Privacy Policy

The Data Protection Act requires companies and individuals who process and retain information about their customers to tell the customer how the information will be used and to what purposes it will be put. The Act does not restrict itself only to information kept on a computer; it is relevant to any ordered filing system. This policy describes how The Mortgage Seeker will process personal data relating to customers. We will not use your personal data in any other way without first informing you.

Collection of Data

We will collect information which you provide to us when you enquire about or apply for finance, which includes information gained from our application forms. This may include certain sensitive personal data.

Use of Data

We will use your personal data to ;

• process any application you have made;
• To offer you other products which we make available.
• Exercise or defend our legal rights and/or to comply with any legal requirements.

We may disclose your personal information to;

• Brokers so that they can best advise and help you with your needs.
• the FSA or other regulatory bodies to ensure that we are processing information correctly and complying with regulatory requirements.
• Other legal authorities if required by law.

We may keep your information for several years. You can ask for the information not to be used to offer you other products. We have a duty to keep the personal information which we hold about you up to date and accurate and secure from misuse or accidental loss or damage.

NOTE - CREDIT REFERENCE SEARCHES AND FINANCIAL LINKS

Please note that searches at credit reference agencies will be shown in any other searches which are made in connection with applications made by you and/or other members of your household. The disclosure of multiple searches may adversely affect your credit profile and may make credit harder for you to obtain.

Information held about you by a credit reference agency may already be linked to records relating to another person, for example your spouse, and for the purpose of your loan application you will be treated as financially linked. Your loan application will be assessed with reference to all linked records.

If you have confirmed you are linked financially with another person, you are declaring that you are entitled to (a) disclose information about that person and/or anyone else referred to by you and (b) that you authorise any lender involved in the application to search, link and/or record information at credit reference agencies about you and /or anyone else referred to by you.

The names and addresses of the main credit reference agencies are shown in the ‘credit references agencies ‘ section. Brokers may use one or more of these agencies. Information about which credit reference agency was used will be made freely available.

Lending Companies

All lending companies have their own individual privacy policies and customers should refer to these in respect of how they will use personal data.

Credit Reference Agencies

(The agencies do not keep ‘’blacklists’’ nor do they give any opinion about whether or not credit should be granted.)

The main credit reference agencies are:

Callcredit Plc
Consumer Services Team,
PO Box 491,
Leeds,
LS1 5XX

Experian Limited
Consumer Help Service,
PO Box 8000,
Nottingham,
NG1 5GX

Equifax Plc
Credit File Advice Service,
PO Box 1140,
Bradford,
BD1 5US

Credit reference agencies keep a wide range of information. This includes information from the electoral roll (sometimes known as the voters roll) and records of most county court judgements and bankruptcies. They also retain information relating to previous and existing credit and a record of searches made against the file. The lenders share information through the agencies providing a history of how punctually payments are being made or have been made. Loan information is usually held on file for 6 years. Details of the voters roll may be held for much longer. Information about credit searches is kept for up to two years.

Other Agencies

CIFAS

Reports from CIFAS relating to fraud and fraud avoidance are also available to most lenders - these contain information indicating that fraud, or attempted fraud, has been notified by a lender. The information might not directly relate to you, it might relate to someone who has tried to impersonate you. Data available to members of CIFAS, may also be used to help make decisions on motor, household, credit, life and other insurance proposals for you and members of your household.

CML Repossession Register

The Council of Mortgage Lenders, Repossession Register is available through the main credit reference agencies. If you have had a property repossessed or have given it up voluntarily this will show on the register.

GAIN

A file may also show a "gone away" marker indicating that a member of the "Gone Away Information Network" has reported that they cannot trace a customer who is in arrears with payments. Alternatively, the marker may indicate a new address which the "gone away" has been traced to.

HUNTER

Files in this register contain detailed information on applications made and loans given. It is aimed at tracing fraudsters who use different combinations of information to obtain credit dishonestly. It checks and counter checks information given on application forms.

If we use any of the above agencies they will be able to confirm their contact addresses. CIFAS information is intended to warn lenders and act as a protection for innocent customers.

Access to Your Data

You are able to see what information we hold about you. You can ask us for a copy at anytime. We will also tell you where the information was obtained. You will need to write and we may charge a small fee (£10 maximum). We will reply within 40 days from receipt of your fee.

If you wish to see the information contained on a credit reference agency file you can do so by writing to the relevant agency. The agency must respond within 7 working days. There is a small fee of £2 required. If your credit reference file contains information about other people with whom you have no financial connection or if it contains information which is incorrect you can ask for the entry to be corrected, removed, or have a note put on the file explaining why you think the information is wrong. The agency will not remove correct information.

The Information Commissioner provides a useful leaflet which explains how to request changes to your credit reference file. The easy to read leaflet includes examples of letters and details of various actions you may take to amend a file. You can obtain a copy of the free leaflet by writing to:

No Credit Leaflet
P.O. Box 99,
Nelson,
BB9 8GS

Information is also available at www.dataprotection.gov.uk

Should you wish to obtain a copy of the personal data we hold on you please write to The Corporate Services Group, Trident One, Trident Business Park, Styal Road, Manchester Airport, M22 5XB enclosing your payment of £10 for our administration costs. As soon as we are satisfied as to your identity we will send you, within 40 days, a copy of all the data we hold concerning you. Please contact us at the same address if you have any reason to believe the data we hold on you is inaccurate.

Cookies

Like many websites, when you visit this website we may issue a 'cookie' or unique code that allows us to identify your computer. We use the cookie to note the different areas of this website recently accessed through your computer in order that we may monitor which pages of the site are of most interest to you. We will use the information collected in this way to tell you about services or products, which might be of interest to you when you make further visits to this website.

Changes to this Data Protection Notice

We may edit or amend this Data Protection Policy from time to time. If we make any substantial changes in the way we use your personal information we will notify you by posting a prominent notice on the home page of our website.

Contacting Us

If you have any questions about our Data Protection Policy, please contact us at:

The Corporate Services Group

Trident One

Trident Business Park

Styal Road

Manchester Airport

M22 5XB
 

E-mail. help@themortgageseeker.net