Experian as identity provider

[onlyconnect]

Hi

 

I'm a journalist, writing an article about internet security, online shopping, banks etc.

 

One future possibility is that Experian might offer a service as an intermediary between you and the site you want to do business with. In essence, you don't give your address or credit card details directly to the site, but instead give the site permission to get them from Experian on your behalf. It's more secure and convenient because you don't have to type in the details or transmit them yourself; and Experian wouldn't send the details to a fraudulent site.

 

A possible downside is that Experian has an involvement in more transactions that it does at present.

 

I'd love to get some comments from folk on what they think of the concept, whether it is one you would be glad to use etc. However, in order to use them in an article I'd need name, age and occupation. It is a chance to let people know what you think.

 

If you can help, email me at tim(at)itwriting.com

 

By all means discuss it here too; I'll read with interest, but won't be able to use quotes without the info mentioned above.

 

Many thanks

 

Tim

[onlyconnect]

Anyone got any thoughts on this?

 

Tim

[sillygirl1]

The implicit check when you make a purchase is usually for a credit card purchase, don't know about debit card purchases....

 

Also as one changes address you seem to be credit checked by all and sundry ie getting your internet service changed involves a credit check, getting the new gas and electricity supply involves a credit check and now

 

I've been informed by a couple of employment agencies they HAVE to credit check applicants - when asked why I was told it is in the interests of security, I asked the staff if they have been credit checked and was told it was none of my business... I won't be registering with those agencies who insist on a credit check as I feel it is an intrusion on personal information they are not entitled to have.

[onlyconnect]

The implicit check when you make a purchase is usually for a credit card purchase, don't know about debit card purchases....

Just to be clear, this is a new proposal, it is not what happens at the moment.

 

I think you raise an interesting point though.

 

Tim

PS edited to remove reference to credit check.

[davethorp]

Personally I feel the credit reference agencies are consulted a little too much as it is at moment. Right now they are consulted even for things that don't involve granting credit such as utilities and even applying for a job. If things continue the CRAs will get the final decision on when and if you can go to the loo for a dump!

[midge61]

At the moment the CRA's can only pass on the info if YOU the data subject have given written permission to the company involved to do the credit check on you.

Surely this new process is taking away this right of the data subject and giving them a free ride to earns shed loads of money off personal data.

 

They quite often hold incorrect info as it is so who's to say how they can guarentee that it is correct.

 

Also does this mean that if they do pass info to a fraudulant site you can then sue the CRA for doing so and as they say that this won't happen surely this will take the pressure off the card firms and you won't be able to get a charge back form them because they will say the transaction was approved by the CRA.

I think it would be a very bad move to allow this to go ahead.

Personal data is the property of the data subject but this is another way of them taking control.

The info they would gain ie. shopping habits etc would just be another way of them selling on to big companies for targeted advertising and the danger of alerting more and more DCA's in my opinion.

[sillygirl1]

I agree with Davethorp's comments as seen in my earlier post. Unless your job involves writing out cheques or handling cash what good is a credit check? What does it prove to a future employer? I think I am going to start a petition to government about this aspect as it could be an infringment of human rights.

[davethorp]

I agree with Davethorp's comments as seen in my earlier post. Unless your job involves writing out cheques or handling cash what good is a credit check? What does it prove to a future employer? I think I am going to start a petition to government about this aspect as it could be an infringment of human rights.

 

I've kind of already done it (but not explicitly covered the employment bit) at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/creditcheck

[dave]

It would be fine if Experian had shown they could be trusted in the past.

 

Sadly, according to reports, they flout the DPA frequently.

 

I'm also not keen on the director of that company being on the board of certain others that keep information about you, and debt collection agencies.

 

If there were a vote, mine would be in the negative.

[onlyconnect]

I've found out a bit more about this, and need to correct/clarify an important point.

 

Experian says it will not intermingle the business of authentication (verifying you are who you say you are) with credit checking; and that the data protection act would not allow them to do that.

 

Would that change your mind?

