Fix Your Credit File / Avoid Identity Theft

There are two main reasons you should check your credit file on a regular basis, firstly you will see if credit has been obtained in your name and can raise the alarm before you are bankrupted and secondly you can see all the incompetent errors that have built up over the years. This page deals with the second issue in the main although the links below are to general credit checking resources.

You will find the majority of people who have credit files have errors on them, this is mainly because companies are very quick to register things but don't care about taking the information back off.

A good example are dealings I had with a well known mobile phone operator, I won't say which but they are named after both a fruit and a colour! I got a new contract with them and after around two months my phone was stolen, got my new phone from the insurance but never received a SIM card, after four months and endless phone calls still no SIM, I wrote to them and told them to cancel the contract as they were not providing the service they were contracted to provide. After six months of threats of legal action etc., etc., they finally acknowledged that a mistake had been made cancelled the debt and went away (didn't apologize for the grief and inconvenience of course!).

A year or so later I decided to check my credit files and surprise surprise I was showing six months of defaulted payments to the phone company that had never been removed.

Many People do not bother trying to correct these errors as they think it will be a hassle and they won't get anywhere. It's actually relatively easy, every company has a responsibility to ensure the credit information they provide is accurate.

Correcting Errors
First obtain your credit reports from Experian and Equifax (links below), where you find errors call the company concerned and ask for their customer services address.

Write in to them giving details of the error and a copy of the relevant part of your credit report and why the information held is wrong (make sure you keep a copy of what you have sent and send by recorded delivery), the company is legally obliged to respond with 28 days.

Nine times out of ten it's that simple, they will remove the error, job done. If they write back with a standard response not acknowledging the error write back once more explaining that the error must be removed within 28 days or you will raise a complaint with the relevant credit reference agency. If you still get nowhere (which is unlikely at this point) you can easily log an issue online with the reference agency who will investigate the problem and remove the error if your case is justified.

This information only applies to genuine errors on your file of course, it's not that simple if you are trying to falsely clean your file.

To obtain your credit reports visit Equifax and Experian, the equifax report can be obtained online for £11.95 and the Experian online report has a thirty day free trial.

Alternatively both companies can be written to to obtain reports on paper for £2 each.

Whether you want to keep a check on your identity or ensure you remain credit worthy checking your credit files should now be done routinely by all.