Anyone had problems with their credit file ?

[Brown Dog]

After having a few problems with a certain mobile company I was thinking of changing providers... but before I did that I decided to check my credit history(incase I wanted the option of buying a phone on a plan). So i forked out the $27 and got my credit file, needless to say.....it contained some interesting infomation that I never knew about myself :oo:.

Apparently I have had an address and a job I never knew about and a quite substantial credit card debt for the last 5 years on a card from a bank I have never even had an account at. There was also applications for other credit cards and a phone account...all mysterioulsy made on the same date in 2003 :?.

I contacted the collection mob for the credit card and they said I need to get them a police report number because there has "obviously been some fraudulant behavior"....well duh:rolleyes:. I also contacted one of the other credit card suppliers...but they have no record of my name making an application.

Has anyone ever had to fix up something like this ?...and what was the outcome ?...

I got a little concerned when I read that I may be liable for the debt incase of identity theft....though i dont see how this is identity theft as who ever made the application didnt even use my address (which has been the same for 20+ years) and that would have been pretty obvious if the credit company requested proper ID for the application

cheers
BD :sad3:

[Brown Dog]

nobody :? :D

[abitfishy]

I don't know if I would worry about the identity theft issue just yet. It all depends - you may well have those credit card debts and all the applications on your file due to identity theft, however its also very possible (and much more likely) that when an organisation makes entries on your credit file, they are simply added to the wrong persons file - very easy if you have a common name and live in a big city, which you do (Sydney). You also mention the applicant did not give an address or any positive ID - well if thats the case they have no right to add it to your credit file. There are procedures in getting the wrong information removed from your credit file, however the organisation telling you to get a police report number sounds more like they couldn'tbe bothered - I mean what exactly are you going to tell the police? That you don't agree with your credit file and someone must have been posing as you? I can tell you that any police station in sydney will tell you they have better things to do.

Get back in touch with your credit file provider and tell them if the identity of the 'other' person was not confirmed with ID that they are removed immediately. If they did give ID, find out how specific the ID was. If it becomes clear it is identity theft, THEN you might get somewhere with the local plods, but go armed with as much evidence as you can - it always helps to do their job for them when you can.

[Brown Dog]

I think you might bit right Abitfishy....

As far as I understand it the only ones who can add info to your credit file are the credit providers...and according to my file the only provider to have access are the credit card company and their collection agency...so they are the ones who added the dodgy address and employment history. Which surely wouldnt be very hard to verify ?

I am also starting to think that its a stuff up...because as you say, I have a very common name...I have actually had dept collectors send me fake summons before, obviously based purely on my name.

I couldnt quite understand what im sposed tell the cops either :?. But apparently "Collection House" is sending me a letter to take down to the cop shop to file a police report and get a number...then they will "investigate" from there. I will be asking a couple of cop freinds what they think before I do visit my local station though.

I just found all this quite interesting....all this "history":rolleyes: Ive had for the past 5 years that I didnt know about. They certainly havent been looking to hard for me :D.

[Bleedin Thumb]

I agree with Fisho more likely that someones history has been put on your file - probably by the Credit Collection agency. Trying to get stuff off your credit history is very hard, most of the time you are better of waiting for it to disappear after the mandatory 5 or is it 7 years?

Ive gotten into a commercial bun-fight with different companies on two occasions and they have posted bad debts on my credit history..fraud I recon - but anyway banks know how to read the things and ignore most of the stuff that shows up.

I would be sticking it up the credit agency and tell them that you have spoken to the police and that their advise is that it appears to be an administrative error and that you have a case against them for contravening Federal Government privacy laws which is a serious offence.

Also that If they do not take this misinformation of your credit history within 10 working days the matter will be handed over to your solicitor.:D

It won't do diddly squat, these guys just dont give a rats but you could have some fun.:p

[Brown Dog]

I like the way you think Bleedin :D

Im not overly concerned about the consequences of having a crappy credit history....although I did get turned down for a new mobile a couple of years ago, there are ways around that so its no biggy.....plus I dont have plans for borrowing in the near future.

I reckon I will give what you have said a go. Im going to wait to see what this letter is they have sent me is about then see I can have some fun :wink:.

I did just speak to the credit history mob though and they are going to remove the dodgy address and employment history for me.....dont know if that really does much though :?

cheers
BD

[HappyHammer]

Need to remember there's more than one credit history company out there.....:;

HH.

[Brown Dog]

Need to remember there's more than one credit history company out there.....:;

HH.

