Do you have credit? Landlords, banks and providers of mobile phone contracts often ask themselves this question. Without a so-called credit check, you usually won’t get very far. Usually there are those from the Schufa, the protection association for general loan security.
To avoid any nasty surprises, you should check entries at the Schufa in good time and, if necessary, object to them.
Germany’s largest credit agency in the area of private customers is the Schufa. According to its own information, it has collected data from more than 68 million private customers and 6.25 million companies, which it can issue to its approximately 10,000 contractual partners.
What does the Schufa store?
“Data about bank accounts, mobile phone accounts, credit cards, leasing contracts, installment payments and about loans and guarantees are stored,” says Annabel Oelmann from the consumer advice center in Bremen. “Payment disruptions or cancellations are also saved.” Over time, the score determined from the data can change.
How do I find out about negative entries?
“You don’t find out by yourself,” says Birgit Vorberg from the North Rhine-Westphalia consumer advice center. To do this, consumers would have to apply to the Schufa – or any other credit agency – for a data copy in accordance with Article 15 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This is free.
Sabine Bernstein, press spokeswoman for Schufa, recommends obtaining a copy of the data regularly, “at least always before you want to take out a loan or sign a new lease”. Then there is the possibility that people can recognize incorrect entries and have them corrected.
What can I do against negative Schufa entries?
Negative entries are often due to unpaid bills or credit installments, as well as canceled checking accounts with unpaid overdraft facilities. It is therefore important to check the data copy precisely.
“There may be an unpaid bill that has long since been paid,” says consumer advocate Vorberg. It is also possible that the name was confused and the data was therefore entered incorrectly.
It is important to note that an unpaid invoice may only be noted if two reminders have been sent. The company that issued the reminder must be able to prove this, says Schufa spokeswoman Bernstein.
If consumers think an entry is wrong, they can call the Schufa. This then holds consultation with the company that caused the entry, so Bernstein. If it is actually an error, the note will be corrected. In disputes, private individuals have the option of engaging an ombudsman.
Alternatively, those affected could also contact the company that caused the false entry directly. If the company refuses to revoke the entry, consumers could also contact a lawyer.
Are negative posts ever deleted?
yes they will There are set deadlines for this. “If an open invoice is finally paid, the Schufa entry is deleted to the day after three years,” explains Schufa spokeswoman Bernstein. The note on personal bankruptcy is currently also stored for three years after the procedure has been completed.
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