Am I in the clear? Do I dare find out?

[Furrypaws1]

Hi

 

I hope I have put this in the right place. I have a failed IVA, and quite some time ago when a landlord did a credit check on me the credit agency said I was bankrupt. I had to call the company I had the IVA through (which was NOT failed at the time) who put it in writing to my Landlord that I was not bankrupt but had an IVA.

 

I still have the letter somewhere. I failed my IVA probably at least 5 years ago.

 

I am now in dire dire straits and desperately need a loan/credit whatever - my car is going to very expensively fail its MOT tomorrow and its a catch 22, we cant afford the repairs and we cant afford a reasonable 2nd hand car. This means I will lose my livelihood as I need the car.

 

I am in desperate need to check my credit file but I am very worried that if I raise my head above the parapet, all my creditors will find me. I have successfully avoided them for years and my debts may even by statue barred by now. BUT I am way too scared to check in case I leave a "footprint" on my credit file and all hell breaks loose with lots of letters from old debtors.

 

Before anyone comments, I can actually afford say, £100 a month repayments and my workload is increasing and I am a very very responsible careful purchaser nowadays. The old debts were due to long term illness plus redundancy and not crazy purchases!

 

SO....... with much waffle the bottom line is, can I go onto Experian without being found? How can I find out if I am statue barred?

 

Thanks in advance.

[silverfox1961]

Hi

there are lots of posts that say once you examine your credit file a DCA will find you. Nobody knows 100% that this is the case as DCAs have many other ways of tracing you. If you are on the electoral roll, that is one way. Some websites you may have signed up to data share and that is another way.

 

what it boils down to is, go ahead and check your file. I don't think it will make that much difference.

 

You say your IVA failed 5 years ago. Unless you are in Scotland, it is likely that the debts will not be Statute Barred but the defaults may have fallen off by now.

 

Don't forget about Equifax, Call credit and Noddle (this one is free) to check your files.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

No ne but the data subject sees that they have checked their credit files.

As to DCA contact after doing so it is unlikely that this causes any such action.

But if one has problem debts that are with DCAs they will be viewing files fairly

regularly to check if one has any prospects of paying, so if addresses are updated

or other data added the DCA will see it during the routine checks.