That why I went with the largest :D...start at the top :wink:

[abitfishy]

I got my credit file last year from one of the big providers and I must admit, it was very boring. No wonder I have no money. :(

[Waldo]

G'day Brown Dog,

No bad credit history, but a frack up by a debt collection agency contacting me for money owed to someone by way of mistaken identity and having many documented phone calls,letters and emails to and from has probably given me a bad mark against. If it has I will be taking some serious action against. :angfire:

I don't even have a credit card, I like to pay everything in cash, the exception is paying electronically.

My SWMBO and I know every cent owed to anyone and the only money owed is on our mortgage.

The debt agency had all my details because my silly Mum (in another state - so they didn't even know where the person of the same name lived - so they were just fishing!) sent them my details when she received a letter from the d/collection joint asking if they knew a person by my name, without even considering it wasn't me she sent my details to them :angfire: Only details she didn't give was my birth date. I am meant to have been born in 1983, I'm 36. So I told them to frack off, that I won't be paying as I owe no one any money especially as they can't give me the alleged details of whom I allegedly owe - unless I pay a $36 fee ::

[johnc]

The credit history people match information available, to people they think fit. It is entirely possible that someone else out there with a similiar name date of birth etc but not a perfect match has had there info incorrectly matched to you. Nothing sinister just a stuff up, and it happens more often than you might think. The hard part is fixing it, as you are starting to discover, I am aware of one person who took the step of getting all the negatives, approaching those groups and getting written confirmation that he was not a problem. In the end it was the only way he could get credit. His problem was similar name identical date of birth to someone in another state with a string of unpaid fines and loan defaults.

Of course it could be fraud, good luck in fixing it, this is not easy to sort out.

[abitfishy]

Speaking of which Waldo, it still relates to possible bad credit without cause - I'm in a similar situation. My business name 'The Mobile Computer Doctor' (shameless plug:)), was the same registered business name as one in VIC and SA (and I think QLD) owned by a couple that took money for web hosting as part of their range of businesses and took off. There was even a thread on 'whirlpool' (a broadband/ISP discussion forum) about them. What makes it worse is that when the domain name by the same name expired (having been registered to them), I registered it myself. It seems there were dozens if not hundreds of people ripped off by them and I am getting regular calls from debt collectors. Luckily they aren't accusing me of owing the money, moreso seeing if I am in any way connected, so its not too bad, but I have on occasion lost my cool and told them in no uncertain terms to 'take a hike'. Hoping something doesn't get on my credit file from that.

[Brown Dog]

g'day Waldo

I had something similar happen.... I had a collection agency sending me letters telling me I owed them money for about a year...I ingonred them...then they sent me a fake summons....so i rang them up and politely asked then to stop F*cken sending me fraudulant documents.

Apperently they just wanted me to ring up and say it wasnt me.....I toldem to F*ck off again :D...and that was it.

These companies must just send out this ???? to everyone with same name and hope the clown that owes the money will contact them and say "yes its me, where can i send you a cheque" :rolleyes:

I blame my parents...for giving me such a common boring name...I reckon there must be hundreds of thousands of blokes with my name and half of them are dodgy :D

cheers
bd

[Waldo]

I toldem to F*ck off again :


:2tsup: For some reason I have a habit of refusing to pay money unless I owe it. I've had plenty of fraudulent faxes saying pay up for a listing in a dodgy phone book business listing - not White or Yellow Pages.


That's what I've been doing, and was I livid each time I shouted down the phone at the person on the other end. They're just lucky they couldn't see how livid I was and that I couldn't get within striking distance.

Been several months now, last contact from them was a SMS (Mum gave them my mobile too :~) which I ignored.

[Brown Dog]

Been several months now, last contact from them was a SMS (Mum gave them my mobile too :~) which I ignored.


I think ignoring them is the best way to deal with these idiots. The only reason I contacted the clowns that were after me was to see what they had to say about sending a phony court summons in the post (Im no lawyer but that has to be a little bit naughty :wink:).

After getting stuff in the mail on a regualar basis (at least once a month from memory) with threats to tarnish my crdit history and such... it all went noticably quiet after I queried them about the summons and toldem to F*** off :D...and as far as I can tell they never accessed my credit file.

cheers
BD:)

[Gingermick]

Credit agenecies aren't the only ones guilty of stuffing up. I was pulled up for a random breath test about 10 years ago and they told me that I had warrants for my arrest at the Gold Coast for non payment of parking fines.
I thought this quite odd given that I had never owned a car or lived at the Gold Coast.

