To be worried about this

[user1475530483]

I have name changed for this.
We have a live in Nanny who we really love and has been with us almost 2 years. We consider her part of the family, have taken her overseas with us, paying for her to go to her home country for 3 weeks (paid) over xmas etc, paying for her to learn to drive etc. generally think we treat her well and like a family member. She has been amazing to us also and I have trusted and relied on her like a family member.

So tonight i come home and open a letter which was declining me for a credit card application that I didn't apply for.

I immediately called the provider the letter was from to find out about it. I didnt get much information because they told me "as it was declined the application was wiped" however the person on the phone had enough info about the application to then ask me "do you know someone by the name of (Nannys Name) because the application was made by her"
Lady on the phone was quite cagey and wouldnt give much info but said that i was put down as an employer on nannys credit card application,.
i immediately checked my credit rating which appears to have been affected by this "hard enquiry" by this credit card place.

Afterwards I spoke with a friend who works at a bank to ask how this could happen - she said it is possible that I was listed as a co-applicant.

What I dont understand is even if she unknowingly added me as a co applicant - how did they do a credit check on me (which has affected my credit ) without my permission or knowledge?

My husband says she must have been approached by one of those sharky credit card pushers and likely didnt really know what she was filling out. But I have a really sick feeling about it to be honest. How would they be able to do a credit check on me? The letter declining me came to ME - as if I was the applicant. It is all extremely weird.

Is there a logical and innocent explanation for this ? Or should I be concerned that someone I trust isnt who I think they are ?

I would take it from the mouth of the loan provider - that you were just put down as her employer and something's gone awry along the way.
possibly as your husband says (didn't really know what she was doing and was being pressured by the provider).
I highly doubt she would've allowed you to find it if she'd deliberately behaved fraudulently - she'd be looking at the return addresses on the mail, googling them and destroying anything from that lender in that case. Try not to go in too heavy handed on this.

The lender is also definitely dodgy as they shouldn't have told you who made the application (unless they believed it was you.)

Thanks cactus
To clarify it was just a friend who works in banking that suggested it may be due to me being added as a co applicant
When I called the lender who declined me they told me it was made in her name and no more - bit cagey
I guess I don’t understand how or why a lender would run a credit check on ME without my consent if I was only listed as an employer
Id prefer to believe the lender has illegally run a credit check to get business and I’ll report them
I would be devastated otherwise and really don’t want to think the worst as I love this person - I’m possibly jaded from bad experiences with friends ripping me off in the past

Oh and I definitely won’t confront or be heavy handed until I have facts and if so it would likely be about making sure she understands adding me affects my credit!

That's it for the nanny, I guess, because why would she add you as a co-applicant without your knowledge? It would have been reasonable, in that case, that she would have told you about her plans to get the credit card and you'd have seen the form beforehand. Not through a letter declining credit and having a credit check against your name. Are there any more credit cards around, cards that have been approved and where you are a "co-applicant" without your knowledge? You might want to find out.

Hevonbu well I’m sincerely hoping it was a case of not fully understanding what she was filling out especially if under pressure etc
I’m not going to jump to any conclusions just trying to get an understanding of how these things work because if the company did a check on me without consent I’ll be going after them !

I am sad for her that you say you treat her as a family member but would rush to judge on what a friend who doesn’t know the situation might have said.

I really don’t get your problem here.

1. Yournanny applied for a credit card - her right, no? Or do you have something in her contact that controls how she manages her money?

She lidsted you as her employer. Her right also - you are her employer, how was it wrong of her to say that? Would you encourage her not too to stop her getting a credit card?.

1. The credit card company wrote to you and ran a check on you - I would follow this up with the watch dog to find out why. Companies mess up all the time, how is that her fault? It would be very odd to add you as a co applicant without asking you as she would know at some point you would have to sign the form. But all you actually know is your nanny listed you as an employer. Her right.

Your meddling friend has given a list of lots of things that are possible which neither of you have ant evidence for. The company was probably cagey because they knew they shouldn’t have run a check in you. How in this situation has your nanny done anything wrong? You sound very difficult and unreasonable. Have you spoken to her?

I would speak to your nanny about this. I wouldnt go in all guns blazing though.

