CAG CRA S.A.R Club

[spark1]

When I challenged the CRA's, they stated the ICO's opinion, that they had checked the data with the data controller, who had confirmed it's accuracy, so they - as a data controller, now, themselves - felt it sufficient to leave the data showing on my file.

This just shows what a mockery this system is

So long as the ICO thinks the CRA's can rely on this process, this will be the system we have to live with, kids.

 

I think the ICO are instructed from above (government level) to accept this, because CRAs hold all the information on every person and every limited company etc and its so easy for the authorities and the financial world (the Elite) to take a look in at the press of a button.

 

It will never change, and no-one will ever get this changed even through the courts.

 

Heres my thread under the DPA section, the ICO assessmnets are in here, Ive got some more stuff but need to wait before I up-load.

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/data-protection-default-issues/215195-spark1-fiels-six-complaints.html

 

Cheers Spark

[robnfc]

Hi just wondered , with the lisbon treaty kicking in , does this mean the limitation laws will now change , or did we opt out?

Edited December 3, 2009 by robnfc

[babybear39]

This is being discussed at the moment with the MOJ.

[robnfc]

can we opt out of certain terms? , I only ask because I know the government has just pulled the plug on the civil reform bill that would have ment the 6 year data rentention guildlines would have become 3 years , but credit services spat their dummies out and the government bottled it.

Edited December 3, 2009 by robnfc

[babybear39]

Where did you get this information from?

[robnfc]

Victory as limitations act plan shelved - 23/11/2009

 

 

 

 

Government has backtracked on plans to reduce the statute of limitations.

 

Justice minister Bridget Prentice last week announced that the draft Civil Law Reform Bill will be published in December but will not contain provisions to reduce the time civil debts can be chased from six years to three as previously planned. The move follows uproar in the credit industry and concern that the courts would be flooded with litigation if the reforms went ahead.

 

In a written parliamentary answer, Prentice said: "The draft Bill will not now include provisions to reform the law of limitation of actions. These provisions were based on a Law Commission report of 2001. But a recent consultation with key stakeholders has demonstrated that there are insufficient benefits and potentially large-scale costs associated with the reform."

 

but like i say the limitation law for europe is 3 years so cant really work out which is relavent.

Edited December 3, 2009 by robnfc

[JonCris]

As in the case of data protection & equality legislation if they fail to implement the EU directive fully they can & should be challenged

 

Ironic that we will have to look to the EU again to protect us because we certainly can't rely on our own politicians

[sosumi]

Downing Street Petition here:

Petition to: Regulate the UK's Credit Reference Agencies. | Number10.gov.uk

We ask the Govt to regulate credit reference agencies (CRA's) in the UK. CRAs have cartel power, and unfairly prevent a large tranche of potential borrowers from obtaining credit, removing their spending power from the economy.While the credit crunch was in part caused by careless sub-prime lending in the USA,The UK CRAs often hold innacurate and unfair information on borrowers. Innacurate because lenders register info unregulated , often innacurately, someimes maliciously and always without arbitration/third party assessment ..Unfair because the emphasis is only on past credit history and the Public have to jump through hoops to explain past problems.This takes millions of UK consumers out of the loop. Nothing is recorded about current changes future prospects etc ..Banks choose how they use the information concerned, but information needs to be more accurate and fair. The EU have plans to regulate the CRA's via IOSCO but UK regulation is required to give teeth to the EU initiative.

[what_todo]

hello all,

 

 

i would like to do the same to the three CRA. what letter did you used and what address did you send them to.

 

 

with thanks

[Nicmac1]

Hi, can you give me a little advise. Freemans Catalogue have issued 2 defaults on my credit report whilst i await for details from them of all account activity they hold as i am disputing the account was not opened almost 3 years prior to me opening it. They have cashed in the £10 i sent them and today i have recieved a letter with very basic info and not what i was expecting. Anyhow my question is : Can they add these 2 default notices to my credit report whilst we are in dispute?

[fergal71]

I wonder does anyone now when all credit reference agencies where set up who approved their setup and whos money did they use to set up????????????

