It Usually Takes Around 7 Days For A Statutory Credit Report To Arrive

Category: Finance, Credit.

Consumers in the US, UK and Australia can all get their hands on a free copy of their credit report to do a credit check on themselves.

In the United States: Consumers have had the legal right to a free copy of their credit report, for a number, annually of years now. The systems in each country are different, and this article explains how consumers can go about getting a free credit report if they live in one of these countries. The Fair Credit Reporting Act granted consumers a free credit report from each of the three US credit reporting agencies, Equifax and Transunion, Experian. There is also a free toll number, 1- 877- 322- 8228 where US citizen s can order their annual credit report. There is only one authorised website in the US from which American consumers can obtain their free report under their legal entitlement, and that is annualcreditreport. com. A report can also be ordered by filling out the Annual Credit Report Request Form and posting it to Annual Credit Report Request Service, Atlanta, PO Box 105281, GA 30348- 528Online, the service is instant, but security questions will be asked to verify identity. The Federal Trade Commission, which protects US consumers, has warned people to be on the look out for what it calls imposter sites.

By telephone and post, it takes about 15 days for a credit report to arrive, but it may take longer if the agency needs to verify an identity. At one point it was estimated there were more than one hundred such websites in existence, some of which included domains that used misspellings of the authorised free credit report website. With these credit report services consumers need to be aware that if they fail to cancel the subscription within the free trial period they are likely to have their plastic charged. There are other online services offering free credit reports, using subscription free trial period schemes. The trial period schemes usually require consumers to cancel the subscription within the trial period, or the company, usually 30 days may start to charge a fee. The unemployed who are looking for work, those on welfare and people whose reports are inaccurate, can all get, because of fraud a free credit check. Also, in the United States, consumers can get a free credit report if they have been turned down for credit, insurance or employment and they apply within 60 days of receiving notice from the company involved.

In the UK: There is not a legal right for consumers to a free credit report from the credit reference agencies in the UK, unlike the US. All offer a free trial subscription service that provides a free credit report as part of the free trial. But you can go directly to the websites of the three credit reference agencies, Equifax and Experian, Callcredit to get one without having to pay a fee. To avoid incurring a charge, the consumer must remember to cancel the subscription with the credit reference agency within the free trial period, usually 30 days. One website in the UK, annualcreditreport. co. uk, provides UK consumers with free yearly access to their credit report from one of the three credit reference agencies. Failure to do so may lead to the agency charging fees.

This service doesn t require people to provide their credit card details to get a free credit report. A statutory credit report can be obtained by writing to the credit reference agencies and sending a cheque or postal order for �2, with details such as name, full current and previous address, and date of birth to: Callcredit Ltd Consumer Services Team, Leeds LS3 1WZ, PO Box 491. While there is not a legal right for consumers to a free credit report in the UK, there is a right under Data Protection laws for consumers to get a credit report for �This is known as a statutory credit report. Experian Ltd Consumer Help Service, Nottingham NG80 7WF, PO Box 8000 and Equifax Credit Report Advice Centre PO Box 1140 Bradford BD1 5US. In Australia: Australian consumers have a right to a free copy of their credit report under the Privacy Act. It usually takes around 7 days for a statutory credit report to arrive.

Veda Advantage and Dun and Bradstreet, Australia s largest credit reporting agencies, will both provide a free credit report to consumers within 10 days of receiving a request. Australian consumers keen to keep an eye on their credit rating can get a free copy of their credit report by writing to: Veda Advantage Public Access, North Sydney NSW, PO Box 964 205Dun and Bradstreet at Public Access Centre, Dun and Bradstreet( Australia) PL, PO box 7405, VIC 300Tasmanian Collection, St Kilda Road Service can be contacted at GPO Box 814H, TAS 700, Hobart The Tasmanian Collection Service, which covers the citizens of Tasmania, provides consumers with a free credit report if they have been refused credit or an application is to do with the management of an individual s credit commitments.