 

Tim

[dave]

Not at all - they think nothing of breaching the DPA so far (according to afformentioned reports), I have no reason to believe that they would abide by it for this either.

[onlyconnect]

At the moment the CRA's can only pass on the info if YOU the data subject have given written permission to the company involved to do the credit check on you.

Yes, I got this point wrong, apologies. Fortunately I am still at the researching stage.

 

Tim

[midge61]

I agree with Dave They flaunt the DPA too much as it is.

 

You just need to read around some of the threads on here to see how bad they are.

[shywazz]

ITs a NO vote for me too, i think we are monitored like big brother as it is. We are no longer allowed to go about our daily business without been watched or others knowing what we have done, i buy shopping next i get leaflets about other products comming through my door, hence supermarkets must have sold name etc to other partys, hence i have NO supermarket loyality cards now.. i apply for insurance, next other insurance companys start writing to me, why because my data has been sold to them. The BIG brother is watching you, is far becomming out of control, our freedom of movement is watched, our buying ways are monitored, everything is monitored. Yes credit checks have to be made, for certain things, but surely not everything.

[mcjohnson]

Tim,

 

Why are you focussing on Experian, and not the other CRA? Your research appears to be more new product development for experian, rather than investigative journalism.

 

I would be fundamentally opposed to this as;

a - I am sure experian would then realise they could make further revenue out of this by selling details off the database (who owns what cards) to other marketing firms, in addition to spending patterns etc.

b - I am quite capable of informing a company of my credit card details myself, I don't need experian to babysit them for me.

c - Experian need to sort out their CRA business before they consider expansion. I heard one of their H.o.D state last month that their credit records are "99.4% accurate". One assumes that is a comparison of the total number of credit records versus number of complaints, and not the number of people who have requested their file versus a the total complaints. Plus files can contain more than one error, and their calculations make no allowance for this. Personal experience (my partner, my parents and I) found a total of 13 errors between 4 forms, so that's 0% accuracy in our eyes - we must be that 0.6%!

 

I find it completely astonishing that CRAs can be queried for non-credit purposes, such as recruitment, tenancy etc. This should be unlawful, as it is an abuse of the information they hold.

[Conniff]

Hi

 

I'm a journalist, writing an article about internet security, online shopping, banks etc.

 

One future possibility is that Experian might offer a service as an intermediary between you and the site you want to do business with. In essence, you don't give your address or credit card details directly to the site, but instead give the site permission to get them from Experian on your behalf. It's more secure and convenient because you don't have to type in the details or transmit them yourself; and Experian wouldn't send the details to a fraudulent site.

 

A possible downside is that Experian has an involvement in more transactions that it does at present.

 

I'd love to get some comments from folk on what they think of the concept, whether it is one you would be glad to use etc. However, in order to use them in an article I'd need name, age and occupation. It is a chance to let people know what you think.

 

If you can help, email me at tim(at)itwriting.com

 

By all means discuss it here too; I'll read with interest, but won't be able to use quotes without the info mentioned above.

 

Many thanks

 

Tim

 

Sounds a bit like the role Paypal serves now. This seems not like a journalistic investigation as there is nothing to investigate, and how would you know if you hadn't been approached by Experian.

I think this is Experian guaging the 'before launch' reaction.

I wonder if their charges will be on a par with Paypal.

Will they guarantee the return of all payments if the goods/services are not as advertised.

[onlyconnect]

Why are you focussing on Experian, and not the other CRA? Your research appears to be more new product development for experian, rather than investigative journalism.

 

Because I'm not aware of any other CRA's planning this. I promise you it is nothing to do with "new product development for experian".

 

Tim

[onlyconnect]

Sounds a bit like the role Paypal serves now.

Not really. This is purely about authentication, not a banking role.

 

Tim

[Conniff]

I can't see why any outlet would want to ring Experian for authentication when they can ring the bank and get authentication.

There will obviously be a charge to the customer for this, companies like this don't do anything unless their palm is crossed with silver.

 

I'm sorry that my replies are in general negative, but I don't think Experian is a favourite of the people on cag. They will smell a mouse if not the full rat.