[robnfc]

think they all U.S companies , so I would assume they would have raised funds through shareholders , think theyve been around since the 80s but only really used on a consumer level since the early 90s , who allowed them to operate in the uk I have no idea

[robnfc]

Experian

 

Our story is one of ground-breaking innovation. Bringing together our core capabilities; information, expertise and partnership, we have come a long way since 1980.

1980

 

• Experian trace its origins to CCN, an information services business established by our former parent company, GUS
  

1982

 

• CCN is the first to develop market and credit scoring in the UK.
  
• Launched CAIS, a system allowing consumer lending organisations to share credit account information on individuals and became the UK’s leading credit bureau.
  

1983

 

• Produced the first automated application processing system, Autoscore, now known as CEMS.
  

1985

 

• Launched Mosaic, a leading consumer segmentation system and Scope a customer reporting and monitoring solution, (now known as Portfolio Reporting Studio).
  

1993

 

• Delphi, a bureau based scorecard is launched in the UK. In the same year, Car Data Check, our vehicle provenance database, and Detect our fraud detection product came to the market place.
  

1997

 

• CCN changed its name globally to Experian and became a leading global provider of information and decision analytics.
  

1998

 

• Acquired Vehicle Mileage Check to enhance our offering to UK automotive clients.
  

2001

 

• Experian Truvue, a customer data integration solution, was launched globally.
  
• Entered the B2B list market with the launch of the National Business Database.
  

2002

 

• Established a new consumer credit reference bureau in Ireland
  

2003

 

• CreditExpert, the first online credit reporting service, is launched to consumers in the UK.
  
• Acquired the direct marketing arm of Yell Data to become the leading force in business-to-business marketing in the UK.
  
• GUS acquired the outstanding stake in Scorex, a global decision analytics company.
  

2004

 

• Acquired CheetahMail, an e-mail marketing and customer intelligence solution and QAS, a leading supplier of address management software in the UK.
  

2005

 

• Acquired Footfall, a leading provider of information and services related to numbers of people visiting retailers, shopping centres and transport locations.
  
• Experian is the only UK Company to win the Business of the Year award twice – in 2003 and 2005.
  

2006

 

• Acquired ClarityBlue to complement the database management skills in our Marketing Solutions business.
  
• Acquired Experian BackgroundChecking.com, specialists in conducting identity checks on job applicants and Experian Payments, a market-leading provider of bank account validation and payment processing software.
  
• Experian received four Business in the Community Big Ticks, in recognition of our long-term commitment to improving educational opportunities for people in Nottingham.
  
• Our fraud business was presented with the Queens Award for Enterprise, the most prestigious accolade for business performance in the UK.
  
• On the 11 October 2006, Experian became an independent company, listed on the London Stock Exchange.
  

2007

 

• Acquired Hitwise, an Internet market intelligence company. N4 Solutions, a provider of specialist software for the mortgage and financial planning sectors, pH Group, a leading business to business analytics company and Tallyman, the market-leading solution for revenue management and collection.
  
• Introduced Risk Triggers, a daily alert service which flags at-risk customers to lenders so that they can act quickly to prevent loss before they are exposed to it.
  
• Developed TrendView, a new segmentation tool that helps businesses to identify new value opportunities with existing customers by monitoring and evaluating their behaviour.
  
• Launched Lowermybills.co.uk to help UK consumers reduce their monthly recurring expenses online.
  
• Acquired Experian Payments (originally Eiger), to provide strategic payment software services.
  
• Introduced Ledger 360, an innovative new software system designed to help businesses to improve cash flow and profitability.
  
• Entered into partnership with the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) to bring car status checks to the market for the time, with SIMI History Check.
  
• Uploaded 2008 Electoral Register in record time and ahead of the competition.
  

2008

 

• Launched Strategy Tree Optimisation, to help business make smarter and more informed decisions.
  
• Announced enhanced data sharing initiatives, to enable lenders to closely monitor consumers' use of credit and store cards for signs of over-indebtedness, by teaming up with APACS and credit card providers.
  
• Launched a comprehensive suite of collections and recoveries capabilities, to drive organisations' financial performance.
  
