How to dispute an unauthorised hard search on Equifax
Spotted a hard search on your Equifax report that you don’t recognise? Hard searches are visible to lenders and multiple searches can make you look desperate for credit.
Equifax retains hard searches for 2 years. If the search was genuinely unauthorised, the company that ran it should remove it.
Key takeaways
- Free to dispute — your legal right under CCA s.159 and UK GDPR.
- Equifax must respond within 28 days.
- Lender has 21 days to respond to Equifax’s enquiry.
- Check your Equifax report free via ClearScore.
How to dispute with Equifax
Use the Online Help portal. Select “Search information” as the dispute category. Identify the company and explain the search was unauthorised.
Equifax contacts the company that performed the search. Note: Equifax cannot remove a search unilaterally — the company must agree to remove it.
Equifax retains hard searches for 2 years.
Equifax-specific tips
Equifax has a dedicated “Search information” dispute category. Use this rather than “Financial Account information” for search disputes.
Evidence you’ll need
- Start with your Equifax report showing the hard search. Collect evidence you didn’t apply to or contact the company that ran it. If the search is from a company you do recognise, check their terms — many comparison sites include hard search consent buried in the T&Cs.
- Use the Online Help portal at help.equifax.co.uk/EquifaxOnlineHelp and select “Search information” as the dispute category — not “Financial Account information”. Standard formats (PDF, JPEG, PNG) are accepted. Note that Equifax retains hard searches for 2 years.
Timeline
Equifax contacts the company that performed the search. The company has 21 days to respond — the shortest window of any CRA. If they confirm the search was unauthorised, it’s removed. Equifax confirms receipt within 24 hours.
Equifax cannot remove a search unilaterally — the company must agree. Equifax retains hard searches for 2 years, and their impact on your score typically reduces after about 6 months.
If your dispute is rejected
If the company won’t remove an unauthorised search, escalate to the ICO — performing a hard search without consent breaches UK GDPR (no lawful basis for processing).
Equifax has an alternative dispute form at disputeuk.zendesk.com for re-submissions. Formal complaints go to [email protected] or call 0800 014 2955.
FAQs
How long do hard searches stay on Equifax?
Equifax retains hard searches for 2 years. Their impact on your score reduces after about 6 months.
Can I remove a search from an application I made?
No. Legitimate searches from applications you submitted cannot be removed, even if you were declined or changed your mind.
Dispute this on another CRA
Other disputes on Equifax
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