Unauthorised and repeated Search by Same Company

[Lucky4Seven]

Back in 2018, I applied for credit through 118 118 money the ones that advertised on the tv.

Biggest mistake I have ever made.

I didn't get accepted for credit.

Ever since the initialy application, this company has repeatedly made unauthorised searches on my credit file.

To date the searches are al based on the same data.

On the 29th May 2019, 5 searches were made, then again a further 3 on the 5th June.

Prior to that, many other searches have been made.

I am concerned about the fact they are flooding my credit with these searches, especially when I was refused credit, but have not applied for any more.

To make 5 searches in one day in particular seems very excessive.

What can I do about it as I have only applied for credit once they are repeatedly searching my file?

I attach a screenshot of my credit file with just a few entries being made.

[Amethyst]

It does seem excessive. I just went to look at mine to check whether the bit you screenshotted was the soft or hard searches ( not sure since it changed from Noddle to Credit Karma ) and I have lots of Madison 118118 searches on mine too - and I have never applied or so much as visited the 118118 website, nor ever had any kind of payday loan.... quotation search and AF as the reason pretty similar to yours. I wonder if it is connected to checking your credit file as they always try offering you loans/credit card rates etc - they are soft searches not hard searches so they won't be affecting your credit rating... others on mine I've never had anything to do with are Bamboo, Lendable, Ratesetter, Hitachi and Madison... also a few insurance company ones from when I've used a price comparison website for car insurance - goodness knows why they have to send lots of robots over to my credit file but there we are.

I'll have a look into it a bit more as it bugs me seeing all this crap on my credit file for no apparent reason too - though it does only seem to be an issue with callcredit ( transunion ) which feeds creditkarma/noddle. Have you had a look at your equifax and experian files? Clearscore shows very few searches and splits it up so it is clearer which ones are actual searches that affect your scoring and which are just nosiness. Can't get into my Experian one at the moment ( through mse credit club ) as their system seems to be down so I'll have a look a bit later.

Anyway, basically, don't worry these are likely entirely unrelated to your earlier application and aren't hard searches or anyone applying to 188118 using your details. You can ask Madison to remove your data from their files but seems more related to transunion products ....

Quotation searches are done before you apply, and tell you whether you’re likely to be accepted for a credit product. They are only visible to you (not to lenders) and don’t affect your score. Personal searches are done when you check your own credit report through ClearScore or another credit checking service. These are only visible to you and have no effect on your score.

And from my credit karma just now

[Lucky4Seven]

It does seem excessive. I just went to look at mine to check whether the bit you screenshotted was the soft or hard searches ( not sure since it changed from Noddle to Credit Karma ) and I have lots of Madison 118118 searches on mine too - and I have never applied or so much as visited the 118118 website, nor ever had any kind of payday loan.... quotation search and AF as the reason pretty similar to yours. I wonder if it is connected to checking your credit file as they always try offering you loans/credit card rates etc - they are soft searches not hard searches so they won't be affecting your credit rating... others on mine I've never had anything to do with are Bamboo, Lendable, Ratesetter, Hitachi and Madison... also a few insurance company ones from when I've used a price comparison website for car insurance - goodness knows why they have to send lots of robots over to my credit file but there we are.

I'll have a look into it a bit more as it bugs me seeing all this crap on my credit file for no apparent reason too - though it does only seem to be an issue with callcredit ( transunion ) which feeds creditkarma/noddle. Have you had a look at your equifax and experian files? Clearscore shows very few searches and splits it up so it is clearer which ones are actual searches that affect your scoring and which are just nosiness. Can't get into my Experian one at the moment ( through mse credit club ) as their system seems to be down so I'll have a look a bit later.

Anyway, basically, don't worry these are likely entirely unrelated to your earlier application and aren't hard searches or anyone applying to 188118 using your details. You can ask Madison to remove your data from their files but seems more related to transunion products ....




And from my credit karma just now

Who do I ask to remove the searches, and can I question why there was 5 searches in one day!?

Let me know what you find out.

[Lucky4Seven]

I forgot to add, I did complain to Credit Karma about the amount of excesive searches, especially on the 29th May, and they refused point blank to remove them.

[Lucky4Seven]

I've looked at Clearscore, and nothing is on there for Madison 118. I'll see if I can get a free trial for Equifax and look there.

[Amethyst]

Equifax is clearscore .... credit karma/noddle is callcredit/transunion - mse credit club is experian,

The only place I have any of the 118118 searches in on transunion ( viewed at credit karma) so presumably it is only Transunion (used to be call callcredit) that they run searches on.

SAR and complaint to Madison and request for them to remove all data held might be a sensible next move - Subject Access Request Letter


to - Fusion Point, Dumballs Road, Cardiff, CF10 5BF


Their Privacy Policy https://www.118118money.com/privacy-policy/

Right to erasure of your personal information

You have the right to ask that your personal information be deleted in certain circumstances. For example: Ø where your personal information is no longer necessary for the purpose(s) it was collected or otherwise used; Ø if you withdraw your consent and there is no other legal reason to permit us to continue to use your personal information; Ø if you object to the use of your personal information (see below); Ø if we have used your personal information unlawfully; or Ø if your personal information needs to be erased to comply with a legal obligation.

dpo@118118money.com

[Lucky4Seven]

Equifax is clearscore .... credit karma/noddle is callcredit/transunion - mse credit club is experian,

The only place I have any of the 118118 searches in on transunion ( viewed at credit karma) so presumably it is only Transunion (used to be call callcredit) that they run searches on.

SAR and complaint to Madison and request for them to remove all data held might be a sensible next move - Subject Access Request Letter


to - Fusion Point, Dumballs Road, Cardiff, CF10 5BF


Their Privacy Policy https://www.118118money.com/privacy-policy/

Right to erasure of your personal information

You have the right to ask that your personal information be deleted in certain circumstances. For example: Ø where your personal information is no longer necessary for the purpose(s) it was collected or otherwise used; Ø if you withdraw your consent and there is no other legal reason to permit us to continue to use your personal information; Ø if you object to the use of your personal information (see below); Ø if we have used your personal information unlawfully; or Ø if your personal information needs to be erased to comply with a legal obligation.

dpo@118118money.com

I have put in a formal complaint to 118 188 and I've just had an email back to say that they will be looking into the matter.

I just don't understand why do 5 searches in one day!!

I am going to ask for all their searches to be removed, which will be deemed excessive, and I will ask for compensation as well considering I did not give them permission to run the searches.

I'll let you know what they come back with.

[Amethyst]

Response from 118118

Thank you for contacting us recently in relation to credit searches that have appeared on your credit report.



I can confirm that we have not received any credit card or loan applications under your name.



Searches that appear on your report such as AF, Anti-Money Laundering and Quotation Searches are all ‘soft’ searches that are only visible to you thus meaning they will not affect your credit rating.



Having an account with a Credit Reference Agency and using them to check your report will result in soft searches being performed whenever you check your own report – this is perfectly normal and further information can be found on the support page from Clearscore below:



https://www.clearscore.com/credit-sc...ect-your-score



If you have any further queries and would like to discuss this with our Financial Crime Department, please get in touch on 02920 893 311 or alternatively you can email us at FC-Prevention@118118money.com.



Kind regards,





Rakeem

Financial Crime

Doesn't really explain why it is Madison (118118) doing soft searches - not Clearscore etc... but at least they confirm no applications have been made using my details.

[redstar]

This is really disturbing and a grey area apparently if stauted barred they can still credit check you hows does this fall under dpa rules updated last year if no bees wax in loans credit but can credit check market and hound odd beyond fishy

[Brythonic]

I have had the same issue as many others on here, ever since I registered with Kredit Karma, I have multiple unauthorised searched done against me from 118 / Madison. I have emailed Madison and phoned them multiple times over the last 12 months and they day they will look into but do absolutely nothing, since then I have had unauthorised searched done on me for other loans one a loan of £6,000 with an outfit called Zopa, when I phoned them they told me it was from another company (forgotten their name) that was linked to Kredit Karma. I contacted Kredit Karma to delete the search from my file and told me they were unable to as they can only go on information they are given. I have now deleted my Kredit Karma account. Also I spoke to the FVA about, they showed near zero interest.

[Guest]

I think it is Credit Karma as ive just signed up
now getting searches every day
But uve just changes my setting and will see if that helps....