Anyone had problems with their credit file ?

[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

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 . 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 . 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

[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.

[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.

Fair enough

[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 ...if anyone is intrested

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 .

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

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

[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 I would have had to sit there on the chair for a day to try and calm down and stop shaking from rage.