Terms & Conditions

Please read carefully. Access to this website is subject to these Terms and Conditions ('Terms'). By using this website, you agree immediately to be bound by these Terms, which form a binding contract between you and Credit Reporting Agency Limited ('We', 'us', 'our') and which contain your legal rights and important obligations. If you do not accept these Terms in full, please leave this website.

Please read carefully. Access to this website is subject to these Terms and Conditions ('Terms'). By using this website, you agree immediately to be bound by these Terms, which form a binding contract between you and Credit Reporting Agency Limited ('We', 'us', 'our') and which contain your legal rights and important obligations. If you do not accept these Terms in full, please leave this website.

In these Terms:

'30 day free period' means the initial thirty days of your subscription to our Credit Report Services which are made available to you without upfront payment. This period starts on the day you sign up to your subscription to Credit Report Services, and ends 30 days thereafter, during which you may cancel at any time. If you wish to cancel your subscription, please log in and send us a message at any time, email us, or call us during normal office hours. In all cases we will provide you with a cancellation reference code in confirmation.

'Credit Report Services' means the online provision of your Credit Reports, by us, as part of a subscription service or otherwise.

'Dispute Resolution Service' means the handling by us on your behalf of a disputed item on your Credit Report.

  1. Use of this website is subject to the laws of England & Wales and to these Terms. You may have other consumer rights granted by law and these Terms do not affect such rights. You must be over 18 years of age to use this website.

  2. If you provide us with information via this website, you consent to us storing a 'cookie' on your computer to enable us to remember your preferences.

  3. If you use our Credit Report Services you agree to appoint Credit Reporting Agency Limited as your attorney for the specific purposes of the exercising of your statutory rights to obtain details of all information held about you at any or all UK Credit Reference Agencies and when requested by you to act on your behalf to dispute items at any or all UK Credit Reference Agencies.

  4. Payments made for Credit Report Services are not refundable. This is because the information provided is delivered to us immediately and prepared on an individually bespoke and customised basis for you at the time of your order. The supply of such services falls within the exemption to the right to cancel as defined in s28(1)(b) of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.

  5. This is a subscription service. You can cancel your subscription, during or after the 30 day free period, without penalty and without giving any reason by contacting us. You can do this by phoning us during office hours or by emailing us. Or you can cancel online - just log in to your checkmyfile account and access your account settings, then select 'I would like to manage my subscription’ and then 'I'd like to stop my subscription'.

    Whichever way you choose to cancel, we will always give you a confirmation reference number. If you do not receive a confirmation reference number, you must contact us immediately to check that your subscription has been cancelled, or payments may still be taken from your card. Following cancellation we will take no further payments and will no longer refresh your Credit Reports, and also will no longer provide you with the Dispute Resolution Service.

    In addition to your contractual rights to cancel your subscription at any time, you have the right to cancel within 14 calendar days without penalty and without giving any reason as set out in Financial Conduct Authority's Consumer Credit Sourcebook (CONC 11.1).

    If you cancel your subscription you agree that your card details will continue to be stored by us for up to 12 months to enable you to restart your subscription. You can ask us to remove your stored card details at any time after cancellation by emailing us.

  6. If you subscribe to our Credit Report Services and if you do not cancel within the 30 day free period - whether you have completed our authentication processes or not - you authorise us until further notice to charge your credit or debit card or account with the renewal subscription at each appropriate interval after your initial purchase. The 30 day free period offer is available only to new customers on a one time only basis.

    The initial subscription payment is taken as an administration fee. Subsequent payments are taken in arrears on the same date of each month (the 'due date'). If payments fall due on 29th, 30th or 31st, payment on shorter months is taken on the last day of the month and then reverts to the due date for subsequent payments.

    The prices for Credit Report Services include all taxes, including VAT.

    We shall use all reasonable endeavours to keep your subscription at the rate you have initially paid, but in the unlikely event that we need to increase the price, we reserve the right to do so. In this event we will inform you by email at least 14 days before the new subscription rate comes into effect.

    If your card details change (e.g. if a replacement card is issued for any reason by your card issuer) and if we are able to obtain new card details from your card issuer, you authorise us to charge the replacement card at any time until you cancel your subscription.

    If your subscription payment fails and if you have given us a back-up payment method (such as credit or debit card details) you agree that we may attempt to take the missed and all future payments from your back-up payment method until you advise us otherwise or until your subscription is cancelled.

