Not upheld: access to credit report; verification process; associated links on credit file complaint against TransUnion International UK Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr L complained that TransUnion asked him verification questions he could not answer (relating to financial activities from over 30 years ago), causing him to fail verification and be unable to access his credit report online. He claimed he had to contact a third-party company for help and found outdated associated links on his report. TransUnion denied Mr L had failed verification, providing system logs showing he passed validation checks on 26, 28 and 29 September 2025 and was able to request a passcode. TransUnion also removed the associated links. The ombudsman did not uphold the complaint, finding TransUnion's system logs more credible than Mr L's recollection, noting Mr L could not provide evidence of failed attempts, and confirming the associated links were removed promptly.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman applied the balance of probabilities test, finding TransUnion's system logs more credible than Mr L's recollection of failed verification. The logs showed Mr L passed validation checks, and he was able to request a passcode, contradicting his claim of being blocked. Mr L could not provide evidence of failed attempts or specific dates. The ombudsman noted that even if verification questions were unreasonable, the FOS cannot instruct firms to change processes as that is the FCA's role. The associated links were removed promptly and reasonably by TransUnion.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website