Credit checks
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Owen Roberts head of callcreditcheck.com talks to Paul Heiney about credit checks and what people should do if they have defaults on their credit history that need removing.
Watch our report about debt recovery agency Ruthbridge.
Watch our report about debt recovery agency Lowell.
Click here to watch the top five tips from a debt expert on how to manage your debts.
And download our template letter if you're being asked for a debt you don't think you owe.
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We are also being harrassed by a company on behalf of [Company details removed by Moderator] for £145.36 supposedly due from 27/08/02. I have asked for evidence of this alleged indebtedness after recieving the first letter, completely out of the blue. After making several phone-calls and sending emails we finally got a statement on 16/01/09 which simply did not explain where and when the debt was supposedly accrued. I am totally dismayed by these letters and calls and have evidence from bank statements were paid. Please help us.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
To: baglasgow. You need to read the comments on the Lowells blog on this site(Watchdog) some of them are very informative about the legal limitations on debt collectors and how harrassment is illegal and what to do if you are being harrassed by these people. I suggest you write a strongly worded letter informing them that you do not owe any debt(if you dont) and that any further harrassment is illegal and will be referred to the relevant authorities. Hopefully the BBC moderators will allow you to read this.
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Can Watchdog look into the activities of Credit Reference agencies who post misleading information on their websites (at their own admission)without referring to the poor people they are defaming and in the case of one of them refuse to remove this misinformation and the credit default if their clients say that the debt is valid even when it is disputed. Time to curb the appalling abuse of power exercised by these so called credit agencies.
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credit checks what a joke, why is it that when you apply for a bank account they say no to offering you one but then you can get a catalogue a contract mobile and even cable tv yet as soon as you want to apply for a bank account its sorry no but here have a basic account, everything was so much simpler a few years ago, as i am having loads of trouble with credit agencies as i cant get my credit file even when i ask im not getting it and i am finding it very difficult to acertain why i am having problems with opening a bank account its a compl;ete joke
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Having been refused credit recently I did a check with Equifax, and found (not to my suprise) that I had to debts listed against my name. Both had different dates of birth (incorrect too) down for me! The first one I have responded to agents letters twice, and was noted against an address I moved from 8 months before they registered the debt against that address. The second one also have responded to claims about previously, and had moved out from 3 years previously!
There seems to be little to stop companies from blacklisting your name with credit reference firms, they seem to do minimal checks that their information is incorrect (one of the debts was incurred with my bank, you think they'd have my address wouldn't you?), conflicting information isn't queried by the agencies, and out of date information is taken as being current. Responses to claims made by "agents" are never passed back up the chain to the credit company and you find yourself dealing with multiple claims made over years of time, with little comeback against anyone. The area is frankly out of control and needs to be reformed.
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I was harassed by a company who had bought my "debt" off telephone company 3. I could prove that I did not owe them any thing, and that 3 had made a mistake, overcharging me rental on a cancelled contract. This company refused to accept any of my proof, phoned me 6 times a day, suggested that I was in financial trouble and were extremely rude to me. In the end I paid them to get them off my back and asked for a receipt so I could claim the money back from 3. They never even sent me a receipt even though I have phoned 8 times! They are called [Company details removed] and they have left a mark on my credit report which means I cannot get a mortgage. I contacted Ofcom to complain about them, but they tell me mobile phone companies are not regulated. How can this be right?
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I have been constantly bombarded by letters from a company [company details removed] in Leeds.
They are trying to recover debt for someone with a similar names as mine, I have told them on a number of occasions that no one of that name resides at this address. However the letters keep cropping up every week stating further action will be taken if not paid!
The standard letter which was mentioned on Watchdog does not seem to be on the website to download; instead it opens up a fact sheet?
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My husband has received some letters from stating that he owes money.
The first letter stated he owed about £80 and asked us to send £10 for a credit check if we did not know what the debt was for.
I had watched your programme and we just ignored it. Now we have had more letters stating he owes £462.00. The last letter received has advised us that they intend to take legal proceedings against him and they may send in the baliffs! Although we know he does not owe the money it is very worrying and I have copied your template letter and sent it back to them. We are now waiting for a reply.
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