Partially upheld: incorrect credit file reporting and administrative error in Data Subject Access Request handling complaint against Experian Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Miss S complained that Experian was reporting an account with telecommunications company V as open and in arrears, despite the account being effectively disconnected in 2016. The account had been incorrectly reported for approximately nine years before Miss S discovered it in August 2025. Upon Miss S raising a dispute, Experian promptly contacted V, and once V provided consent, Experian removed the information. The ombudsman found Experian was not obligated to identify the problem proactively, as it does not own the data and can only act on consent from the data owner. However, Experian made an error in handling Miss S's Data Subject Access Request by initially missing it and not starting the process until approximately 12 September 2025. The complaint was partially upheld, with Experian required to pay £50 compensation for the DSAR delay.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Experian does not own the data it reports and can only update or remove information with consent from the data owner (V). Until Miss S raised a dispute in August 2025, Experian had no reason to be aware of a problem, as the information being reported matched Miss S's data and there was no prior contact about the account. Once the dispute was raised, Experian acted promptly in contacting V and removing the information once consent was provided. However, Experian did make an error in handling the DSAR by initially missing it and not starting the process until approximately 12 September 2025, which caused Miss S inconvenience.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website