Experian credit report

[Mr $quandaŁot]

Subscribed to a free 30-trial on Experian. When I checked my credit report I was shocked. My score was over 900 = 'good' according to them. My alleged M&S mastercard default didn't show up.

Does anyone know which credit reference agencies M&S Bank / HSBC report late payments and defaults to? More worryingly, could it be that they have not registered the default yet? I received a default notice about twelve months ago, then another one in January.

More interestingly, my alleged M&S mastercard debt didn't appear to show at all on my credit report i.e. my total debt was roughly anything else but the alleged mastercard.

Recently Santander jacked interest rate on my 123 mastercard, resulting in my decision to reject the change and stop using the card altogether. They said the reason was my 'credit score' either the way I had been using my card (yes, I was close to my credit limit and went over the limit last year once or twice) or my 'conduct' outside Santander or both. Therefore, I assumed that my 123 mastercard rate was jacked because of my alleged M&S mastercard default.

Does anyone know how these credit reports work?

[Bigboots]

Re: Experian credit report

Subscribed to a free 30-trial on Experian. When I checked my credit report I was shocked. My score was over 900 = 'good' according to them. My alleged M&S mastercard default didn't show up.

Does anyone know which credit reference agencies M&S Bank / HSBC report late payments and defaults to? More worryingly, could it be that they have not registered the default yet? I received a default notice about twelve months ago, then another one in January.

More interestingly, my alleged M&S mastercard debt didn't appear to show at all on my credit report i.e. my total debt was roughly anything else but the alleged mastercard.

Recently Santander jacked interest rate on my 123 mastercard, resulting in my decision to reject the change and stop using the card altogether. They said the reason was my 'credit score' either the way I had been using my card (yes, I was close to my credit limit and went over the limit last year once or twice) or my 'conduct' outside Santander or both. Therefore, I assumed that my 123 mastercard rate was jacked because of my alleged M&S mastercard default.

Does anyone know how these credit reports work?

Experian used to have an all-but-monopoly. Equifax just covered things like bounced cheques. But it seems they're getting involved in proper credit rating now. As other companies may be.

Whether your debt would show up on the Experian system depends on a few things.

WHEN was the alleged default? It's possible that if it was recent (within three months) the various different one-month lags have added up and not caught up with the report you got. Alternatively if it was a long time ago it may have dropped off (six years?) or become irrelevant in their scoring system (three years; possibly one year if the bank relies heavily on 'behaviour score', as Santander does. However, you seem to say it was your Experian credit score which showed you clean.

IF the disputed address was at a previous address, it might not show up on the document Experian send you. nonetheless, other lenders are likely to check previous addresses' files for new credit applications.
Similarly, if you did not update any lenders with accounts at your old address with your new address AND you did not tell Experian or any lenders your old address, then the addresses will not even be linked and your credit history will be young, but clean. (If this is the case, be careful not to accidentally link them - probably better to fail a credit check for lack of history than sully your new credit rating with a recent default).

[volvo]

Re: Experian credit report

Interesting, so everyone should use a lender who uses Experian!!

VOLVO

[Gorang]

Re: Experian credit report

There are 3 main Credit reference agencies

Experian
Equifax
Call Credit

If your account is not showing up on one of them then it WILL show on one of the other 2

Lenders tend to only use one and stick with them

If your M&S account is not showing up on Experian then M&S will not be using Experian for your account so your account WILL show up on either Equifax OR Call Credit

My bet is on Equifax

[labman]

Re: Experian credit report

Subscribed to a free 30-trial on Experian. When I checked my credit report I was shocked. My score was over 900 = 'good' according to them. My alleged M&S mastercard default didn't show up.

Does anyone know which credit reference agencies M&S Bank / HSBC report late payments and defaults to?

HSBC & M&S,
For searches they used Experian and Call Credit; For reporting they used all three main ones. This was accurate until about 10 months ago, but they change all the time, so may be out of date now. Some surprising results in your report mind! :beagle: