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Experian Credit Reference Report and Data Protection

I received this morning a statutory credit reference report from Experian having paid my statutory 2 quid.

Whilst I realised that the information provided would be on anyone at my address rather than on me specifically I was rather surprised to see that it included financial details of credit card limits and current balances of other people who have lived at my address over the last few years. As it happens these are mostly my family although it also included my son's partner who lived at my address for a while.

I understand that banks and credit card companies can supply information to credit reference agencies which I authorise when I open an account. I also understand that I am legally entitled to obtain information held about me from a credit reference agency and I'm also entitled to information on anyone held in the public domain (e.g. county court judgements).

What confuses me however is by what authority does the credit reference agency divulge personal financial information of third parties (e.g. my wife or my son's partner) to me?

Is it that their registration under the Data Protection Act allows them to provide potentially sensitive data to third parties just because they happen to live at the same address?

Thanks for any insight.

Rik

Reply to
Rik
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This practice is ending next month. About time too.

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Reply to
Tom

Reply to
Tom Robinson

The details I now have about my wife, my over-18 children who no longer live at home and my eldest son's partner include precise limits, balances, start dates and payment record for every credit card or loan they've ever applied for.

Banks and credit card companies have rules about an individual's privacy: if I went to my wife's bank and asked for the balance on her account I'd be refused (and quite rightly). But you know when you open an account that banks and credit card companies will pass on details to credit reference agencies (if not then read the small print). I have no problem with that.

But my wife (or son or his partner) has not agreed anywhere (as far as I know) that the credit reference agency can reveal her details to me just because we have lived at the same address and I've paid 2 pounds for the info. So the question is where does the credit reference agency get its authority to reveal such detailed information?

Rik

Reply to
Rik

Rik wrote:

Sorry, perhaps I did not make myself clear.

"This practice ends next month."

A credit report is a credit report - what they see, you see.

My opinion is that this has always been illegal (at least since 1984), and the reason it has continued so far is that:

a) credit companies control the law. b) the Information Commissioner obeys the credit companies.

When I first got my credit report (as an ex-student), I got details for all the members of my family, and about 20 students who were in the same accommodation as me. It was both enlightening and shocking.

Honestly, I don't know why (legally) this practice has ever been allowed, but it stops next month. They probably orginally used the Consumer Credit Act 1974 to justify it, but I'm not particularly familiar with that.

try this search:

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and try

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hth

Reply to
Tom

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