Security and Privacy Policy
Leybridge Limited is committed to protecting your privacy and keeping your personal information secure. This policy does not extend to external websites accessed from this site, over which we have no control. Please read the terms and conditions and privacy policies of any other sites you visit separately.

Security
Strict security procedures are followed whenever your information is obtained and stored. Our online enquiry and application forms are submitted locally, then encrypted and then stored on a database located on the same server as the form and is not transmitted over the internet. This ensures it is virtually impossible for unauthorised third parties to access or read your personal information.

PLEASE NOTE: Open emails are not secure and third parties may be able to intercept, access or alter any information you send via email. Leybridge Limited is not responsible for and cannot accept liability for any damage resulting from open email messages sent to or received by Leybridge Limited. If you send us an email please keep the amount of confidential information you include to a minimum. If you make an enquiry via email, we will take steps to check and ensure your identity before giving out any personal information. We NEVER request you to log onto a secure web site via email and we will NEVER ask you to confirm personal details via an email. If you receive an email supposedly from Leybridge Limited asking for personal information DO NOT reply, instead, phone 0800 977 7590 and ask to speak to our ICT department. We will keep a record of your e-mail address and any messages you send us and may contact you unless you ask us not to. Any replies we send will not contain any confidential information as these can not be sent to you using a secure email system.

We regularly review our security procedures.

Privacy
The Data Protection Act 1998 (see http://www.dataprotection.gov.uk for more information) gives individuals certain rights as it defines the rules for processing personal information. It also states that those who record and process personal information, such as Leybridge Limited, must be open and honest in how the information is used. The following gives you an overview:

Essentially, we use your information to provide an advisory and application service for mortgages.

We do not sell or reveal your details to any other companies or individuals. If you are receiving any unsolicited marketing approaches from companies you do not normally deal with, you can prevent this by registering with the Mailing,Telephone or Fax Preference services:

Mailing Preference - 020 7291 3310
Telephone Preference - 020 7291 3320
Fax Preference - 020 7291 3330

For more details about all the Preference Services, please see the Direct Marketing Association website: www.dma.org.uk

We do not undertake credit searches with licensed credit reference agencies such as Equifax and Experian until you make a formal application for a mortgage or other credit based product, and only then will the credit search be carried out with your permission.

Customer information may be used to prevent crime and trace those responsible. We are also legally obliged to disclose information about customers to certain bodies that have statutory authority.

We may record telephone conversations to offer additional security, for training purposes, resolve complaints and improve our service standards.

All our employees are personally responsible for maintaining customer confidentiality.

Credit File Information
When you make an application for a loan or a mortgage through Leybridge Limited you may be credit checked. As well as looking at your financial information and bank statements we will also check your credit report with one of the major credit reference agencies, Experian or Equifax.

What is a Credit Report?
Experian and Equifax are the leading credit reference agencies in the UK. Credit reference agencies maintain information about you and your credit history. This information is gathered on an ongoing basis from many sources that have extended you credit. Lenders and broker/packages like Leybridge Limited, employers, landlords, and other service providers buy that information in the form of a credit report to help them decide whether to approve your application for a loan, credit card, job, or housing, or to offer you a product or service at a particular rate. Because your credit file changes constantly, it's important that you review your information regularly to check its accuracy. Leybridge Limited cannot provide you with a copy of your credit file as we do not hold them on record, however if you or your guarantor are refused by us we will be able to tell you which agency we checked with. Leybridge Limited do not disclose the decisions which we make regarding your application to the credit reference agencies.

Credit history
The bulk of your credit report consists of details about credit accounts that were opened in your name or that list you as an authorised user (such as a spouse's credit card). Account details, which are supplied by creditors with which you have an account, include the date the account was opened, the credit limit or amount of the loan, the payment terms, the balance, and a history that shows whether or not you've paid the account on time. Closed or inactive accounts, depending on the manner in which they were paid, stay on your report for up to 6 years from the date of their last activity. Credit reference agencies record an inquiry whenever your credit report is shown to another party, such as a lender, service provider, landlord, or insurer. Inquiries remain on your credit report for up to two years. Public records. Matters of public record obtained from government sources such as courts of law including County Court Judgments and bankruptcies may appear on your credit report. Most public record information stays on your credit report for 6 years.

