The Gone Away Information Network (GAIN) is a trade organisation that shares details of customers who have had statements and other correspondence returned undelivered by the Post Office, marked ‘gone away’.

Credit Reference Agencies and lenders who are members of this network share information on customers who have moved home and left behind a credit account, such as a credit card which is at least 30 days in arrears, without giving their lenders a forwarding address. This information can include both the address the customer has moved from and any address the customer has since been traced to. This information is only available to other organisations who are members of GAIN.

How do I know if I’ve got a credit agreement at an old address?

If you’re an active credit user and move property fairly frequently, it can become difficult to ensure that every single one of your credit agreements is updated with your new address.

Checking your Credit Report will show the information that prospective lenders will see when you apply for credit – if any of these credit agreements are active and registered to an old address, you’ll be able to see which lenders they are with, so you can get in contact.

Your Multi Agency Credit Report shows information from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, so you can easily see what a lender would see when you apply for credit.

If you haven’t already, you can try checkmyfile free for 30 days, then for just £14.99 per month. Cancellation is available online at any time.