Not upheld: incorrect information sharing through debt-tracing service; data handling complaint against Experian Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mrs G complained that Experian Limited was sharing incorrect information with a debt collector (L), resulting in unwanted contact about a debt that did not belong to her. This related to an address she had not lived at, which Experian had previously removed from her credit file following a 2016 complaint. The ombudsman found that Experian's debt-tracing service operated appropriately by providing possible contact addresses, with verification responsibility resting with the debt collector. Verification of Experian's records confirmed the incorrect address and accounts are no longer reported on Mrs G's credit file. The complaint was not upheld, though the ombudsman noted that L subsequently closed the accounts after confirming Mrs G was not the correct party.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Experian's trace product operated appropriately by providing possible contact addresses to debt collectors, with the responsibility for verification resting with the debt collector. The ombudsman verified that Experian's current records do not show the incorrect address or associated accounts on Mrs G's credit file, meaning Experian did not make an error in its reporting. While sympathising with Mrs G's distress, the ombudsman could only assess Experian's actions, not those of the debt collector L, and found no error by Experian.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website