Bombarded by credit companies

[pmahonc]

I was wondering if anybody knows about how the credit firms get hold of information about court repossession cases. Just recently got into trouble with my mortgage lender but was able to work things out with them and the court action was dropped. Since then we've been getting letters and Phone calls from the credit companies offering "Solutions", and they are annoying me. they normally start by saying "I'm writing to you personnally as i understand that your home may be under the threat of repossession". I've rung one of them to see if they would tell me where they get their info from but had no joy.

 

If anybody can help it would be appreciated.

TIA

pmahonc

[buzby]

It most likely is flagged on your credit file. The Reference companies are always looking for ways to maximise the profitability of their data, and they are able to pull out mailing lists to a variety of criteria and sell it on to third parties. Now, this isn't to say these companies know what's in your file, they don't - only that the CRA has supplied your details as a 'candidate'.

 

As to the validity of them doing this, there is a possibility that you gave permission for the original lender to use your data for 'other purposes;, your difficulties has allowed them to flag your info a available to use. If this is NOT the case, and your sure of it, first ask the company that contacted you where they bought their list from, and then work backwards from there.

[pmahonc]

Thanks buzby

i got in touch with my lender and they assured me that because of the data protection act they are not allowed to pass on any details. I phoned one of the companies and i have to wait till monday to be able to speak to a manager to find out how they got the information. we don't have any loans or credit cards so we haven't given permission to anybody to pass on information. there are only two places i can think of were they could get their information 1. the county court. 2. by doing a search on our credit file. If it's 2. don't they have to have permission from ourselves before they can do a search?

 

pmahonc

[Weird Al Yankovic]

You seem to suggest that a court case, a repossession, was commenced, as you say it was dropped?

 

From the moment the court case was instigated by the mortgagee, probably online, and accepted it then becomes public knowledge.

 

Your local county court would just update their schedule of upcoming repossessions hearings and your details are easily sourced.

 

How long was it in the public domain before the hearing was dropped as you settled?

[pmahonc]

Thanks Weird Al Yankovic

It was about a month in the public domain before it was dropped. what you say makes sense, i was tending to think that it might be the county court that put the information out.

Now all i have to do is try and get our name off this list somehow. The phone calls alone are annoying enough, let alone all the letters.

 

Thanks

Pmahonc

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Yes, a month, probably even a day, is enough for these people. They are in the repossessions business so it is obviously a prime source of info for them.

 

I've gone through what you have and either bin them or send them back to sender with a message written on the envelope telling them I had now won the lottery and my worries have all been taken care of!

 

Good luck.

[sillygirl1]

It almost certainly was the County Court, these people employ people to go into the court and look at the lists and take the details down, then they 'cold call' people. I've seen it in action personally and reported one of them to the court clerk, who was fairly powerless to stop them 'unless they caused a breach of the peace or annoyed a member of staff',

[buzby]

Well, unless the courts have thrown all caution to the wind (in England) your details... your address etc are NOT disclosed. I can certainly check to see what cases are calling, and surmise from the litigants what the matter is about, but that is all. The DPA still applies to the Court, hence my suggestion. That said, your lender is talking nonsense. You've already given them permission to disclose your financial details to a CRA (it's been the practice since the early 90's) and in Equifax (or whoever) sell on the data, then they're the prime candidate - along with your lender facilitating the release of information. You'll probably be getting a letter from Barclaycard offering to help 'rebuild your credit' also.

[buzby]

It almost certainly was the County Court, these people employ people to go into the court and look at the lists

 

And these lists include address and phone numbers...?

 

Here is a list from my local court for the cases calling next week; Glasgow Sheriff Court Rolls - 03/03/08

 

Not quite a useful resource as you'd think!

[pmahonc]

Buzby

got me thinking, i tried a search with 192.com on one of the names from the site you mentioned, typed in the location as glasgow and got two hits with the electoral register? Also tried with my name and got not only my address but my home telephone number (i'm ex-directory) and a list of other people at my address and a map showing the house. Now to get in touch with the phone company to find out why i'm listed in the directory.

 

pmahonc

[sillygirl1]

Reading that list from Glasgow shows that 8 cases that day are from Welcome Finance, they will be busy there....

[Weird Al Yankovic]

And these lists include address and phone numbers...?

 

Here is a list from my local court for the cases calling next week; Glasgow Sheriff Court Rolls - 03/03/08

 

Not quite a useful resource as you'd think!

 

There's a whole host of ways these companies use from just a name. The court to be used is an indication of the area the person lives too. And the name of the mortgagee is revealed also.

 

It's just a simple search process from there. 192.com, and others, narrow it down further. Added to that, unless you are a John Smith etc, then it is easy to find a huge amount of details of somebody within minutes and for free.

 

I know as I have done it in chasing customers who didn't pay-and just from their name.

 

It's easy.

[buzby]

Now to get in touch with the phone company to find out why i'm listed in the directory.

 

pmahonc

 

Don't always assume that it was 'the phone company' - as 192 source their data not just from BT, but as with the Electoral Register, they do a fair bit of number crunching to display the data in different ways. Currently 192 will provide (for a price) details on how long you've been at an address, just by calculating from the name changes. When they launched they actually offered a phone book by STREET, allowing you to walk down any road and know the number of the house you were passing!

 

But back to the original posting, what we are looking at is 'probabilities', and the time taken to verify that the person in the stated action is actually the person whose details come up would be labour intensive and time consuming. Equifax/Experian's lists of folk in financial distress is a market segment that firms are willing to pay for, hence I'm banking the ' leak' came squarely from them!

[Weird Al Yankovic]

 

But back to the original posting, what we are looking at is 'probabilities', and the time taken to verify that the person in the stated action is actually the person whose details come up would be labour intensive and time consuming.

 

And the labour and time taken to do so by these firms is what their job actually is. Most businesses have to source customers.

 

If you have been to a repossession hearing then you would know that these firms actually have reps at the court house!

 

In my area there are notices up at the court asking people to report these reps if they are being 'overbearing.'

 

No mention of them being barred which suggests they are allowed.

However, I also gather that they are able to convince the authorities that their products, ie buying your property, is a lawful solution to a repossession and they may put forward they are offering free advice.

 

Also, reps are probably on commission anyway so the firms are hardly going to be wasting a wage.

 

As most first hearings end in suspended possession orders then this way of seeking clients is ideal as there would be plenty of time to do a deal.

[buzby]

But by your own admission, these 'freelances' as simply speculating and being paid when the info they provide is used or is useful. The prospect of an agent being in every court in every town in every county is hardly going to be an issue, especially as they courts themselves get paid handsomely by 'Registry Direct ' or whatever they're called, who collate the data for judgements for their central database, who then sell it on to Experian and Equifax, who then use this intelligence to generate mailing lists for prime candidates for offering 'distressed' financial products. All not causing problems with the DPA.

 

Is this any different from photographers who used to scan the lists of Wedding Banns (complete with all details) to offer their services on the day? Not really. As for the practicalities of the original poster, it'll be interesting to see where the info came from, but I'm still betting on for firends at the CRA's, not a court surfer.....