I noticed that Clearscore didn't show my RBS accounts (my main one's) or my FD accounts.

All they were showing was an account i opened at NatWest as a backup in case i didn't like the road RBS took.

They sent me to Equifax who asked me for dates.

I explained i joined RBS when it was Williams & Glynne - mid 1970's? And FD when it first opened.

they asked exactly the same question again (maybe my reply had vanished).

i gave them the same reply.

Now they have replied saying they have written to NatWest for details of my RBS accounts.

Question:

1) Just how stupid are these CRA's?

2) How much do CRA's understand about the financial business and/or Data Protection?

After my previous post, i tried to join Noodle ... any suggestions please?

This email sent to Noodle:

i have just tried to join noodle but was rejected because i replied to one of your questions incorrectly.

N.B.

i am NOT asking you to tell my WHY you rejected my application!

You asked who i opened a credit card with. As far as i'm concerned, i had opened a particular store card and the card did indeed say the stores name on it. However, you clearly wanted the name of the money behind that stores card. How is a private individual, i.e. someone who is not a forensic accountant supposed to know this. So i rang them. They told me that they were XYZ Finance. Yet you had two possible replies showing "XYZ" - neither of which was who they told me they were. So i was forced to guess.

Now my email is locked in some sort of limbo, i can't re-apply because it's already registered but i can't get in because i never finished the application.

Security is one thing but to ask a question that even the card issuer can't answer is just downright stupid!

p.s.

i am posting this email on the Consumer Advice Group web site - let's see if all publicity is really is good publicity.

Clear score time?

Experian is free too

are they holding incorrect data or are you just complaining because they dont hold all of your data?

The CRA's only list what is given to them so if RBS dont pay Equifax then Equifax dont report on their activity.

If you are struggling to get a mortgage because of missing data then that is something to take up with the banks.

Personally the less the CRA's carry about me the happier I am is it them becomes easier to spot the spurious bits

The ONLY bank account they have a record of is one that i don't use (it's a backup).

As far as they are aware, i effectively live totally cash in hand.

Also, why on earth would a CRA have an account with NatWest but not RBS? Or First Direct.

they don't all use all or any credit ref agencies

try another one.

or

the accounts were defaulted prior to 6yrs

so have ben removed

as must the agencies under ICO rules

I'm really not with this.

they have deleted all the bank accounts i use, even though they have regular money going in, direct debits and standing orders simply because i've had the accounts a long time.

Yet they keep a record of an account i don't use simply because it's newer?

Won't that give the (credit) impression that i live off nothing but air?

the information commissioners office say:

All references to a defaulted debt must be removed from your credit files after 6 years

has passed from date of default, whether paid off, paying now or not.

.

This is so that someone who continues paying something

- even after 6 years from default

- should not be at a disadvantage to someone who pays nothing after default

and ends up with a clean file after 6 years.

.

so I will guess the ones not showing have been

cant see what you problem is?

But they are not debts. They are four bank accounts at RBS (plus another two at First Direct).

Why should details of currently active bank accounts (two of them producing 4 or 5 pages of transactions every month) be totally ignored?

If i used those six accounts to destroy the worlds entire financial system would they still not show on my credit report?

mine don't show either

as at some point in time I went into unauthorised overdraft and they issued a default.

ok, but i didn't. i have, very rarely, used a little of my overdraft but only until i noticed - a few days max!

Why ditch / hide / ignore / whatever, perfectly good, used almost daily, average more then one transaction per day, always in credit, bank accounts?

dunno why is it an issue

could have been unused for years too.

thatll make it go off

maybe they never reported .

what about noddle?

ah yes you tried

p'haps in the 70's they didn't have to use a cra.

never mind

why?

cos the only account they do show i don't use - therefore they think i don't use any bank accounts!

so what does that make me? some sort of cash in hand cowboy? someone who clearly can't be paying tax (through the account they know about). or worse!

and how might not having the accounts i do use, far "better" accounts. much bigger accounts, high transaction accounts, not affect my credit score adversely?

and the accounts have been constantly used! never not used. even for short periods.

yet the account they do show has never been used ...

who are THEY and why does it matter what they think?

