Help Hub

Common Questions

• What is Credit Angel?

• Credit Angel is a membership website and service providing you with access to your credit score and credit report. Customers of Credit Angel have access to a variety of consumer credit offers all available to you based on your credit rating, and to give you the highest likelihood of being accepted for them.

• How do I contact Credit Angel testing hidden content

• If you have any questions or queries you can contact our team on 0345 2221550‡ or email us at [email protected] and we will be pleased to help you.

• Who provides my Credit Angel Report? invisible content

• Your credit report is supplied by Credit Angel using data provided by TransUnion International UK Limited , One Park Lane, Leeds, LS3 1EP, United Kingdom.

• What does the service cost? result appears if this term is searched

• The first 30 days are a free trial. Once the 30 day trial period is over, then we will make a charge of £14.99 on a monthly basis. This fee will ensure we keep your records up to date and provide you with the members’ area benefits, offering you a range of discounts and services.

• How many times can I look at my report?

• You have access to your credit report so you can look it as often as you want, there are no restrictions. Remember the information in your report will be updated monthly so we’d recommend you check it regularly just as you’d do with your bank statement or utility bills.

Searches

• Can I find out who has searched my credit report?

• You can see who has conducted a search by viewing the credit search history section of your report.

• Can anyone search my report? testing hidden content

• Lenders can only conduct a search with your authority. Permission for searches is usually given when signing a credit agreement.

• How long are searches kept on my credit report?testing hidden content

• Credit searches generally stay on your credit report for 2 years. (This can vary depending on the information being searched).

• What do I do if there’s a search on my report I know nothing about? testing hidden content

• It may be that you don’t recognise the company name because they provide accounts on behalf of another company. It could also be that the company name on your report is a subsidiary or a larger lending company or group of companies.

• Why do Lenders look at searches?testing hidden content

• Lenders see searches relevant to their own search. This will show the lender how often the applicant has made a similar application.

Other People's Details

• Why are other people’s details on my credit report?

• A financial associate is created when a joint credit application is made or we are provided with joint account data from a lender.

• How do I take other people’s details off my credit report?

• If you want to disassociate yourself from an ex-partner or anyone else you have had a financial relationship with, you'll find a button in the Connections & Other Names section of your report which will allow you to tell us of any problems you have with the information on your report and we will then notify the lender and ask them to investigate.

Identity Theft

• What is identity theft?

• This is when fraudsters access information about someone so that they can commit identity fraud.

• What is identity fraud?

• This is when a stolen identity is used in a criminal activity, such as obtaining goods or finances in the victim’s name.

• How can I tell if I’m a victim of identity theft or fraud?

• By being vigilant of your credit report for any potentially fraudulent credit activity. By checking your post, banks statements and emails regularly for anything out of the ordinary.

• How can I protect myself from identity theft?

• Make sure you protect or destroy any sensitive data, such as passwords, PIN numbers or important paperwork. Never disclose information over the telephone or reply to suspicious emails if there is any doubt who is on the other end of the communication.

• What happens if I’m the victim of identity theft?

• If you suspect you're a victim of identity theft, you should contact your lenders immediately. They can then stop any further spending on that account and start a fraud investigation. When they confirm the fraud, they'll ask us to remove the details relating to this from your file. That's so the activities of the fraudster will not affect the likelihood of you getting credit in the future. You can also contact ACTION FRAUD on 0300 123 2040.

Your Credit Report

• What is a credit report?

• A credit report details your personal credit history including credit cards, loans, mortgages , mobile phone contracts and even some utilities like water, gas and electricity. If your over 18 and have ever taken out credit, then a credit reference agency is likely to hold a credit report on you.

• What personal information do you hold about me on my credit report?

• Your credit report includes financial accounts, Electoral Roll information, Public data (Bankruptcies, Insolvencies & County Court Judgments), financial associations and links for previous addresses and names.

• Is there any such thing as a blacklist?

• There is no such thing as a ‘blacklist’.

• How often is my credit report updated?

• Updates are usually received every 4-6 weeks.

• Why don’t some of my credit accounts appear on my credit report?

• Your credit file contains all of the data we hold in your name at the address (es) you have provided to us. If a specific account does not appear on your Transunion file, it is because we do not have an agreement in place with the lender to hold the data and therefore, would not receive the regular updates necessary to ensure the accuracy of it. It is also worth noting that certain types of accounts, such as current and savings accounts as well as utilities, will not show on your credit file as they are not considered by lenders to be credit accounts.

• How long will information stay on my report?

• This varies depending on the information.

  • Credit searches - 2 years.
  • Address and alias links - indefinitely.
  • Defaulted financial accounts - 6 years from the default date
  • Settled accounts – 6 years from date of settlement
  • CCJs, Insolvencies and Bankruptcies – 6 years from the order date
• There is a company shown on my report that I don’t recognise, what should I do?

• It may be that you don’t recognise the company name because they provide accounts on behalf of another company. It could also be that the company name on your report is a subsidiary or a larger lending company or group of companies.

Credit rating

• What is my credit rating?

• A credit rating is the assessment of the credit worthiness of a borrower in general terms, or with respect to a particular debt of financial obligation.

• Why have I been turned down for credit?

• Each Lender will have its own criteria for making their decision on a credit application.

• Will my credit report show that I have been turned down for credit?

• Your Credit Report will not show that you have been turned down for credit. If a credit search is performed as part of the application process, then a search ‘footprint’ will appear on your credit file only. No decision will be shown.

• What information do lenders use to make their decision on a credit application?

• Although Credit Referencing Agencies do not make lending decisions the lenders will use the information held on a Credit Report as part of their decision making process.

• Have I been turned down because of a previous occupant at my address?

• Lenders are only interested in yourself. As long as you do not have a financial connection with the previous occupant of your address then the Lender will not have taken the previous occupant into consideration.

• How can I improve my credit report?

• We would recommend registering on the Electoral Roll if you have not done so already. It is also advisable to close any un-used financial accounts and to make payments towards your active accounts on time.

Updating Your Account Details

• How do I change my password?

• You can change your password from within the Credit Angel Members Area. Simply navigate to the ‘Account Information’ link located on the left hand side, then select ‘Change Password’.

• I have forgotten my PIN/Cannot log into my account, what do I do?

• If you have forgotten your PIN number you can request a new one by selecting the “Forgotten?” link located to the right hand side of the PIN entry screen. This will send you a PIN recovery email to the address that was used to create the Credit Angel account.

Credit Alerts

• What is an Alert?

• Alerts will be sent to advise when information changes on your credit report.

• I received an alert. What do I do?

• You should view an updated copy of your credit report to see the change that has been reported.

• I have received an alert for a search of my credit report, but I don't know what it means

• This means a new credit search has been recorded on your report. Please view the credit search history section to see this information.

• I have an alert for a change in the payment history of a credit account, but I don't know what it means.

• The payment code on one of your financial accounts has changed.

• Where can I see my alerts?

• You can view your alerts via your credit report under the section “Alerts”.

• I have an alert for the addition or deletion of an account, but I don't know what it means

• A new financial account has been recorded or removed from your credit report.

• I have an alert for the addition or deletion of a judgment, voluntary agreement or bankruptcy, but I don't know what it means.

• An amendment has been made to the Public Data section of your report.

County Court Judgements and Insolvencies

• How do I get CCJ’s removed?

• These are removed automatically six years after the original judgment date (unless the Court has applied a Restriction to a specific case). You should contact the County Court concerned if you think the judgment was made in error and you would like it 'set aside'. The courts will also allow a judgment to be removed if:

  • It was paid within one month and a Certificate of Satisfaction or Cancellation has been issued
  • An insurance company (related to the debt) has not paid a claim on time.
• How do I get a CCJ marked as Satisfied?

• You will need to forward a copy of your Certificate of Satisfaction to TransUnion International UK Limited , One Park Lane, Leeds, LS3 1EP, United Kingdom.

• How do I get an Insolvency removed?

• Insolvencies are automatically removed from your file six years from the original judgment. To remove a Bankruptcy or IVA from your file before then, you would need to send the relevant Certificate of Annulment from the issuing court (Bankruptcy) or confirmation from the supervisor of your IVA to TransUnion International UK Limited , One Park Lane, Leeds, LS3 1EP, United Kingdom.

• How do I get an Insolvency marked as Discharged or Completed?

• You will need to forward us a copy of your Discharge Certificate/Completion Letter.

Notice of Correction

• What if there's incorrect information on my report?

• The information contained within your credit file is based on the data provided to us by the lender. However if you think a section of your credit file contains inaccurate information, you can either contact the lender directly or you can use our services and we will raise the issue with the lender on your behalf. If the lender agrees that the information is inaccurate, they can make the necessary amendment or ask us to update your file.

  Balances are updated every 4-6 weeks. So if the balance shown doesn't reflect the actual balance, there's no need to contact the lender unless you believe the balance is more than 4-6 weeks out of date.

• What is a Notice of Correction?

• A Notice of Correction is text that can be placed on your Credit Report. The text must be no more than 200 words in total, relevant to the information on the Credit Report and cannot be defamatory or apportion blame.

• How do I leave a Notice of Correction?

• You will need to write to TransUnion International UK Limited , One Park Lane, Leeds, LS3 1EP, United Kingdom, providing your desired text which needs to comply with the following guidelines:

  • Must not contain more than 200 words
  • Must be relevant to the information we hold on your credit report
  • Cannot be scandalous, frivolous, defamatory or libellous
  • Cannot name a third party
  • Cannot apportion blame
• How long does it take to update your records?

• We have up to 28 days to resolve a dispute.

Cancellation

• How do I cancel my membership?

• If you wish to cancel your Credit Angel membership, you may do so by:

  • selecting the ‘Cancel my Membership’ option in the ‘My Account’ section of the member's area on the website
  • Using the ‘Contact Us’ form on the website and app
  • letting us know that you wish to cancel by sending an email to: [email protected]
  • in writing to: Credit Angel, Oxford House, Oxford Road, Macclesfield, SK11 8HS
  • telephoning: 0345 2221550^‡

Complaints

• I wish to make a complaint, how do I do this?

• Firstly, we are sorry that you are unhappy, we make every effort to make sure that our service is excellent, however, if we have fallen short of your expectations then please call us on 0333 003 0076‡ or email us at [email protected] and we will do our best to resolve your complaint.

Understanding Your Social Score

• What is a social score?

• Your Social Score provides an insight into what your social media activity says about you to the world through the on line footprint you leave as you interact with your Social Media platforms of choice. This can provide insights into your possible tendencies in the future that historic data like that held on your Credit Report can't provide.

  This data is increasingly being used by credit providers and employers as part of the information that can be used to build a picture of your likely behaviour not just now but in the future. Credit Angel's Social Score lets you see what 3rd party organisations can see and more importantly allows you to take control and manage your Social Score score and on line Social Profile.

• How often is the Social Score updated?

• Every time you login to Credit Angel your Social Score will be updated and collate the information from your latest Social Media activity and display it within the Social Score area of Credit Angel.

• What happens if I am not on one of the Social Media platforms? Will I get a low overall social score?

• No, your overall social score is worked out based on the accounts which you have and which you have agreed to link to Credit Angel.

• Which Credit Providers/Employers are using Social Scoring in making their decisions?

• It's difficult to be precise and give a list because as this is changing all the time and credit providers and employers don't make public what they look at in coming to their decisions. However, we can say that more and more credit providers and employers are looking at social media as well as other data points as part of their assessment processes and this is only likely to increase in the future.

  This is why, in this modern age, where we all leave a digital trail as we navigate the internet and our Social media accounts it is more important than ever to take control of how you are viewed as a result of how you manage and interact with your chosen Social Media platforms.

• Can I speak to someone to explain it/discuss it?

• Yes, our Customer Services team will be pleased to answer your questions and help you. You can contact them on 0345 2221550‡ or email them on s[email protected]

• What if someone lies on their Social Media accounts?

• Your Social Score will be worked out based on the information contained and how you interact with your Social Media accounts. Social Score is provided by sophisticated algorithms that are constantly at work in the background and are able to assess genuineness of posts and things like your Deception rating may be affected by the misrepresentation of facts.

• What is the weighting across the various elements to create the overall score?

