CONSENT TO CREDIT SEARCH
In order to process your application, the funders on our panel will need to perform credit and identity checks on you with one or more credit reference agencies (CRAs). They may also make periodic searches at CRAs to manage your account with them. To do this, we will supply your personal information to the Lenders we present your application to. They will supply your personal information to CRAs who will give them information about you. This will include information from your credit application and about your financial situation and financial history. CRAs will supply to them both public (including the electoral register) and shared credit, financial situation and financial history information and fraud prevention information.
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They will use this information to:
• Assess your creditworthiness and whether you, your financial associate(s), or your business can afford to take the product;
• Verify the accuracy of the data you have provided to us;
• Prevent criminal activity, fraud and money laundering;
• Manage your account(s);
• Trace and recover debts; and
• Ensure any offers provided to you are appropriate to your circumstances.
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They will continue to exchange information about you with CRAs while you have a relationship with them. They will also inform the CRAs about your settled accounts. If you borrow and do not repay in full and on time, CRAs will record the outstanding debt. This information may be supplied to other organisations by CRAs. When CRAs receive a search from the funder they will place a search footprint on your credit file that may be seen by other lenders.
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If you are making a joint application, or tell us that you have a financial associate or business partner, we will link your records together, so you should make sure you discuss this with them, and share with them this information, before lodging the application. CRAs will also link your records together and these links will remain on your and their files until such time as you or your partner successfully files for a disassociation with the CRAs to break that link.
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Lenders perform “Soft” and “Hard” searches,
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A “Soft” search is a credit search made on your credit file that won't affect your credit score. Although it's recorded on your credit file like every other search, other Lenders cannot see it, so it will not affect their lending decision.
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A “Hard” search is a check on your credit record that is visible to other lenders. This means it could have an impact on your credit score and future applications for credit that you make.
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The identities of the CRAs, their role also as fraud prevention agencies, the data they hold, the ways in which they use and share personal information, data retention periods and your data protection rights with the CRAs are explained in more detail at any of these three links:
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• Callcredit www.callcredit.co.uk
• Equifax www.equifax.co.uk
• Experian www.experian.co.uk
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You can find further information about how we collect, use and disclose personal information about you by looking at our privacy policy on our website www.afsuk.com.