THEY = the people who look at CRA's to decide if you are credit worthy; increasingly for id purposes (including HMRC); etc.

Seriously, do you really not know who might reference CRA data?

wont make any did if they are not there

they don't see that anyway

they look at the score and their own internal criteia

OMG!

how many times do i have to say, my score is arrived at by looking at only one inactive account.

the comments specifically state that my score was lowered because of that accounts inactivity.

if my other accounts were added, two of them very active and with much larger overdrafts, can't you see that my score must then go higher? plus, the average time i had held my accounts would rocket. my stability would massively rise. both these would positively affect my score.

there is no legal compulsion to make them appear..

credit files are simply a giant old boys network

which is why you now get these stupid

repair your credit file cards

that 'because' you've now taken out credit

it makes your score higher.

my neighbours is 1/5 and has been that way for 8yrs now since all his defaults dropped off

didnt stop him getting mortgage or renting for his son.

frustrating about nothing

they havent deleted anything, they never held the information to start off with.

No-one is forced to list their or your activites with any CRA and clearly your bank doesnt use this particular one.

It is that simple

I'm really not with this. So they have deleted all the bank accounts i use, even though they have regular money going in, direct debits and standing orders simply because i've had the accounts a long time. Yet they keep a record of an account i don't use simply because it's newer?

Won't that give the (credit) impression that i live off nothing but air?

well,

whoever has given you the overdraft facilities clearly doenst give a stuff about this particular credit refernce agney nor how they claculate their credit score.

It would be illegal for a bank to make decisions on credit based solely on a credit score anyway.

If you have sore head dont blame the wall you keep banging your head against.

OMG!

how many times do i have to say, my score is arrived at by looking at only one inactive account.

the comments specifically state that my score was lowered because of that accounts inactivity.

if my other accounts were added, two of them very active and with much larger overdrafts, can't you see that my score must then go higher? plus, the average time i had held my accounts would rocket. my stability would massively rise. both these would positively affect my score.

having only info about one account,

which i don't use,

and then highlighting to me that my score was lowered because i don't use that account ..

. yet i shouldn't be bothered / try to change / etc ???

thanks for your time.

Perhaps you could ask yourself why no other company is reporting on this CRA file.

The above information would tell me they are a waste of time and that is why no-one else on the planet is bothering with it therfore whatever they say can have no effect upon your life.

Ever used Trip Advisor?

Wouild you take any notice of one review written 10 years ago when looking for a holiday destination?

It is the same with this.

"this CRA"? - well, it's actually all of them.

"no-one else on the planet is bothering with it therfore whatever they say can have no effect upon your life"

- sorry, but if no-one else on the planet bothered with what the credit reference agencies say,

then no-one would pay them good money for reports and they would not have a profitable business model.

all of them?

You mention Equifax and clearscore, who are the same company.

There are 3 others.

If you want so see a full picture you will have to apy the £2 statutory fee to each.

People pay them money for several reasons,

the commonest is to confirm name and address.

Very little is to do with offering credit as you have to apply for that so if you arent then it wont ever crop up.

The credit score itself is utterly meaningless and not comparable to anyone else's.

For example,

my score went down because I dont have a credit card

but if I apply for one it will go down again because I have applied for one

- ie the application means that it is less likely I will apply for another one and thus no income for the CRA.

My credit reference via clearscore just has one listing as well.

If I found more I would be disturbed

wheras you seem to be worried about a score that has no comparator and is menaingless as far as any lender is concerned.

Do you want to borrow money? If not then forget about it.

If you do then dont worry about this cra because whoever you borrow from clearly isnt using them

Since opening this query i have also been in contact with experian, with the same results and i'd forgotten to include contacting noodle.

Plus, i said all because experian + equifax + noodle = three == ALL

and google had informed me that:

In the UK there are three main credit reference agencies – Callcredit, Equifax and Experian