April your reply is unfair - the fact she’s a nanny is irrelevant if I had a credit card applied for in my name by my mother, sister etc then I’d be asking the same questions
She’s certainly entitled to do entirely as she wishes with respect to her own finances but what I’m trying to establish is why a card was applied for in my name, affecting my credit rating. I’m certainly not jumping to conclusions I’m trying to figure out how these things work.
It sure why I sound difficult or unreasonable

Oh and also April to correct you on this
“2. The credit card company wrote to you and ran a check on you”
No they sent me a letter declining me for a credit card for which I did not apply

Reboot of course I will talk to her but I’m trying to understand first what happened and why the credit card co did a check on me - I’m assuming they did so illegally on their behalf (rather than hers - assuming an error she made filling out a form) so would rather know all those facts first

Could the bank have made an error and ran the check on the wrong details? Realised the mistake and wiped it and an automated computer letter sent out to that effect. ?

I think this is a post thats unsuitable for here as the only way it will get resolved is to ask her. You couldn't get an answer from the credit card company, a friend who works in banking couldn't give any useful or helpful advice so a forum of strangers won't be much better.

You obviously don't trust her so you need to ask her. The only logical and innocent explanation will come from her. If she has applied for it in your name then you fire her.

And with all due respect, if she has applied for a card in your name and it has been rejected then your credit rating can't be that good? The same if she has put you as a Guarantor, as the Guarantor needs to have good credit rating too.

Why is it unsuitable? Isn’t this an advice forum? I’m looking for advice
Hoped that someone who understood how these things work and what credit card companies are allowed to do etc might come along to explain!
I would say I do trust her but this kind of weird thing freaks me out as it isn’t a day to day occurrence. I’d feel the same if it were my mother who I trust implicitly. I’ve been blindsided before and perhaps I’m too quick to fear the worst yes.

And why does it matter what my credit was before this? This is a “hard enquiry” on my credit which adds points. I have always had good credit and this has brought me down a notch- whether it’s from good to ok or from ok to bad or from bad to poor is irrelevant- it’s happened outside of my control - would you be ok with that ?

A poor credit rating isn't the only reason for a rejection. They'd reject if they suspected fraud of some sort.

Or perhaps the income detailed isn't high enough for the card in question.

If your concerned about this search appearing on your report you can use companies such as Experian and they will add a note to the search, along the lines of ‘suspected fraudulent application’ or whatever you want to put.
May be worth doing a credit check on yourself to check for any cards/loans etc you were unaware of.
Speak to the nanny and just mention that this happened and did she put you as a co-signer or an employer.Depending on her response either Get the ombudsman involved or if she’s done it purposely get the police involved.

Thanks charleston- for what it’s worth I’ve always had good credit - enough that I’ve been approved for several mortgages as investments (joint) which are not in arrears and only one credit card which is paid down monthly
Even if it was (and I’m sure it was) an error I’m pissed off that the lender would do this and affect my rating as surely that is not legal ?

You appear convinced she’s applied for a card in your name and I don’t think you can say that. In fact the opposite appears true, which is why the card company wouldn’t give you information.

I suspect they did a credit check against you as employer but sent out the rejection letter to the wrong person.

You shouldn’t be so quick to think ill of people. That’s grossly unfair and you’ll end up losing a good nanny.

Oh, and do change your user name.

They confirmed that the application was made by her, so why did they turn you down? can you call them back and reask that question?

I think that since the card company told you that it was an application made in her name hopefully it is an innocent misunderstanding. I’m wondering if the fact that you both have the same home address has something to do with it. I don’t know much about credit ratings, but I do know when I was flat sharing a million years ago that sometimes bad credit ratings from one resident was not helpful to the other flat sharers. Can I suggest you call the citztens advice burea for advice on how it all works or maybe the financial ombudsman?
Hope all turns out ok for you and your family.

Collaborate I don’t know what you’re on about I am not convinced by that at all and think I’ve stated clearly several times that I’m trying to understand how it could happen so pull your head in please.

I would check your credit file

I would also say I have this letter I can’t understand why and see if she volunteers any information

Alternative I don’t know that’s what I’m trying to understand- if she wants a cc that’s nothing to do with me at all she can do what she likes but I don’t understand how I was then checked for it - presumably the lender is sharky and underhand. I’ll be trying to find out for sure

Collaborate “Oh, and do change your user name”
I’m not sure what you mean and I don’t understand why you’re being hostile