Jalexa

From my knowledge, it is not only to check identity, but it is also to obtain the credit rating. The rating can be used to assess whether the Insurers are able to offer monthly payments and can affect premium rating.

The data that is picked by the Insurers computer system from the CRA, is not available to the Insurance staff. I have never seen a way of accessing it. But I know that it is limited to only check ID and rating. Any further information would not be relevant to an Insurer and the CRA's by providing inappropriate data would be in breach of the DPA.

Most providers will have certain levels of authority within a search facility granted by a CCA and this will decide whether they can obtain all data, only specific financial details, identity or residence data.

You would find that a major provider such as Santander would of course have access to all areas of a file but whether all departments would have access to all at one go I do not know, I would assume that control functions would be set up by the companies themselves to restrict access to personal data if it was not applicable such as a bank clerk not having access to financila data but most likely can veiw address and identity detials. I would imagine that this would most likely be part of the data protection act to restrict access to departments that do not need to see certain details.

In practice I have no idea how it is controlled.

huckster:

Huckster or Zeb

I know that these are "unrecorded searches" not visible by others (and have no effect on credit rating). I am less clear whether organisations performing such a search (with implicit permission) can only confirm "ID" related data such as DOB and address, or additionally can see "financial" data such as default and payment markers.

Any authoritative views?

One of the main reasons these checks appear on the file is not because they are checking if you can afford your next meal, they are checking electoral roll registers and national database records to ensure that you are the person you say you are.

It is an identity check and will in no way affect your credit score as no check is made against your credit profile just your identity profile.

Any search of any kind made against you has to legally be logged on your file but a search against identity or residence will have no effect on your credit profile as it has not been involved in the search...Only a search that is being performed as part of a credit application will affect your credit file. This is why you may often see 5-6 searches being performed by some providers (depending on the type of application being made) as they need to check various facets of your personal file which contains significantly more information than whether you can afford to take out a credit card.

I recently had a client applying for a mortgage and they complained to me that 13 searches had been placed against her file, but as it turned out there were only 2 credit searches. 1 initial search at application and 1 just before mortgage offer was released, the rest were identity and residence and alias searches which have absolutely no affect on your credit profile.

If you have requested any Insurance quotes with RBS Insurance companies or on comparison sites that feature them, then you will have agreed for companies that use credit searches to do so. The searches are purely 'quotation searches' which only you can view and do not affect you in anyway. A lot of Insurers will perform these searches as part of the quotation process, so you might see other entries in due course.

The same thing happened to me with the same companies mentioned. Basically the answer I got was, if you have ever run a quote on a comparison site which deals with those insurers, your info has to be sent to them to provide you with a quote (obviously) however, the insurers mentioned keep your details and a year later when you’re due for renewal they run the quote again in order to communicate with you via e-mail / post with regards to your insurance renewal. Not all insurers do this however the repeat offenders (if you want to look at it that way) are all mentioned in this thread. The quotes do not affect your credit file and they are never visible to companies searching your file as you haven’t actually obtained credit with these companies.

Do you know if it is home insurance or motor insurance which have been quoted? My suggestion would be to call the company on their c/s number to find out what product it is and then speak to that department to have them remove your details from their system, which is what I did.

I to have had several searches from RBS PLC IRO CHURCHILL PARTNERSHIPS 6 in one day recently, hence my log on here, after doing a google search.

I understand that they do not effect my score etc.. however i do not wish these people searching my detail when i have no interest in dealing with them, I have not taken out any insurance at all, so they should not be still checking in my eyes, am I right ?

So my question is how do I stop them, and who where do I call/write.

Ian

Dave

As far as I understand it, Insurance quotations do not affect credit record/ratings. It is simply a basic check.

If you visited the Direct Line site for example. Have a look at the information under the 'Ask us a question. Where it says enter your question here, enter credit record. This will provide the information you are looking for.

Huckster

Hi Guys, I have another quick question on my credit report. Does an "insurance quotation" go against my credit record if present on the 'previous searches' section of my report? I see that "unrecorded enquiries" don't affect your credit rating by i am not so sure about "insurance quotations"?

Regards

Dave

Thanks very much guys for all these very informative replies. It cetainly helps to get an answer on these questions as i'm new to the whole credit check thing. The only reason I have been checking it is because basically I had a credit card application fraudulently made in my name.I only realised when a letter came through from the company and the rejected the application not giving a reason. I contacted the company and they responded with a letter confirming that I had been added to the CIFAS database. However I need to contact them again to be reassured that this doesnt go against my credit rating. I can't see a search from this particular company on my report by I will need to do some further investigation. What is the difference between a search (comparison website) and something going against your credit rating. How do you differentiate on your report?

muchos04:

Do you know what the address of the company RBS PLC IRO OF CHURCHILL is as I have experienced the same checks on my record?

Let me update my previous post which I can now see wasn't completely accurate.

Just done a search on Experian and I too have RBS PLC IRO DIRECT LINE (because I got a quote from the Direct Line website). Its recorded on Experian as an "Insurance Quotation" and no address is provided.

I assume that is because a "quotation" search is no big deal, isn't seen by others and doesn't affect credit rating.

If you don't recall getting a quotation or using an insurance price comparison website, definately follow up the query to eliminate ID fraud. Sorry I can't help with the address but just pick a likely address from the Churchill website or the company registered address if you have any doubts.

Hi

In answer to your questions about the credit record searches of Royal and Sun Alliance and RBS (Churchill), this is in regard to recent quotations you have obtained through comparison sites. I had exactly the same thing happen.

When you obtain a quotation for Car or Home Insurance through a comparison site, data is also processed through the Insurance companies systems if you visit their sites. You may not even have to go into the Insurance companies sites. Has anyone else had emails, letter or phone calls after getting quotes through comparison sites. I think that when you obtain a comparison quote, you consent to the processing of your data for the purpose of providing a quote. I am sure if you looked into the terms and conditions, you would also note that you have consented to your credit record being checked.

The reason these companies do a quotation search on your credit record, is so that they can check whether they can offer you the monthly payments option. The search does not affect your credit record/rating in anyway. As Jelexa mentioned these unrecorded quotation searches are only visable to you.

Huckster

muchos04:

The CRA you obtained your Credit Report from should have included the contact address in the report.

Hi Jill,

Do you know what the address of the company RBS PLC IRO OF CHURCHILL is as I have experienced the same checks on my record?

Regards

Dave

I have had the same thing, i contacted the companies is question and they informed me they were linked to information i put on one of them comparison sites for car insurance, they don't damage your file as i have been told just leave a footprint, it explains in small print on these sites that they will search appartently, not that i've seen it.

Hope that helps

Jill