[arose62]

A guy at work was trying to sell his car, and the buyer pulled out at the last moment, claiming the REVS check showed money owing.

After much pfaffing around, he determined that REVS match on ENGINE NUMBER, and there is no law or anything stopping one manufacturer issuing the same engine number as another.

He rang around, and found that his Hyundai in NSW was being black-listed because a guy didn't pay off his Ford in Qld!!!

I thought REVS was supposed to be trustworthy and accurate...

Oh, and he had to pay some fee to get a copy of the debt listed on his car, so he could try to clear it up!

Cheers,
Andrew

[Brown Dog]

thats sounds about right to me....I wouldnt trust REVS as far as I could throw them.

A young bloke who I used to work with, bought his first car...did the right thing by doing the REVS check which came back clear....6 months later the repo guys turn up with some thugs and a tow truck and took it away. Nothing he could do about.

Apparently the the guy that owned the ute before the guy my mate bought it of was still paying it off, but decided he didnt want to anymore or ran out of money or some BS...as far as I know he never got anything back for it...$10,000 of his hard earned money gone just like that :((

cheers
BD

[Brown Dog]

And the fun begins:D

today I recieved this so called "letter" that I was suposed to take to the police and report a fraud or identiy theft....to me it appears to be nothing more than an invoice. That basically says nothing more than "as reqested, we confirm that the balance due is $****" and that I have seven days to contact them to "discuss payment".

Funny thing is I dont remember requesting them to confirm I owe anything :rolleyes:. Another funny thing is its not even addressed to me....they got the address right (beacause I told them :(() but it is addressed to some other character with a different middle name.

So now their solution is for me to send them a copy of my entire credit file and a copy of my drivers license so they can investigate....which after reading Waldo's adventures I am a little hesitant to do :rolleyes:. So I have requested they send me all the documents they have evidencing the debt and any other info they may have on me or my doppelganger.


The credit history people match information available, to people they think fit. It is entirely possible that someone else out there with a similiar name date of birth etc but not a perfect match has had there info incorrectly matched to you. Nothing sinister just a stuff up, and it happens more often than you might think. The hard part is fixing it, as you are starting to discover,

I think JohnC has hit the nail on the head someone has stuffed up.

cheers
BD:2tsup:

[AlexS]

BD, sorry about the pun, but you shouldn't keep a dog and bark yourself. Get onto your local waste of space (sorry, politician) and complain to him that you're being libelled & can't do anything about it. Likewise, get onto one or two of the shock jocks, TDT and the like, and tell them the story. The last thing the credit reference companies want is their incompetence exposed.

[johnc]

The whole lot of you should be hosed down, I've dealt with a number of these on behalf of clients. It is just people at the other end doing a job, if you are pleasant explain your situation, ask them if they have a middle name (for you), date of birth etc and then get them to give it to you over the phone, or gain details of the debt, whatever you can get you can usually gain enough information to help them fix the problem and get them off your back. If someone gave me an earfull I'd simply assume its a smoke screen from a late payer and just dig my heels in.

These people toughen up quick or get out, its a lousy job and in the end if you treat the mismatch as their problem only, treat them like rubbish, and hurl verbal abuse down the phone don't come whinging when you get the summons. Basically being civil and behaving like an adult gets you a long way. If you fail to get anywhere ask for their supervisor, 90% of these are fixed with ONE phone call, not with the rubbish written here about politicians, libel and all the other silliness I've read here.

[AlexS]

Now hang on John, when the company starts by accusing a person of being a defaulter and trying to fob them off, perhaps you should direct your advice to them.

[Bleedin Thumb]

John your experience is different from mine. Every time I have dealt with these companies I have received the same attitude - from them - officious, uncaring and extremely unhelpful.

And no I did not start the contact by being abusive or rude.

AFAIK after several times dealing with different agencies , I think I have the right to an opinion even if it is different to yours.:p

[Brown Dog]

thats a little harsh John....Ive been nothing but pleasant to these people so far. And so far all Ive got back is useless and and unproductive advice. All they have done after my intial contact with them is send me an invoice. Which to me says they have initiated debt collection procedings directed at me, when I have done nothing but dispute the debt as being mine...which as far as I now they are not allowed to do while the matter is under investigation which this should obviously be.