    If we remain unable to obtain payment despite our attempts to obtain payment from all available sources, your Credit Reports will no longer be updated and you will no longer have the benefit of the Dispute Resolution Service until payments are restored.

    You agree that we may continue to try to take payment until you cancel your subscription or until at our sole discretion we deem it to be unreasonable to continue to try, whichever is the sooner. In the event that we are successful in obtaining payment from your card as a result, the Due Date for subsequent payments will be amended to the same day of the month that a successful payment was last made.

  7. To get the most from your Credit Report subscription and to identify errors on your Credit Report or any signs of identity fraud as early as possible, we recommend that you log in and refresh your Credit Reports at regular intervals.

    The credit history you see on Credit Reports is provided by lenders who typically send an update of the status of accounts reported on your Credit Report to the Credit Reference Agencies no more frequently than once each month.

    Whenever you log in, we shall advise you on screen if we are able to give you the option to update any part of your Credit Report.

    If you do not refresh your Credit Report by clicking on the appropriate update button for more than one month, we shall delete your old Credit Report and your Credit Report will be automatically refreshed when you next log in.

  8. You agree to use our service and your Credit Report solely for your private and personal use. You are not permitted to use our service for any other person, even if you have their specific consent to do so. If you have a Court Order or are acting under a Power of Attorney, and believe that you have a lawful right to access our services on behalf of a third party, please contact us before you use this website.

  9. These Terms are a contract between you and us. If any part of these Terms is held by any competent authority to be invalid or unenforceable, the validity and enforceability of all other parts of these Terms shall not be affected. These Terms do not give any third party any rights under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999. No third party shall have any rights to enforce any of the Terms.

  10. If you have agreed to receive emails from us, either by specifically opting in to do so or otherwise, you may opt out of receiving emails at any time by updating the Account Summary settings on your checkmyfile account. We do not sell your email address to any third party.

  11. We provide online Credit Reports on a simplified basis to make it easier for you to understand the contents.

    We provide you with the option to print your Credit Report. This is a further simplified version of your online Credit Report. If you decide to select to print your Credit Report, you agree to take additional precautions to store it securely and to destroy it when it is no longer required. After printing your Credit Report, you agree to close the document on your screen and to remove any temporary files or cached files containing the Credit Report from the computer you are using.

    You acknowledge that a Credit Report from us, whether in online format or printable format, is not the same either in content or format as the Credit Report you would receive, either if you exercise your statutory rights to obtain a copy of your Credit Report from any Credit Reference Agency at any time, or from any other online source.

  12. We are the owner or the licensee of all intellectual property rights in our website, and in the material published on it (together, the 'Works'). The Works are protected by copyright laws and treaties around the world. All such rights are reserved.

    You agree not to modify, reproduce, republish, copy, upload, adapt, post, transmit, reverse engineer or distribute, in any manner or format, the Works, including, but not limited to text, graphics, code or software.

    You may not link to this website without our prior written permission to do so.

  13. You agree that you will not use any of the information we provide to you including Credit Scores as the sole basis for any decision you may make.

  14. Searches we make of Credit Reference Agencies will leave an enquiry footprint both in our records and at the Credit Reference Agencies we search. These are for your protection so that you may see who has been searching your Credit Report and when. Such enquiry footprints are not the same as those recorded by lenders when you apply for credit and do not affect either your Credit Score, or your ability to get credit.

    From time to time it is not always possible to obtain your information from a Credit Reference Agency. This is usually because the format of your address recorded at the Credit Reference Agency may be slightly different to the one you have provided us. If we cannot obtain your Credit Report from a Credit Reference Agency, it is highly likely that lenders using that Credit Reference Agency will also have difficulty obtaining your Credit Report, as the systems we use are very similar. Your Credit Report will show if this has happened. Automatically we will try to resolve the underlying issue and we achieve success in the majority of cases. If your information is not as complete as you would expect, please contact us.

  15. We purchase information about individuals, properties and neighbourhoods from other companies. We refer to these companies as 'our suppliers'. Together with our suppliers, agents and employees, we take no responsibility for the contents of any information we provide, its completeness, timeliness or its usefulness.

  16. The information we provide may not be identical to that which can be obtained elsewhere. Our Multi Agency Credit Reports usually provide more account information data than can be obtained from any other source, but the information you see on a checkmyfile Credit Report may not be exactly the same as the information that you may obtain from each of the Credit Reference Agencies individually.

    Our checkmyfile Credit Scores are calculated by us on data supplied by Equifax, Experian and TransUnion and enable you to compare your creditworthiness using the same yardstick. The Credit Scores that the Credit Reference Agencies produce themselves are each based on separate scorecards that cannot be directly compared to each other, or to checkmyfile Credit Scores.