What other Information is Included in your file?
Personal information. Compiled from applications you've filled out and discussions you have with your case manager, this information normally includes your name, current and recent addresses, and date of birth, and current and previous employers.

Who Can Look at Your Credit Report?
Anyone with what is considered a permissible purpose can look at your report. These companies, groups, and individuals include:

Potential lenders

Landlords

Insurance companies

Employers and potential employers (usually only with your written consent)

Companies you allow to monitor your account for signs of identity theft

Any government agency (although they may be allowed to view only certain portions)

Someone who uses your credit report to provide a product or service you have requested

Someone that has your written authorisation to obtain your credit report

Leybridge loans may also check your file during your repayment period if you fall into arrears when deciding on the best course of action to take for debt recovery purposes.

Checking Your Credit Report
Many different lenders and other businesses to make decisions about you use your credit report. When it comes to your credit report, it is what you do not know that can hurt you. Credit card companies, mortgage loan companies, car loan and insurance companies, even landlords and employers check credit reports to find out about your credit past. The reason? They assume if you were responsible in the past, you will most likely be responsible in the future. When it's time to consider any sort of financial move a new home or car, a new credit card, a new auto insurance policy, even a new job it is time to check your report.

You have the right under the Data Protection Act 1998 to obtain your credit file by post at a cost of £2.

You can do this by completing the forms below and sending them to the credit reference agencies :

Experian Credit File Application Form (PDF)
Consumer Help Service
Experian Ltd
PO Box 8000
Nottingham
NG80 7WF

Equifax Credit File Application Form (PDF)
Equifax Credit File Advice Centre
P.O. Box 1140
Bradford
BD1 5US

You can check your file online using the following sites:

Experian
Equifax

All of the above agencies offer a service whereby they will charge you a fee of up to £15 for viewing your file an unlimited number of times in a 3 month period. This will give you the ability to query any entries you do not agree with and check that they have been removed or amended.

When you get your report, review it carefully. If you see problems on your report, such as an unpaid bill that you simply forgot about, act right away to resolve the debt. Then ask the business to which you owed the money to send a letter to the credit reference agencies saying that the matter has been resolved. Also, make sure your report is accurate. Check for accounts you didn't open, charges you didn't make, and delinquencies you didn't cause. If you see evidence of fraud, contact the credit reference agencies immediately. Explain the situation and ask that an alert be placed in your file. Also, report the fraud to the police. Your credit report will follow you throughout your life and can help you financially or hurt you. Review it carefully! Within a month of your inquiry, the credit-reporting agency should notify you of the results of its investigation. If You Cannot Resolve a Disputed Item you have the right to attach a 200-word statement, free of charge, explaining the nature of your disagreement. Your statement will become part of your credit file, and will be included each time your credit file is accessed.

Credit Report Privacy & Your Rights
Because your credit report contains information about you that is not publicly available, it is important that you know your legal rights as a consumer to access this information. The Data Protection Act and Consumer Credit Act restrict who has access to your sensitive credit information and what uses can be made of it. Leybridge Limited comply fully with the regulations contained in these Acts and in most cases go beyond what is required by law to ensure that your data is kept safe. The major credit reference agencies have also adopted voluntary guidelines to enhance their consumer services. This legislation gives you the right to access to the information held by us and sets time periods and fees that we must comply with.

If you wish to know what information Leybridge Limited holds about you, please write to the Data Protection Officer, Leybridge Limited, The Garden Suite, Bath Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH1 2PF. If any information is inaccurate or incorrect, please inform us and we will correct it.

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