So forgive me for being a little reluctant to give these people all the personal details that have been reqested. Most of which will have no bearing on this matter what so ever and is also my right to do.



if you are pleasant explain your situation, ask them if they have a middle name (for you), date of birth etc and then get them to give it to you over the phone, or gain details of the debt,

As I mentioned before I have done exactly that...as yet I have not even recieved acknowledgement of my request for this information....which Im sure you are aware they have to provide by law.

Just remember I have done nothing wrong in this matter and doing as you suggest so far has got me no where.... so i reackon Alex is right they are the ones that you're hose should be pointed at

cheers
bd:)

[johnc]

John your experience is different from mine. Every time I have dealt with these companies I have received the same attitude - from them - officious, uncaring and extremely unhelpful.

And no I did not start the contact by being abusive or rude.

AFAIK after several times dealing with different agencies , I think I have the right to an opinion even if it is different to yours.:p


Fair enough:2tsup:

[abitfishy]

Yep, you are only pleasant and understanding for so long before you tell them to go get F....... It may not do anything much, but if nothing else it lets off steam! :)

[Brown Dog]

And the fun continues :D...if anyone is intrested:rolleyes:

After ignoring or overlooking my request for the documents evidencing my so called debt, I recieved another friendly letter today threatening to pass this matter on to their legal department if I dont pay up in 3 days from now.

note: this letter is dated 4 days after the first letter... which said I had 7 days to contact them...which I have done twice since recievieving the first letter :rolleyes:.

So !... so as far as I can decern (from what i have read on dealing with debt collectors ) this company is in breach of at least one law governing matters like this. Which is they are not permitted to initiate debt collection proceedings while a matter is in dispute(which they have been informed of 3 seperate times). Im not sure but I also think that debt collectors are only permitted to send a certain amount of threatening letters....some how I think two in a week is pushing it :D

cheers
BD:((

[Waldo]

G'day Brown Dog,

Stick to your guns, so far as I'm concerned, if it was me, until they can prove that it is you and that you owe monies to x then let 'em whistle dixie.

On my side of the fence the same applies and they can shout black and blue and take me to court if they wish or attempt, knock on wood, but no one has so far shown cause / proof that I owe anyone anything, which I know I don't, so :bartmoon:

[Toyboy]

A little off subject, I know, but you're lucky you're not dealing with a particular bank that I had dealings with. I can't say which bank, by the way.
In 1993 I was repaying a loan which the bank decided they wanted paid out earlier than the agreed contract because my 'name' suddenly went 'bad'. To this day, I have never been able to get to the bottom of it, but anyway I received many phone calls from this bank asking me to increase the agreed repayments. By the way, I had been a customer for over thirty years with no problems, ever...until this.
To cut a long story short, one morning the same woman called as usual and informed me that they, the bank, wanted me to increase the payments. Nothing unusual there, except that she then decided to show her colours. The conversation went like this.
"Look I'm sick of f***ing being nice to you. If you don't f***ing at least double the payment amount, we'll just send in the heavies and we'll take every f***ing thing you own until we get our money. Do you understand what I'm f***ing saying SIR?"
"Yes, I understand you're threatening me." I replied.
"You don't understand s**t, mister. I am not f***ing around with you a minute longer. You've got exactly twenty-four hours to pay the whole f***ing loan. Is that understood?"
"Now let me see if I understand you." I said, as she slammed her phone down.
It didn't eventuate as she threatened, but it sure put the wind up me for awhile..
I'll finish my saga another time....

[Waldo]

Strewth, I would have been livid for a weeks after that phone call :angfire: I would have had to sit there on the chair for a day to try and calm down and stop shaking from rage.

[Toyboy]

I wasn't all that pleased, that's for sure. I phoned my bank manager, who was a business associate of mine, and he just laughed. I was taken aback somewhat and all I could say was, "You don't believe me? Do you really think I would invent that?"
"Oh hell no mate, I believe you. They do that all the time."
This bloke helped me out with some great advice which worked a treat, AND I cleared my debt....interest free.
Now, I don't think they use that style anymore, but then, who knows?
I learned a lot in a short space of time, back then.