• Each of the main social media accounts is weighted evenly and, if you don't have a Twitter account, for example, the score will only take into account your Facebook and LinkedIn scores.

• I have a bad score for Mentions of Crime. Are you implying that I am a criminal?

• No we are not. We are just saying that there are a lot of references to crime and criminal activity in your social media accounts and this could lead 3rd parties to make assessments of you based on this information.

• How do the words in the Buzz Cloud work?

• We have a dictionary of key words that are relevant to your credit situation and the buzz cloud shows how often you use any of the words in this dictionary in your Social posts. The more you use a word, the bigger the word will appear in the buzz cloud.

• Does it look at my Tweets, my Hashtags or my followers on Twitter and all my likes, posts etc. on Facebook?

• The algorithm at work to create your Social Score takes into account all aspects of your interaction with your Social Media.

• Does it include my replies to other people's posts as well as my own posts?

• How others are responding to your activity and visa versa can give further insights into your behaviours, all data within your Social media account is assessed when creating your Social Score.

• What happens if I decide not to link one or all of my social media accounts?

• We won't be able to use that/those account(s) in working out your social score and report. However, if you have made these accounts available to lenders, they will still be able to use them.

• How far back does it go in time as my social media profile changes over time?

• The report is created using your interactions since account has been created.

• Why doesn't it take into account Instagram/Google+ or other platforms?

• Credit Angel is likely over time to include more and more platforms and you will notified as part of your membership when new Social Media platforms are added. At present Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin are the platforms with which credit Angel is integrated.

• What is the national average?

• To let you compare your score on the various attributes with a "typical" person, we have set up a database of over 5,000 customers and analysed their scores to get the average. This helps you understand what the score actually means.

• Can your staff see my Social Score?

• Credit Angel staff cannot see your Social Score in the same way Credit Angel staff can't see your Credit Report as this information is private and confidential to you. Similarly, we can't see the Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin account from which the data is derived.

Access To Your Social Media Information

• Can I just look at my Credit Report but not my Social Report or vice versa?

• Credit Angel allows you to access both your Credit Report and your Social Score at no extra charge. When understanding how Credit Organisations and others assess you it is important to be aware of all of the aspects of the data that they can access and Credit Angel gives you the opportunity to take control through understanding the information that exists about through your Social media activity.

• How do lenders get access to my social media accounts?

• They may ask for permission to access your accounts on the application form you complete when applying for credit. By authorising the access to your accounts within the application form you grant permission for the relevant organisation to access your Social media in the same way you granted Credit Angel access.

• Can I deny access one or more Social Media accounts to avoid 3rdparties accessing them?

• This can only be controlled via privacy settings at the social profile website below.
  Twitter Privacy Settings
  LinkedIn Privacy Settings
  Facebook Privacy Settings

• My Facebook status is closed can 3rd parties still see my account?

• They can if you give them permission to access your account this can be done on some credit applications or by using the same process that enabled Credit Angel to access your account when you registered with Credit Angel.

• Can you/lenders access my friends' accounts?

• No.

• Can I "un-link" my accounts?

• Yes you can.

• Can I edit my social media profiles from within Credit Angel?

• No, you need to go to the particular social media account to do this.

• I use a special email address for my social media accounts, will I still be able to see my social report?

• Yes, as long as you link that account on Credit Angel, you will be able to see your report.

Improving Your Social Report

• Can I improve my social score?

• One of the main aims of giving you access to your social report and score is to give you the tools to be able to improve your social score so we would encourage you to review your score in the different categories and think about how you could improve your score. For example, you could remove posts that contained swear words or references to crime or make sure that your location is accurately recorded on each of the accounts.

• If I delete posts will my score improve?

• Potentially, it could do if you delete the right posts.

• How do I know which of my social media platforms is increasing or dragging down my score?

• You can see from the dashboard what your score is for each of the social media accounts that you have linked. You can also see which of the factors are giving you a good score or a bad score.

• Is it better to have a low social score than not be on social media at all?

• If you are not on social media at all, you will not have any score.

• If I set up a new social media account, will this be picked up?

• You will need to link that account on Credit Angel for it to be picked up. At the moment, you can only link one account for each of the three social media platforms.

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