 

What makes me a bit suspicious of your motive is that if I was doing any sort of article on internet security and in particular the dangers of handing over cc numbers to unknown websites, I don't think I would know about Experians plans to expand into this sector.

 

Unless you want to expand on what you are doing, it would appear as if you have a brief from Experian to examin the likelyhood of a market.

 

Having said all that, it could be a very good idea to have a third party involved if that third party was prepared to guarantee the return of any funds when the site turned out to be not as legit as first appeared.

[make them aktiv runners]

Experian would only venture into this field to make a profit.

 

They will sell data to interested companies.

 

We have already seen cases on here where taking out a new form of credit results in an old debt (usually under dispute) to a related company being added without consumers knowledge. Upon query, the answer is,it was in the small print. Now there are a hell of a lot of linked companies out there, is this just a ploy to start adding alleged debts to new purchases, via the small print (knowing most people will not even print it out)?

 

There is already a thread on here linking Wescott and Equifax. A CRA and DCA, unethical. Who knows how many other links are out there undiscovered as yet.

 

Definately a no from me.

[onlyconnect]

First article on this is now online:

 

Are credit agency's plans credible? - 29 Nov 2007 - IT Week

 

Tim

[postggj]

just a point

with cra selling your data to loan co etc

where does it state that you have given your permission for them to sell your personel data

[demon_x_slash]

Onlyconnect: I would advise you, if you are investigating into this area, to read this very enlightening thread about Experian, Equifax and CallCredit here. IMHO the credit referencing services are absolutely rife with conflicts of interest; they have very strong links with debt collecting agencies that have been shown on these forums to operate with underhanded and possibly illegal tactics. So, no, tbh I wouldn't trust any 'assurances' from these companies that any data of mine they process will not fall into the hands of unscrupulous direct marketers, loan companies and/or DCAs.

[patrickq1]

I think you would be better going back to exper and letting them know that a backlash against them and scor cra/dca sharing information is now verging on intrusion to our private lives ,experian should clean up their data by removing all defaults not legally proccessed through the courts for a start,they write what the banks tell them and also what the dca tell them without any clear proof that a default has been legally proccessed their beleif in the two agancies being honest and above board should be more beleivable if before experian produce a report on a person is to write or contact the persons whose data is being written about and ask simply are they aware that this company said this or that given the person the chance to dispute before they print,to many times have these companies defaulted customers without thorough checks and balances ,as for experian they are just as guilty as much as the banks and dca companies

[JimmyTheOne]

Onlyconnect.

 

I'm already using Experian and the other 2 Credit Reference Agencies, Equifax and CallCredit to protect myself from Identity Theft using the procedure described at Identity Theft protection, ID fraud prevention tips, Impersonation fraud assistance

 

I've also been using the same concept to protect myself from ID theft and negating liability issues when using my Plastic Cards for face-to-face transactions. BBC Look North. (New Tactics to Fight ID Theft).

 

There is no reason whatsoever why a Chip and Magstrip on plastic cards couldn't convey the same message to retailers as does the Notice of Correction Facility on the CRA databases.

 

This would mean that when a card is swiped, or the chip read that the retailer would be instructed that the cardhodler PRINTS. (or prints and signs).

 

For CNP (Cardholder Not Present) transactions, ie. buying goods via the Internet, Mail Order, by Phone or By Fax.

 

When checking the card, (in addition to the Card Security Value) the retailer would be instructed that the Cardholder (or their representive) signs and Prints at point of delivery. (Until goods go astray, nothing is lost).

 

 

This type of card would be the cardhodlers choice. The cardhodler would be saying to crooks, "ok if you want to use my card or card details to buy goods, you'll need to leave your mark".

 

Does the concept work?

 

EuropCar 2007.

 

Not One Incident of Fraud in 5 Years.

 

Fraudster Identififed & Caught.

 

Card & Cheque Fraud reduced by over 80%

 

Drop me a private message is you'd like to discuss (I've no financial interest).