[Brown Dog]

G'day Brown Dog,

Stick to your guns, so far as I'm concerned, if it was me, until they can prove that it is you and that you owe monies to x then let 'em whistle dixie.



g'day waldo

Thats the thing they cant prove squat...they dont even have my entire name :D. And according to a document ("dealing with debt collectors")issued by the government I cant be forced to give it...so :q to them :D

I just hope they get abusive as in Toyboys saga....it would be another thing to add to the list if i need to make a formal complaint to the ombudsman :D

cheers
BD:wink:

[Waldo]

g'day waldo

Thats the thing they cant prove squat...they dont even have my entire name :D. And according to a document ("dealing with debt collectors")issued by the government I cant be forced to give it...so :q to them :D

I just hope they get abusive as in Toyboys saga....it would be another thing to add to the list if i need to make a formal complaint to the ombudsman :D

cheers
BD:wink:

Exactly, the mob after me don't have my correct birth date, and they aren't getting it. If I've given them anything then I've recorded what the discussion was and when as a paper trail on my part if anything comes to a head. An old boss once instructed me, keep a paper trail of everything in your job bag, so that if anything is ever disputed you can challenge it. Probably the best advise he ever gave me. :2tsup:

[AlexS]

What Waldo said. Also, don't be afraid to use a sledgehammer to crack a walnut. You don't usually have to hit twice to crack the nut, and it stays cracked!

[Brown Dog]

Well that was easy :?:rolleyes:

After sending two polite but firm emails and a faxed copy of those emails (sent the fax because I never recieved a response that the even acknowledged the emails). I get an email today saying




We have recieved the application from our client and advise that the details contained within are not a match to your name or address. All the information is for a PJS, not PBS.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX have confirmed that a data match was conducted which caused the default to be listed against yourself and not PJS


On 19 February 2008, we requested that the default be removed on the basis of an incorrect data match.

All this apparently was achieved without me sending anymore of my details. Which I was emphatically told could not possibly happen, by one of the collection companies snippy customer service operators.

Small win for the little guy :D

cheers
BD:2tsup:

[Pat]

About time, any mention of compensation for your time to do their job, not to mention the anguish that you felt. Maybe a letter to the Ombudsman/Local Member asking for these jokers to be investigated . . . or just thank Dog that it's over.

[Brown Dog]

thanks Pat :D...

I did toy with the idea of sending them an invoice for time spent drafting emails and what not...to see how they like it...but that would just take up more of my time :wink:

I just discovered (didnt notice before :doh:) a previous email attached below the email I got today. Apparently sent on the 13th Feb (i never got it because there was a typo in the email address :rolleyes:)

this I think was the interesting part of that email. It refers to a letter they sent me accusing me of ignoring correspondence and threatening legal action.



We would first like to apologise for a letter that was sent out accidentally on the 8/02/08, please disregard this letter, and we sincerely hope it has not inconvenienced you.


that was their response after I mentioned I would be williing to submit a formal complaint to the ombudsman if they continued threatening legal action.


cheers

BD:)

[AlexS]

Good win. On the other hand, you could have just done as they asked and you would probably still have a bad credit rating.

[Waldo]

Great to read that you sorted them out Brown Dog :2tsup:

[Toyboy]

A bit of a story about bad credit ratings.
Many years ago, I was credit manager for a national company. My job was to check a person's credit risk. One day, I had to reject a bloke's credit application (nothing unusual about this), anyway this bloke asked to talk with me about this situation.
Back then, I was not permitted to disclose the reasons for a rejection, however, in this case the bloke was in tears over yet another rejection. He 'confessed' to me that he had been caught stealing a bottle of soft-drink about 8 years prior and said that it didn't go to court. He made restitution at the time. I told him that that was not on his record, and he begged me to tell him what he had done wrong if that wasn't the reason.
It was recorded that he had defaulted, on several occassions in the past. As it turned out, after quite a bit of investigation on my part, he was carrying a poor credit history by mistake. He told me that he had tried for years to get to the bottom of this saga and asked me to help him.
The credit file was not his after all. The poor bugger had almost the same name as a serial defaulter who hadn't lived in Australia for over ten years.
Eventually, it was all sorted out and he went on to buy his truck and his first home. Nobody would disclose to him his credit file or even any hints.
For my part, I was reprimanded by the company and threatened with losing my 'license' to conduct credit checks. D&B, Murray's etc, all wanted to blackball me over my 'indiscretion' at helping out a 'sucker' (my term, not theirs).
I resigned two months later in protest.
These days, one is able to obtain their credit history through the Freedom of Information Act, but it is still not easy to do so, and even more difficult to clear errors.
Sorry if I'm off track, but in short, don't give in to these thugs.

[Waldo]

...I resigned two months later in protest...
Sorry if I'm off track, but in short, don't give in to these thugs.

:2tsup: