CAG CRA S.A.R Club

[DOBBYDOG]

Originally Posted by lolly371

subscribing with great interest, yet confusion. i recently signed up to the free credit report with experian and have since been bombarded with emails offering loans and the like. its really annoying. i am interested in joining you on the S.A.R campaign, but am wondering where it is leading. what are we hoping to achieve from it? sorry if i sound a bit dim, but i want to know the plan before i begin. is it simply to stop the unwanted correspondance, or is there a bigger picture?

"warning" Requesting Credit Ref Gave Me Nothing But Trouble !! Take a look at my thred Lolly as this also happened to me

[Curlyben]

Originally Posted by sosumi

Thanks CB - when you say 'us' does that mean I can ask for one covering both hubby and me?

sosumi, remember that Data Protection Act covers individuals, so you'd have to do one each with TWO lots of fees as well.

[lolly371]

Originally Posted by DOBBYDOG

"warning" Requesting Credit Ref Gave Me Nothing But Trouble !! Take a look at my thred Lolly as this also happened to me

oh, my god. the cheek of these people! they need stopping! now!!!

[sosumi]

CB, just been reading one of the links you put on here... O.. M.. G..
http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk...ault-hell.html
Looks like we could really pin them down??
Right, cleared up all the letters etc., settled down a bit (too much sun yesterday!)
Thanks for the note about the Subject Access Request being for each person, rather than both of us. Hubby's not as bothered as me (plus mine poss. involves medical history), so I'll just go for mine. I'll put the Subject Access Request on here in a bit, to make sure I've got everything right.

Also, I thought last night - particularly in relation to Experian, what about the Advertising Standards Authority? Like in Dobby's thread, I think we're being misinformed about what happens when we search our own records, and the CreditExpert (Experian) advert is everywhere I look these days!
http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/

[Curlyben]

Sosumi, I agree, we have been lead to believe that the CRA's are working as an independent body, but from experience here that just isn't true.
There are DEEP links between the CRA's and collection industry that simply shouldn't be allowed.
The number of times there are posts where people have checked their file and DCA's have come knocking or they simply trawl through our records is scary. This whole thing smacks of MASSIVE breach of the Data Protection Act and hopefully this action should go some way to uncovering that.

If it does I think that our next course of action should be a serious complaint to the appropriate bodies. Now I wonder if the FOS would be interested

Hopefully with all the good work that CAG is doing the financial industry as a whole will get the wake up call that they need.

Post your S.A.R - (Subject Access Request) when you're done and we'll have a look.
I've been thinking along the same lines as well.
Something short and sweet and too the point I believe is in order.

[sosumi]

This is directly quoted from the Information Commissioner's Office here:

Dear Sir or Madam
Please send me the information which I am entitled to under the Section 7(1) of the Data Protection Act 1998.
If you need further information from me, or a fee, please let me know as soon as possible.
If you do not normally handle these requests for your organisation, please pass this letter to your Data protection officer or another appropriate official.
Yours faithfully

Could it be that simple?

[sosumi]

This is from the jargon buster on Data Sharing and Protection, from the Ministry of Justice:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/data_...gon_buster.pdf

Personal data/information
Information relating to a living individual, from which that individual can be identified, or which can be used to identify a living individual in conjunction with other information held, (or likely to be held) by a data controller. Personal data/information includes expressions of opinions about that person, or indications of intent towards them.
Principles
The Data Protection Act 1998 requires that data controllers process personal data in accordance with eight Principles. These require that personal data are:
• fairly and lawfully processed;
• processed for limited purposes;
• adequate, relevant and not excessive;
• accurate;
• not kept longer than necessary;
• processed in accordance with individuals' rights;
• kept secure;
• not transferred to countries outside the European Economic Area without adequate protection.
Processing
The processing of personal data includes obtaining, recording, holding or carrying out any operation on the data.
Subject access
The right of data subjects to receive a copy of the information held about them, a description of why their information is being processed, and details of anyone who may see a copy of their data, to whom it may
be transferred, and the logic involved in any automated decisions taken on the basis of that data.

[sosumi]

... and here's the Data Protection Act Directgov webpage:
The Data Protection Act : Directgov - Rights and responsibilities

The Data Protection Act

The Data Protection Act regulates how your personal information is used and protects you from misuse of your personal details.

It provides a common-sense set of rules which prohibit the misuse of your personal information without stopping it being used for legitimate or beneficial purposes.
The details of the Data Protection Act are quite complex, but at the heart of it are eight common-sense rules known as the Data Protection Principles.
These require personal information to be:

• fairly and lawfully processed;
• processed for limited purposes;
• adequate, relevant and not excessive;
• accurate;
• not kept longer than necessary;
• processed in accordance with your rights;
• kept secure;
• not transferred abroad without adequate protection.

Organisations using personal information ('data controllers') must comply with these Principles.
The Act provides stronger protection for sensitive information about your ethnic origins, political opinions, religious beliefs, trade union membership, health, sexual life and any criminal history.