• Became the first Credit Reference Agency to achieve the CIFAS (the UK's Fraud Prevention Service) 'superior' rating for the fifth year in a row.
  
• Introduced Universal ID Check, a multi-national identity authentication system to boost the fight against fraud.
  
• Launched Autocheck Timeline, a unique new feature as part of our vehicle provenance service to help dealers meet the increasing information demands of their customers.
  
• On an average day, we process two million credit reference enquiries and we help our clients to make more than 20 billion decisions every year.
  

2009

 

• Experian scooped a raft of awards and won the top accolade at the industry leading 2009 Data Strategy Awards, for the best use of data in all categories.
  
• Introduced enhanced collections and recoveries management software with the latest version of Tallyman, the collections process management software which forms a core part of Experian’s strategic Debt Collection and Recovery Suite.
  
• Launched Automated Vehicle Mileage Check the first compliance service of its kind for the UK’s automotive market.
  
• Experian’s market leading consumer classification - Mosaic UK - was comprehensively rebuilt and updated to reflect important demographic and social changes in British society since 2003.
  
• Introduced B2B Prospector a new online tool that allows businesses to quickly and simply find targeted new business leads for direct marketing campaigns.
  
• Won two highly coveted Business in the Community Big Tick' awards for its flagship community partnerships in Nottinghamshire.
  
• Launched Risk Audit Plus, the new web-based risk management service, to arm businesses with even more powerful credit risk insight.
  

[robnfc]

Equifax

 

Was founded as Retail Credit Company in 1899. The company grew quickly and by 1920 had offices throughout the US and Canada. By the 1960s, Retail Credit Company was one of the nation's largest credit bureaus, holding files on millions of American and Canadian citizens.

Retail Credit Company's extensive information holdings, and its willingness to sell them to anyone, attracted criticism of the company in the 1960s and 1970s. These included that it collected "...facts, statistics, inaccuracies and rumors… about virtually every phase of a person's life; his marital troubles, jobs, school history, childhood, sex life, and political activities." The company was also alleged to reward its employees for collecting negative information on consumers.[1]

As a result, when the company moved to computerize its records, which would lead to much wider availability of the personal information it held, the US Congress held hearings in 1970. These led to the enactment of the Fair Credit Reporting Act in the same year which gave consumers rights regarding information stored about them in corporate databanks. It is alleged that the hearings prompted the Retail Credit Company to change its name to Equifax in 1975 to improve its image.[1]

The company has been fined by the Federal Trade Commission on two occasions for violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act. In 2000, Equifax along with Experian and Trans Union were fined US$2.5 million for blocking and delaying phone calls from consumers trying to get information about their credit. In 2003, the FTC took Equifax to court for the same reason and settled its lawsuit with the company for a fine of US$250,000.[2] [3].

The company later expanded into commercial credit reports on companies in the US, Canada and the UK, where it came into competition with companies such as Dun & Bradstreet and Experian. The company also had a division selling specialist credit information to the insurance industry but spun off this service, including the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE) database as ChoicePoint in 1997. The company formerly offered digital certification services, which it sold to GeoTrust in September 2001. In the same year, Equifax spun-off its payment services division, forming the publicly-listed company Certegy, which subsequently acquired Fidelity National Information Services in 2006. Certegy effectively became a subsidiary of Fidelity National Financial as a result of this reverse acquisition merger (See Certegy and Fidelity National Information Services for further information).

Edited January 13, 2010 by robnfc
double post

[robnfc]

Call credit

 

2001 saw the launch of Callcredit's first credit referencing service, “CallReport”, an online service that allows subscribers to check the identity and creditworthiness of potential customers.

In 2002 Callcredit launched its “SHARE” database of consumer credit account information. Created by monthly contributions from a closed user group of lenders, SHARE includes records from banks, building societies, and telecom companies.

In 2003 Callcredit introduced a range of products for credit risk, Anti-Money Laundering and marketing.

In 2004 the Skipton Information Group (SIG) was formed, bringing Callcredit together with EuroDirect and GMAP.

In 2005 Callcredit launched MyCallcredit, its online credit file monitoring and identity theft alert service for consumers. Also during the year Callcredit introduced a new range of debt management tools, credit monitoring and tracing solutions to aid responsible lending.