  17. You agree that you will not hold us, our employees, or any of our suppliers liable for any direct or indirect damages, costs, losses or expenses of any nature resulting from the use or misuse of the information delivered by us. You agree not to hold us or our suppliers liable for any delay in delivery or if we fail to supply you or if we omit any information for any reason. You agree to indemnify and keep indemnified us, our employees and agents and our suppliers against any claim or action made against them for any losses, damages, costs or other expenses in connection with your use of our services.

  18. Our suppliers and we will take care to exercise reasonable skill in providing accurate information to you. The information supplied to you is provided to our suppliers and us from other companies whose accuracy we do not control or influence. We will take reasonable care to ensure that Credit Report Services are substantially as described on our website and in these Terms. We do not limit nor exclude any liability we may have to you for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or for fraud or fraudulent representation. Neither do we limit any liability we may have to you for any loss or damage that you suffer that is a foreseeable result of our breach of these Terms or our negligence. Loss or damage is foreseeable if it is an obvious consequence of our breach or if it would have been expected by both you and us at the time we entered into this contract, if we had been asked what loss or damage would be suffered by you as a result of our breach of these Terms or of our negligence. In any other instance you agree that our liability to you is limited to the total sum of payments you have made to us for Credit Report Services over the past year.

  19. You agree that we shall not be liable for any delay or failure to provide Credit Report Services or otherwise to perform any obligation under these Terms if the delay or failure is caused by circumstances that are beyond our reasonable control.

  20. You agree that you will not use the information provided by us in any way that might be detrimental to us or to our suppliers. By using our services you confirm that all of the information you provide to us is your own information and that the information is accurate, clear and not misleading.

  21. We take reasonable steps to protect the privacy of an individual when providing information over the Internet. You acknowledge and understand that there is always a remote possibility that criminal actions may result in unauthorised access to Credit Reports and you should not attempt to use our services on behalf of anyone else. We take no responsibility if confidential information is unlawfully intercepted, hacked or stolen and subsequently disclosed. You agree that you will not disclose your password to anyone at any time. You agree that you will not distribute or make available any information supplied by us to any third party or attempt to sell or otherwise make a profit, or use to derive an income from any of our services. If you become aware of any unauthorised use of our services, you agree to inform us immediately in order that steps may be taken to protect confidential information.

  22. We have installed security devices and follow procedures that are designed to prevent unlawful access to information. From time to time we may have to temporarily suspend access to our services to enable us to protect this information. You agree that we may terminate supply of information to you at any time and without notice and for any reason that we will not disclose or discuss.

  23. We depend upon our suppliers to provide information to us on demand. This means that when any of these are unable to provide information to us, we are not able to continue to provide an immediate service to you. We will always use reasonable efforts to supply information but we can give no assurance on the continuing availability of any or all of our services.

  24. We continually try to improve the services we offer and you agree that we may change the contents of Credit Reports or any other reports, this website, these Terms, the suppliers of information and any other aspect of our products and services without notice. You accept that you will be bound by any changes in these Terms. We will notify you of any change by amendment of the date of the latest revision of these Terms which is shown at the foot of these Terms under 'Latest Version'. Changes take effect immediately when posted on our website. You agree to check this page from time to time to take notice of any changes that are made to these Terms.

  25. We provide links to other websites on our website. These are provided for your convenience. We have no control over the content of the linked websites and assume no liability or responsibility for their accuracy, completeness or otherwise. Provision of such links does not imply our endorsement of any of the content of such websites.

  26. In addition to the Dispute Resolution Service, we give information on how to fix errors found on Credit Reports. We can give no warranty that the information that we give is always correct in every detail. We can give no warranty that errors will be successfully removed from your Credit Reports, as we may not know all the facts and amendments to databases are always at the discretion of the ultimate owner, and not us.

  27. We give general guidance on debt and credit matters. You agree to take independent professional advice before acting on any of the guidance we give. You acknowledge that our guidance is intended as a general guide to the options available to you.

  28. We are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. You can check our registration details on the Financial Service Register.

    You can check our registration details on the Register of Data Controllers.

    We are an independent company and are not linked to any lender or to any financial institution.