Getting access to your information

The Act, with some exceptions, gives you the right to find out what information is held about you by organisations. This is known as the 'right of subject access'. On written request, you are entitled to be supplied with a copy of all the information an organisations holds about you.

[Curlyben]

Hmm not sure about that letter sosumi.
I was thinking more along these lines.

Data Protection Act 1998
Subject Access Request

Dear Sir/Madam
DATA SUBJECT: **Your Name and Address**

Please supply me with a complete breakdown and copies of all information held with your organisation.

Also details for every organisation that has accessed my data for the period which you hold records and any supporting documentation and notes.

If there is specific information which you require in order to satisfy yourself as to my identity, please let me know by return. However, please note that the above address is the one which I normally use.

Please consider this a request under section 7 of the Data Protection Act 1998. I enclose the statutory fee of £10. You have 40 days in which to comply.

Thank you in advance for your assistance with this matter.

I would appreciate your due diligence.

Yours faithfully,

That should cover it.
Also you'll have to sign this one, but do it in such a way as to make photoshop specials impossible.
Normally I sign on a printed line like this; #_________*__________#

[sosumi]

Like this CB?:

Data Protection Act 1998
Subject Access Request

Date: 3-9-2007

Dear Sir/Madam
DATA SUBJECT:
Sosumi, Sosumi’s Address
(Maiden Name – Miss Sosumi)


Please supply me with a complete breakdown and copies of all information held with your organisation.

Also details for every organisation that has accessed my data for the period which you hold records and any supporting documentation and notes.

If there is specific information which you require in order to satisfy yourself as to my identity, please let me know by return. However, please note that the above address is the one which I normally use.

Please consider this a request under section 7 of the Data Protection Act 1998. I enclose the statutory fee of £10. You have 40 days in which to comply.

Thank you in advance for your assistance with this matter.

I would appreciate your due diligence.

Yours faithfully,



________________

Sosumi

- Thought I'd add my maiden name, as they already have it. What about hubby's name, as they put him down on my credit report, ie. we're both obviously associated to each other.. that's why I'm wondering?
Yours is much better. I was drafting mine with ref. to the 8 data protection principles! I suspect that might be for later though?

[lolly371]

do we need to send one to all three of the main CRA's, or are we just focusing on the one we are signed up with?

[sosumi]

Has anybody seen this?:
CreditExpert Affiliate Programme

CreditExpert affiliate programme

Calling all websites! Make money by joining the CreditExpert affiliate programme. Whether you have a large or small site, your users can benefit from the CreditExpert product while at the same time generating you revenue. We provide you with a wide variety of creative; all you need is the traffic.
We will pay you for every FREE trial member that you generate, regardless if they cancel at the end of their trial. Since launching in 2004, we’ve gained thousands of members through our affiliate programme with many of our publishers generating serious money every week.
What’s more, credit-reporting services in the US are proven to be the best affiliate programmes. Here in the UK we have a great range of partners, from major portals to specialist financial sites.
Some key questions:

• What’s in it for you?
• For every ‘free trial member’ you generate CreditExpert will pay you a commission, regardless of any cancellations

• What sites does CreditExpert work well on?
• Financial, advice, loans, mortgage, and credit card sites
• Property and car sites
• Rewards and incentive sites
• Shopping sites
• Information and advice sites

• What types of people want this product?
• People who are applying for financial products
• People who are concerned about their credit history
• People who want to check that their information is correct
• People who want to protect themselves from identity fraud - the UK’s fastest growing crime

• Where can you target these members?
• Generic websites - CreditExpert appeals to anyone who is concerned about their credit status
• Before an application - are your users thinking about credit cards, mortgages or loans? If so they will be credit checked. Don’t let them be denied due to incorrect information, get them to check their credit report for free
• After an application - have your users been refused credit? Let them check their credit report for free

• Remember:
• CreditExpert complements other financial products as it can play an important step in helping a customer get a loan, mortgage or credit card. Anyone with a valid credit card and UK address can join

So what are you waiting for? Click on the below link and enjoy the benefits of promoting CreditExpert

- So that'll be why the advert's everywhere then

[sosumi]

Originally Posted by lolly371

do we need to send one to all three of the main CRA's, or are we just focusing on the one we are signed up with?

I'm eventually going to send one to all 3 (and the Land Registry!), but am going to have to space it out because of the cost Lolly. And Experian - one of their chief executives is going to host a 'focus group' at a big swish conference for debt collectors in September, about how they can access all our information.
Strikes me they're touting for business from consumers one way, providing it to debt collectors the other. So yes, I have to spend this tenner as wisely as I can, and I think they should be first on the list.

[Curlyben]

Lolly, seeing as there are only 3 CRA's and Call Credit are small and relativly unused I was thinking SARing the 2 E's, so Experian and Equifax.