In 2006 Callcredit launched its consumer indebtedness initiative in association with the UK’s leading high street banks: HBOS, HSBC, Lloyds TSB, Barclays and RBS. The initiative uses income data along with consolidated debt data to give an understanding of customer indebtedness and ability to pay. Throughout 2007, Callcredit further developed its Over-Indebtedness Initiative (OII) and continued to roll it out across the major UK banks, building societies and credit card companies. It has also created the Callcredit Consultancy team, which supplies expertise throughout the customer lifecycle, from customer acquisition to collection and recoveries.

In 2007, Skipton Information Group acquired two additional businesses which directly complement Callcredit’s activities. Legatio build complex online systems that present data for government, blue chip and SME's. Legatio have also developed an online fraud detection service called CallValidate that verifes a bank accounts or credit / debit cards owners name and address. Legatio was started by Grant Johnston and Dave Barter in 2002 with a PDF based tax return service for individuals and agents. The second acquisition in 2007 was Decision Metrics, who undertake advanced analytical projects for the credit risk market, covering credit scoring, affordability assessment, Basel II modelling and ongoing performance monitoring.

In January 2008, Skipton Information Group announced its third acquisition in six months. Broadsystem are specialists in both database and marketing services, with additional skills in communications management.

Edited January 13, 2010 by robnfc

[fergal71]

surely this begs the question what legal right do these companies have under our laws to collect and sell our data for profit... there does not seem to be any right, just misguided compliance by crazy regulators after the fact that these companies are doing things which break our laws and reguators and governments without knowledge have allowed it.... this seems to be a much bigger issue than having defaults removed this is a multi billion pound operation that has risen, without any laws to support what they have done and continue to do.... no wonder when these companies are actually challenged in court those that challenge them disappear from CAG, either killed off to hide this injustice or paid off with huge sums to protect this travesty of justice??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

 

If I disappear in the next few weeks please call the police he he ;-)

 

anyone else agree??????????? I wish surelybonds or uk26 could come back on here as different names and tell us the lowdown....unless they are sunning themselves on islands without internet provided by these companies... beautiful women serbing drinks and food etc,,,,, imagination running wild now... I wonder if shergar, hitler, elvis, lord lucan are on same island?????

[robnfc]

I agree and the conflicts of interest are unreal , I mean what the f**k is a mortgage company doing owning a CRA???!!!

[fergal71]

what can we do collectively to raise this and blow the roof of ... the damage they have casued is immeasurable to millions

[fergal71]

POC's against CRA's for the masses to bring claims based on the fact that no law supports them sharing and selling our data????

[robnfc]

I personally think someone needs to kick the ICO up the arse becuase its their advise that the CRAs use for their defences , The ICO need to look at what they are doing and understand that the DPA overrides comsumer contract law.

 

At least that way the CRAs will be made to stand on their own two feet and stop hiding behind the ICO whenever they are challenged.

[fergal71]

should we not have this front page of cag and all send letters to MP's to get this whole mess looked at...

[robnfc]

it should yeah , i still think this is biggest issue we face, this goes right to the heart of the financial industry.

Edited January 13, 2010 by robnfc

[fergal71]

lets do something about it???? what stage are you at with CRA's ?

[robnfc]

still arguing the toss with the CRA , they continue to use the industry acceptable argument , but have recent told me they are no longer willing to discuss the issue , which really p**sed me off , the ico are useless and wont give any constructive advise , so im going to take them to court , however I want to find out what the links are between the banks/CRAs/the debt recovery industry and the goverment , because if sure it goes deeper then what we think

[patrickq1]

still arguing the toss with the CRA , they continue to use the industry acceptable argument , but have recent told me they are no longer willing to discuss the issue , which really p**sed me off , the ico are useless and wont give any constructive advise , so im going to take them to court , however I want to find out what the links are between the banks/CRAs/the debt recovery industry and the goverment , because if sure it goes deeper then what we think

WHICH MAGAZINE HAVE A LINK ON THERE WEBPAGE FOR A CAMPAIGN TO STOP THE CHARGES ?