Viewing my credit file

TracyG

Moderator
Apr 26, 2009
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I want to see my credit file, something I've never before done, though probably should have. I've seen numerous adverts for Experian, whereby I can view my credit file for free. Is that all there is to it? Sign up for the free trial with Experian and then cancel once I've seen my file. Will that show me everything?
 

Mandy

New Member
May 30, 2009
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Scotland
Hi Tracy , i joined Experian and got the 30 day free trial however it didn,t actually show me what my credit "staus" was ,i.e bad/good ,etc : i paid to see this as wanted to know where i stood on that and found Experian really good and informative to deal with on the phone :0). Whatever you do DO NOT try any others except for the trusted ones like Experian as i tried one which turned out to be a scam and my credit card was deducted by 2 payments of £14.95 which i didn,t authorise : they were called "quick credit score" and are using other different names so be careful of these scammers .I did manage to get my credit card company to refund me plus interest charged but it took time for them to investigate .
 

TracyG

Moderator
Apr 26, 2009
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Thanks for the advice Mandy, and welcome.

I want to see my credit file out of curiosity really, and because I think I should check that everything on it is in order, though I would also like to know whether it's good, bad etc. I think I'll join Experian, see what the 30 day trial brings and then decide whether I want to cancel.
 

G_M

New Member
Feb 1, 2009
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Check the 3 main ones:
Experian. (creditexpert.co.uk) offers a ‘free 30-day trial, then £6.99 per month' service which includes your credit report, just sign up and cancel this. Don’t confuse it with the Credit Score service which costs a one off £5.95.
How to cancel: It makes it very easy, just call the free-phone number 0800 656 9000.

Equifax. (econsumer.equifax.co.uk) has two options, one at £7.50 a month, but the one you need to choose is the ‘Free for 30 days and then £69.99 for the year'. When you sign up, a payment card will need to be authorised but the £1 fee is not actually charged to your card if you cancel in time.
How to cancel: To request cancellation call 0870 0100583 (0800 7839421) and quote your account reference.

CallCredit. Free for 3 months (callcreditcheck.com)

Some cashback sites will also actually pay you to sign up to these!

Don't forget to cancel!
 

Georginazn

Moderator
Apr 22, 2009
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Just for extra info, not all companies use the same credit recorder, so what you see at Experian may not be exactly the same as you see at Equifax, and so if you want to be absolutely sure, use the trials at both! You would have to have a very active and colourful financial life to ever need to sign up for regular checks! No company will tell you whether you are good or bad - they use different scoring systems, whereby minus scores are obviously not encouraging, and plus scores demonstrate a range of risk. Remember that someone who has never had any credit, has no debts, and considerable assets, will have a bad score, whereas someone who uses loads of credit and only ever pays the minimum, is a profitable entity who will score highly!
 

Chutzpah

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Jan 9, 2009
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You can also apply for a paper report to be posted to you (this is what I do now as I have already used the free trials). The charge is minimal, about £2, and I check mine once or twice a year for my own piece of mind.
 

Rachelle

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Apr 25, 2009
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Please reassure me here - will I have a bad credit rating because I have credit cards and a loan/overdraft etc or would I just have a bad credit rating if I had missed any payments?
 

Chutzpah

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Jan 9, 2009
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If you missed payment, credit providers will look at how reliable you are with meeting payments. However, if you have lots of credit cards, loans, overdrafts etc. they may take a dim view of it when reviewing an application.
 

G_M

New Member
Feb 1, 2009
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Please reassure me here - will I have a bad credit rating because I have credit cards and a loan/overdraft etc or would I just have a bad credit rating if I had missed any payments?
Provided your payment history is good you will not have a 'bad' credit hhistory. Indeed, some banks etc will interpret the presence of well-maintained credit cards/loans etc as 'good'.
 

Chutzpah

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Jan 9, 2009
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And G_M is correct there - it's the reason I got my first credit card a few years ago - because I had never 'had' any debt nobody would touch me for credit, even for something like a laptop.

Even though my credit card has a RIDICULOUSLY high interest rate (as it's for people with no rating or a bad one) I just pay it off in full each month, therefore accruing no interest and building up a payment history.
 

Rachelle

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Apr 25, 2009
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I guess that's all good to hear. I have lived my life hopelessly in debt but have always met all of my payments. But - and here is the promise I have made to myself - by this time next year my debts will be cleared. I am heeding all the advise on these forums and putting it to practice. Let's hope it all pays off.