  29. You acknowledge that the method of calculation of our Credit Scores is a commercial secret and is not disclosed.

    Our Credit Scores are not comparable with Credit Scores available from any other source. This is because every Credit Reference Agency, lender, landlord and employer uses a different credit scorecard based on varying levels of data, each of which will produce different Credit Scores, within different score ranges and which are rarely directly comparable with other Credit Scores. There is no such thing as a universal Credit Score.

    We make no warranty and take no responsibility for the accuracy, relevance or otherwise of Credit Scores. Subject to the exclusions and limitations set out above, you agree not to hold us liable for any losses or damages you may incur either directly or indirectly from the use of Credit Scores supplied by us.

  30. In the event of any dispute between us regarding the interpretation of these Terms or the rights and obligations of either of us, as an alternative to any right you may have to take legal proceedings in England & Wales, you may choose to submit the dispute either to the arbitration of two parties (one selected by you and one selected by us) or to a mutually agreed umpire in accordance with the Arbitration Act 1996 or any subsequent amendment to that law.

  31. In the event that you charge back a PayPal, credit card or debit card transaction for any reason, you acknowledge that we may no longer permit your use of our Credit Report Services, and we may record details of the chargeback so that we may use such information for the purposes of payment risk assessment, money laundering and fraud prevention. The use of information in this way helps to reduce bad debts and credit fraud.

  32. We will never sell your personal information nor your email address. We will share or use your personal information only and strictly for the specified purposes set out in our Privacy Policy.

    One of these specified purposes is for the prevention of fraud. When you register for our services and when we authenticate you, we check the details you provide against details held on databases to which we have access to for this purpose.

    A record of this check will be kept and may be used by other organisations for verification and fraud prevention purposes with the records we hold and share with fraud prevention agencies. If false or inaccurate information is provided and fraud is identified, we will record this and details will be passed to the other fraud prevention agencies. Law enforcement agencies may access and use this information.

    We and other organisations may also access and use this information to prevent fraud and money laundering, for example, when:

    • Checking details on applications for credit and credit related or other facilities
    • Managing credit and credit related accounts or facilities
    • Recovering debt
    • Checking details on proposals and claims for all types of insurance
    • Checking details of job applicants and employees

    Please contact us if you want to receive details of the fraud prevention agencies.

    We and other organisations may access and use from other countries the information recorded by fraud prevention agencies.

  33. You acknowledge that we may be required to reveal information about you or your Credit Reports under compulsion of law or by a Court Order. In all other cases we shall keep your information confidential unless you agree otherwise.

  34. If we are unable to obtain information about you from any Credit Reference Agency when preparing your Credit Report, we will continue to try to resolve the reasons during your subscription period. If we are unable to obtain a successful search from any Credit Reference Agency after our attempts to resolve, upon your application and within 14 days of your application, we will refund you proportionately.

  35. If we are no longer able to offer information from one of the credit reference agencies, under the FCA's consumer duty, we will complete a fair value assessment and adjust the price accordingly.

  36. We operate this website from our registered office at 20-21 Lemon Street, Truro, TR1 2LS. In common with most websites, this website can be accessed from almost anywhere in the World. If you are not accessing the website from England or Wales, the laws that apply to your country may well differ from those of England & Wales. In accessing this website, you agree that these Terms and your use of this website shall be governed in all respect by the laws of England & Wales, without regard to conflict of laws or other regulation and in particular shall not be governed by the United Nations Convention on the International Sale of Goods. You also agree to process, store and keep confidential all information as if you are subject to the General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). You further submit to exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England & Wales for all disputes, cases and controversies regarding this website, your use of this website and your relationship with us, subject only to your option to agree to arbitration as set out in clause 31 above. We make no representation that materials on this website are appropriate or available for use in other locations. Accessing this website from territories where the content is illegal or unlawful is prohibited. If you choose to access this website from other locations then you agree that you do so entirely at your own risk and that you are responsible for compliance with local laws including any laws regarding the transmission of data exported either from England & Wales or from the country in which you reside, or from the country you are in when you access the website.

Latest Version

21 February 2024

Complaint?

If you wish to make a complaint, please email us. Our complaints policy is that:

  • We will acknowledge your complaint usually within 24 hours and always within 2 working days
  • We will deal with it confidentially
  • We aim to provide a fair response within 5 working days
  • If your complaint requires detailed investigation we will keep you advised regularly by email of the progress we have made
  • If you are unhappy with our response, you can appeal to our Management Team for a personal review of your complaint, by writing to us at Credit Reporting Agency Limited, 20-21 Lemon Street, Truro, TR1 2LS
  • If your complaint is still not resolved after following the above steps, you are entitled to refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service.