1. Credit reports can be applied to by visiting Experian’s website: www.experian.co.uk or by calling 0870 241 6212. Our internet and telephone services are the quickest ways for people to request their credit report but they can also write to us. Lenders can request copies of our application forms by calling 0115 9410 888 and asking for Consumer Operations or can be downloaded from our website. Our address is: Consumer Help Service Experian Limited PO Box 9000 NW80 7WP It is important that we are provided with a person’s full name, including title and middle name, plus their date of birth when making a credit report application. This should be sent with their addresses over the past six years plus the £2 statutory fee. We cannot provide a credit report unless we have full application details to enable us to identify the applicant. All applications are subject to verification checks and we may ask for further information before we proceed with the request for a credit report. If people have queries about the information held on their credit report, the quickest way to resolve these is to read the explanatory leaflet that is sent with the report, telephone us: 0870 241 6212 or visit our website which has the answers to most questions or we respond to e-mails about reports. They should always be ready to quote their reference number.

2. Credit reports will display the information that the applicant has provided to us and that has been used in producing the report. This will include dates of birth, aliases, details of financial associations and previous addresses The only electoral information displayed will be that of the person who has applied for the report. Other family members’ electoral roll information will be available to lenders but not included on a credit report. Any other names that the report applicant has been known by will be shown. We may have been informed of these by lenders further to applications or account opening or as the result of information provided directly to us. Any financial information in these names will be included in the report. Alias information will show when we were told of the other name and by whom.

3. Associations are a record of a joint financial connection. We will know about associations further to a joint application or a joint account or possibly a joint judgment. We may also have been told of the connection further to a credit report application. Only the names of the people who share a financial connection with the person applying for their credit report will be shown. The financial information in these names will not appear although lenders can see and use the information when searching as a result of an application. It is important to help applicants understand what will appear on their credit report and that they may need to encourage somebody they are connected with to apply for their credit report. If a joint application is declined, both applicants should get their report.

4. Public record information, such as court judgments or bankruptcies, will only show in the name of the person who has applied for their credit report. If there is a joint judgment, the report will say so. If a decline is based upon public information in another person’s name, the applicant should not be led to believe that their credit report will show the information. It may be appropriate to advise the applicant to apply for their credit report and to suggest that they encourage anyone they are financially connected to, to apply for their report too.

5. Credit account information will show in the name of the person who has applied for their credit report. Information about people they are financially connected with will not appear on the report. If an account is joint, this will show on the report. If a decline is based upon public information in another person’s name, the applicant should not be led to believe that their credit report will show the information. It may be appropriate to advise the applicant to apply for their credit report and to suggest that they encourage anyone they are financially connected to, to apply for their report too. If a Notice of Correction has been added to an entry on a credit report, this will be shown against the entry. The statement will be shown towards the end of the credit report. These should be taken into consideration before a lending decision is made. They are also used to alert lenders to fraudulent activity when Experian have been contacted by the individual - they may have asked us to place a password against their information to be requested at the time of any future applications.

6. The credit report will show details of any applications made in that applicant’s name over the past 12 months. It will also show “Unrecorded Enquiries” made for non-lending purposes although these will not be visible to lenders. The credit report will also show a “footprint” of any credit report requests. As with other financial information, only information in the credit report applicant’s name will appear. A financial associate search, or Unrecorded Assocation, shows the person applying for their credit report that their information has been seen by a lender because of an application made by somebody they are financially connected with. The names of the people they are connected with will be shown under the Association section of the report.

7. The linked addresses show any previous or forwarding addresses that the credit report applicant has been connected to. The financial information recorded at these addresses will only be included on the report if we were given that address at the time of the report application. We are told of linked addresses by lenders further to credit applications or the movement of credit accounts. We may be told of previous or forwarding addresses by the person concerned when applying for their credit report. If CIFAS information is recorded at one of the addresses provided on the report application, this will be shown on the credit report, regardless of the surname. While all other information relates to the individual, CIFAS is displayed because of the nature of the information, to protect innocent individuals from fraudulent misuse of their information.

8. A list of useful names and addresses are provided at the end of the credit report to assist people in resolving any queries they may have about the information we hold. These are taken from our contact list and if any are out of date, please let us know.