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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be worried about this

141 replies

user1475530483 · 17/11/2017 04:07

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 ?

OP posts:
Original poster
user1475530483 · 17/11/2017 07:05

“I suspect they did a credit check against you as employer but sent out the rejection letter to the wrong person.”
Sorry that’s ridiculous when was the last time your employer got credit checked for any of your credit applications?
Clearly they’ve done something underhand here and I’m not at all saying it is her but as I stated earlier I’m trying to understand the process a lender has and if them checking me is standard cos I don’t believe it is

OP posts:
Ohffsmalcom · 17/11/2017 07:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

charlestonchaplin · 17/11/2017 07:09

I can't say I understand what's going on here but what if she applied for the card in your name with her as a secondary cardholder? Perhaps some of the information she's given isn't quite right hence the rejection? Just an idea. I really don't know.

scaryteacher · 17/11/2017 07:11

The user names that are like yours are very confusing, so it's better to have one like Collaborate, so you will be recognised as a regular poster, as opposed to a troll or a DM Journo. It's not hostile for that to be suggested, it's a regular occurrence on MN.

LEMtheoriginal · 17/11/2017 07:12

Can you not just ask her? You trust her so my suspicions lie with the C C company who let's face it aren't going to be big on scruples!

Unless she is totally stupid then there is no way she'd apply for the card In your name - you'd surely notice!

Could it be that she put you as a guarantor? Misunderstanding that would mean you'd be responsible to pay if she didn't pay?

I really think you should talk to her for HER sake as she may be being mislead.

Only1scoop · 17/11/2017 07:12

I previously worked in a fraud dept for a credit card company. First thing I thought was impersonation.

charlestonchaplin · 17/11/2017 07:13

Perhaps she has no credit history at all. That can lead to a rejection. She doesn't necessarily have a bad credit history. Though if she was applying as a secondary cardholder she wouldn't be credit-checked.

hendricksyousay · 17/11/2017 07:13

Because it’s your address and they asked her who her employer was ? The credit checks are done on your address aren’t they ?

stonecircle · 17/11/2017 07:13

Would the credit card company have a fraud department you could speak to?

Original poster
user1475530483 · 17/11/2017 07:14

Thanks ohfss it’s definitely something weird and I’m erring on unsavoury financial institutions over a breach of trust / I called the lender after hours today and got the brush off but I’ll definitely call them again tomorrow as if they’re in breach of the financial codes I’ll report them for it.
I don’t want to upset or worry her so I’d rather know what’s gone on first - even if it’s just so I can explain to her how it works when you apply for these shady things

OP posts:
Original poster
user1475530483 · 17/11/2017 07:15

Oh sorry scary I didn’t get that was the reason. I just didn’t want to use my usual username but I’ll share it if you need me too or pm me

OP posts:
charlestonchaplin · 17/11/2017 07:17

Which credit cards ask for guarantors? I thought that was more a feature of loans at the lower end of the market?

Original poster
user1475530483 · 17/11/2017 07:17

Charleston - but the check was on me and not her - if she’d asked me to be a guarantor I’d probably have agreed but this credit check was done without my consent either by her using my info or the lender doing it without authorization- I don’t want to be dramatic or jump to conclusions but I don’t see any other way this could happen

OP posts:
Original poster
user1475530483 · 17/11/2017 07:18

Hendricks no this was a credit check on me - I checked my credit report - nothing to do with shared address. The rejection letter was addressed to me

OP posts:
Jellybean85 · 17/11/2017 07:19

Hmmm it could be innocent, i cohabit with my oh, he applied for credit and truthfully put me down as living with him. I saw the application, I was definitely not co applicant!

They ran a hard check on me too! I found it on my credit score, I phoned and complained and they didn’t deny it. Equally they wouldn’t tell me anything else as I was not the applicant or their customer.
I was really surprised.

A single check shouldn’t bump your score though only if you’ve been making a few applications of your own recently and it’s looking desperate.

Original poster
user1475530483 · 17/11/2017 07:20

LEM yes I suspect she added me as a guarantor however I don’t understand how she could do that without my consent or signature and how a lender could do a check on me without me knowing ?

OP posts:
charlestonchaplin · 17/11/2017 07:22

OP: in the scenario I described that's exactly what would happen. The would credit check you because they think you have applied for a credit card and have put your nanny down as a secondary cardholder. It may not be the answer, but it is the most logical scenario.

Original poster
user1475530483 · 17/11/2017 07:24

Jellybean that’s interesting to know I wouldn’t be surprised if that happened - but god how is that ethical practise from a lender ? I mean I had no idea at all ?!!
The reason for the bump is cos we’ve recently had two mortgage apps (approved) but this has added to the number of hard checks on me - no idea how it works but there you go! It hasn’t killed my credit (perhaps I was dramatic earlier) but has certainly dented it and seems unfair for something not related to me

OP posts:
LEMtheoriginal · 17/11/2017 07:24

I don't either to be fair. I think you need to ask her. I genuinely think if she was trying to steal from you she would have simply Pretended to be you?

Not saying you think that at all.

It sounds like you have a good relationship so talk to her. She needs to kniw surely

Original poster
user1475530483 · 17/11/2017 07:25

Charleston - fark I feel tainted by unethical banking practise now
I’m going to investigate further and I’ll be reporting this lender and banging on doors for this

OP posts:
charlestonchaplin · 17/11/2017 07:26

If she provided information, how does the lender know that you haven't provided that information? You only need to know the right information to put down and tick the electronic signature box.

SandyDenny · 17/11/2017 07:28

This isn't making much sense.

Did the nanny apply for a card in her own name, put you as her employer and the CC company has got confused and written to you by mistake as the applicant?

If your credit rating is good even if they got mixed up why would you be declined?

Did you ask the person on the phone who applied for the card and why they searched your name?

The obvious thing to do is to ask the nanny. Are you in the UK, is she an English speaker who understands all about credit cards. Why aren't you assuming this is all a simple cock up?

Original poster
user1475530483 · 17/11/2017 07:29

LEM I will talk to her as we do have a good relationship however there is a slight language / tone barrier sometimes so I know she’d feel worried if I just asked outright rather than discussing the facts as I knew them if that makes sense ? I don’t want her to feel worried that I’m accusing her if Im just asking what happened and I feel that she may react that way and I don’t want her too feel that at all
Thanks for Input everyone anyway I’ll report back when I’ve called the lender again

OP posts:
diddl · 17/11/2017 07:29

If she didn't know what she was filling out then imo it was very remiss of her to put your name down & say nothing to you.

Hope that you get to the bottom of it all.

Ceto · 17/11/2017 07:29

Write to the credit card company and ask for a copy of the application, if it was made in your name, or an explanation for the letter. If you want to take this further you are going to need written evidence anyway, so it's better to deal with it formally rather than over the phone.