A credit reporting company failed to distinguish between the complainant and his father in providing credit ratings. The complainant alleged that because his information had not been corrected, which he had requested two years earlier, he had suffered inconvenience, humiliation and embarrassment when declined credit.

The credit company had no record of a previous request for the correction of the complainant's credit record. However, the company acknowledged that the complainant had recently been denied credit as a result of confusion with his father's credit record.

The complainant's information was subsequently corrected and an apology received together with financial compensation of $200 agreed between the parties. With this successful mediation of the complaint the investigation was not taken any further (section 74).

June 1994

Correction of personal information - Credit reporting agency - Delay in responding to request - Information privacy principle 7