If you want to find out what information is being electronically stored about you, serve "Subject Access Rights" notices under the Data Protection Act on lenders, credit reference agencies, debt collection agencies and the various "agents" lenders use. They have 40 days to give you all the information they have stored about you in electronic form.
Actually, there are two kinds of notice. You've probably heard of Data Protection Act notices that you serve to get your credit file from credit reference agencies.
Those notices are just a letter you sent to the agencies with a cheque or postal order for £2. You should do this.
But we're also keen fans of "Subject Access Rights" notices. These also get you the information companies are keeping on you. But they get you all the electronic information that any company stores on you. We think anyone facing mortgage problems should serve them on:
You'll be surprised at what they show you. They are a must for any customer who is facing difficulty with a lender.
But you can expect to pay £10 (as at September 1999) for each Subject Access Rights notice that you serve. Click here to see more information about credit record search fees.
You have the right to serve them under the Data protection Act 1984 and they are easy to serve.
The notices should look something like this:
Your current address...
30 December 1997
Data Compliance Officer
Bradford & Bingley Building Society
PO Box 88
Croft Road
Crossflats
Bingley
West Yorkshire
BD16 2UA
Dear Sir/Madam,
Subject Access Rights Notice
Under the Subject Access Rights granted me by the Data Protection Act I would be grateful if you would forward me details of all information you keep on me that falls within the terms of the Act. I was unable to establish if and what charge you make for doing this but will forward the amount due if you notify me of it.
The addresses I have lived at in the last six years are:
List all your addresses here... (note that companies keep address information going back beyond six years)
Thank you for your help with this.
Yours sincerely,
Sign and type your name here...
You can expect to receive a confirmation form back, in which you sign that you are who you say you are. You may also recieve a notice of the charges. Remember the legal maximum is £10 at the time of writing.
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