We will pass your details on to one or more of our preferred lenders who may search your record at credit reference and fraud prevention agencies and that of your 'financial associate' if you have one, i.e. a person with whom you have, or have had, joint personal financial arrangements such as joint accounts or have made joint credit applications. It may be your spouse or partner (not a business partner). The lenders may also, in certain limited circumstances, check the records, including credit details, of other members of your family and, if you are a director or partner in a small business, may also check on your business.

If you tell us that you have a financial associate, the lenders will search, link and record information about you both at credit reference agencies. You must be sure you have your financial associate's consent to disclose their information.

If you give us false or inaccurate information and we identify fraud, we will record this with fraud prevention agencies. Law enforcement agencies may access and use this information.

The lenders will use an automated scoring or other decision making process to assess your application and to verify your identity.

The lenders will add to your record with the credit reference agencies details of your agreement, the payments you make under it, any default or failure to keep to its terms and any change of name or address.

Account information given to credit reference agencies remains on file for 6 years after the account is closed, whether settled by you or upon default.

What the credit reference agencies will do:

Whether or not an application proceeds, the credit reference agency will place a record of the search on your credit file. This record (but not the lenders name) will be seen by other organizations when you apply for credit in the future. A large number of applications within a short period of time could affect your ability to obtain credit.

Whether or not this application proceeds, the agencies will link your records and those of your financial associates, including any previous and subsequent names. These links will remain on your and their files until you or they tell the agency you are no longer financially linked and the agency accepts this. 

The agencies may supply the lenders with credit information, such as previous applications, the conduct of accounts in your and your financial associate's name, any business accounts you have, fraud prevention information and public information such as County Court Judgments, bankruptcies and the Electoral Register.

Some information held by the credit reference and fraud prevention agencies will be disclosed to the lenders and other organizations to, for example:

• prevent fraud and money laundering, for example by checking details on applications for credit and credit-related or other facilities, proposals and claims for all types of insurance and job applications and employee records;
• recover debts that you owe and trace your whereabouts;
• manage credit accounts and other facilities;
• verify your identity;
• make decisions on credit, insurance and other facilities, about you, your financial associates, members of your household or your business; and
• carry out statistical analysis to help with decisions about credit and account management.

The information held by these agencies may also be used for other purposes for which you give your specific permission or, in very limited circumstances, when required by law or where permitted under the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998.

The lenders and other organizations may access and use from other countries the information recorded by fraud prevention agencies