Equifax - Incorrect Electoral roll data added by Equifax - are you affected ?

[pussycat10]

I have recently discovered that Equifax has failed to upload to Electoral roll data as supplied by the local councils and have instead relied upon data provided by account providers including the debt recovery sector. My own data was affected around 18 months ago and I have now discovered others have been affected. I am very keen to highlight this issue and see if any others have been effected. Equifax are aware of this and don't seem interested in discussing or resolving this other than to say it was an error. My concern is that Equifax quote on our credit files the "on Electoral roll" data yet it would seem that the actual data provided is that of the address given by banks, credit cards and debt recovery companies. I have already proven one of these were in breach of their terms with Equifax so how can a debt recovery company be reliable enough to provide accurate data of address's ?

 

PLEASE - Check your credit file and verify if the Electoral roll data is correct. On one case it was updated after 1 year yet this would still cause an issue for you.

 

I am also in contact with a media production company interested in this and are looking for other cases. If you have been affected then I would really appreciate you getting in contact.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Thank you for posting this information!!

[pussycat10]

Thats OK. Its potentially quite serious. Equifax claim to provide your details from the Electoral Roll however they have been proven on several occasions not to use this information and use the data from other sources, including the Debt Collection industry.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

My feeling is that this must be reported formally to the ICO and I think the Dept. For Business and Skills has some input re CRAs.

[pussycat10]

I have been dealing with 2 Directors at Equifax about this. I first found the problem some 18 months ago and to be fair they were reasonably good at resolving it once it mentioned that I worked in media and had got various production companies interested in a documentary. This time around when I have discovered it has happened to somebody else they have come up with every excuse to avoid the issue although they have rectified the credit file. My concern is this is much bigger than a few cases and may have gone on for years. The attitude of one of the Directors was also quite blunt and just seemed to want to pass the blame elsewhere. That is my bigger concern and something I am currently working on to highlight.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Please keep me posted this is one of my areas of interest!

[pussycat10]

I will. I'm actually very keen to produce my own documentary on some of their tactics and how closely they work with the DCA's. I did message you some time ago about maybe working with you however at the time I didn't take it forward.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Ahh yes I remember, happy to contribute if required.

[pussycat10]

Sounds great. I'm sure you must also have areas of interest that could be explored. I particuarly want to highlight the how the CRA's work with the DCA's.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Sounds great. I'm sure you must also have areas of interest that could be explored. I particuarly want to highlight the how the CRA's work with the DCA's.

I have enquires out already (2 weeks ago) on that very subject acknoledgments only received so far, also an enquiry covering the ''most frequently asked questions'' on the forums which has been blanked so far, the secrecy and lack of openess concerns me.

 

The changes in the ''style'' of the entries is another concern, eg leaving both the OCs original entry and the debt purchasers entry side by side.

[pussycat10]

I had a very open and frank conversation some time ago with a director at Equifax who virtually agreed with me that the DCA's are calling the shots and don't always abide by the rules.

Assume you sent this to Equifax in general ? I do have an email for several directors, you may get a more appropriate response.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

That would be very useful I tend to go for the data controllers at present.

[catquest]

Also Equifax are still having and have imo always had problems with Flat numbers,especially converted flats where previously there was only one address. Because some creditors don't use flat numbers or just write a number in front of the house number you will find multiple " linked addresses " , also I'm told even CCJs are not showing up because of this confusion.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

The way to rectify this is to write to the Data Controller at Equifax and send a copy of the electoral roll entry relevant to you and your address.

[pussycat10]

This is exactly the problem I am looking into. If Equifax use the correct electoral register as given to them by the council then the flat numbers should be correct. My argument is Equifax are in breach of contract for "selling" incorect data however they maintain there is no contract between themselves and those whose data they sell. The only contract is with the likes of the banks and credit card companies who buy the data from equinox.

 

I would be VERY interested in specific cases of this to pursue with equifax

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

They credit reference agencies rely entirely on the data supplied to them, wether it's supplied by creditors/DCAs/ or other organisations, so I doubt there is anything more to be done than informing the Data Controller that there is an error and sending proof of the error.

They are correct as to the contracts situarion.

[catquest]

The problem seemed to arise ( I had a long battle in around 2003 ) when, say, a potential creditor made a search not giving the flat number ( ie only the house number )

Equifax then seemed by default to register this query under " Flat 1", they seemed not prepared to look whether the relevant person appeared under any other flat number.

[pussycat10]

Very much the same as my issue. Where you on the electoral register at that time with the correct address including flat number ?

[catquest]

yes I was

[kirstyo]

I have not been listed as being on the electoral roll at any of my previous addresses even although i am on it, i called experian about it once and they told me that i had to change my flat number and it would show up properly. My point to them though is that the flat number they wanted to use is nothing like the one a potential creditor would use to find my file. I have recently moved again so will be interested to see if this flat number shows up once i get registered to vote here. It caused me a bit of bother when i changed banks recently as they were unable to verify who i was or whatever it is they use that information for, thankfully some helpful staff managed to help me find other ways to prove the info they needed and get my account open.

[Wirral_Guy]

Just spotted this thread. I live in a converted property that is now 4 apartments and am flashed up as not showing on the electoral register with Equifax. I have confirmed however that my local authority sent this information in early December (Dec 3rd from memory) to the CRAs. My address on Equifax doesnt include the apartment number, just the property number - exactly as stated above!!

 

I'll call them tomorrow, but am happy to pass details on if required

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

The annual upload of ER data from July 2012 showed upon my credit files last Friday???????????

[Affabel]

I have had problems with Credit Expert (Experian) these last couple of weeks, I found an error on the The Electoral role address they hold for me, simply it does not exist they had some how moved my postcode 6 miles away saying I lived in another village (which I have never been to). So I was stated as not being on the Electoral register. They kept saying that the local council had supplied the data and they entered what they were given. I contacted the council and they sent to me (and Credit Expert) a Certificate of registration and categorically stated my postcode has never been associated with the village Credit Expert had me listed for. Credit Expert completely ignored this Electoral registration certificate. I contacted the council again and they sent me a letter reiterating that Credit expert were wrong and they had to amend the data as the address simply does not exist and has never existed. I faxed to Credit Expert a Google map of my post code (which is correct on every other record they hold for me) showing very clearly that the village does not have my post code. The council have sent futher emails confirming what i was stating and They are still refusing to change the data even though the council have given them unequivocal evidence that Credit Expert have made a serious error. I have demanded a call from a manger and in theory Credit Expert are supposed to call me on the 1st of Feb. I have had enough of narrow, bloody minded jobs worth’s who have no common sense at all, and are incapable of logical thought. The next move is the Financial Ombudsmen.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Did you send the data to customer service or to the Data Controller which is where it needs to go.

[Affabel]

Surprise, surprise no phone call this morning (which I was promised yesterday) so I called the complaints line, I am now going to email the same information I faxed yesterday as they have said they can't find the fax!. They have said they will call me back later! (I don’t believe them)! Still waiting to speak to a manager.

Do you have the contact details for Data Control?