference 'outstanding debt'' or ''debt collection'' I have no dealings with this company at all.

 

I have contacted Equifax and so far they have not actually replied to my online question, however they have now added a notice of a correction or dispute** to my credit file.

 

I am absolutely fuming and I have no idea what to do next, I do not want a notice of correction on there, I want these unauthorised searches removed.

 

Can someone please help me draft a letter to these tossers?

 

Surely this is a breach of some kind of data protection act or something? The DCA surely cannot allow people to see my personal information and then record damaging data willy nilly?

 

**NOTICE OF DISPUTE:

'' NOTICE OF DISPUTE - THE INDIVIDUAL CONCERNED HAS DISPUTED THE ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION REGISTERED AT THIS ADDRESS AND WE HAVE NOW CONTACTED THE SUBSCRIBER CONCERNED. CARE SHOULD THEREFORE BE TAKEN WHEN USING THE DATA AT THIS ADDRESS TO ASSESS THE CREDITWORTHINESS OF THE INDIVIDUAL CONCERNED.

''

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Therre are so many of these searches being done at the moment,personally I believe

it could be a ploy to get people to contact creditors when they have not responded

to the barrage of threatograms.

If everone reports any Table 1 Search by any DCA to the OFT & The ICO and also Trading Standards

we might by sheer volume get this underhand practice stopped, so report,report lets get at them!!!!!

[stueypie]

I recently used equifax to obtain my credit report and I was surprised to see FIVE searches in the last month from Capquest debt recovery LTD. The searches appear under table ONE regarding credit applications and have the reference 'outstanding debt'' or ''debt collection'' I have no dealings with this company at all.

 

I have contacted Equifax and so far they have not actually replied to my online question, however they have now added a notice of a correction or dispute** to my credit file.

 

I am absolutely fuming and I have no idea what to do next, I do not want a notice of correction on there, I want these unauthorised searches removed.

 

Can someone please help me draft a letter to these tossers?

 

Surely this is a breach of some kind of data protection act or something? The DCA surely cannot allow people to see my personal information and then record damaging data willy nilly?

 

 

**NOTICE OF DISPUTE:

'' NOTICE OF DISPUTE - THE INDIVIDUAL CONCERNED HAS DISPUTED THE ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION REGISTERED AT THIS ADDRESS AND WE HAVE NOW CONTACTED THE SUBSCRIBER CONCERNED. CARE SHOULD THEREFORE BE TAKEN WHEN USING THE DATA AT THIS ADDRESS TO ASSESS THE CREDITWORTHINESS OF THE INDIVIDUAL CONCERNED.

''

stueypie hi F1fan i have the exact same problem with equifax and have put an online dispute in for this matter its outrageous it looks like you have applied for credit with them and also either myself or your self have give them permission to search our profiles and thats illegal surely is there any body out there that could clarify this also and have any ideas how to deal with it?