Credit Sudhaar, a non-specified user entity, is accessing confidential credit records from CIBIL while claiming to help individuals improve and maintain their credit health. Why is the financial regulator, RBI, silent?
Credit Sudhaar, a firm set up by former bankers Gaurav Wadhwani and Arun Ramamurthy, says it has a tie-up with CIBIL for offering credit advisory services and will help individuals in improving their credit health which will in turn enable customers to get better offers from lenders at the CIBIL Market Place. What it does not say is it is neither registered with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as a non-banking finance company (NBFC) nor it is a specified user entity of CIBIL but will access credit records of crores of individuals.
While there is no word from CIBIL on this strange partnership, what is surprising is how the credit bureau may have allowed a non-specified user entity to access its database. In a press release, Credit Sudhaar said it is associated with Dipran Finance Pvt Ltd. However, on its website it mentions affiliation with Safe Capital, an NBFC. In an email reply, the firm said, “Credit Sudhaar is associated with both Safe Capital and Dipran. Both Safe Capital and Dipran are members of CIBIL”.
Even on its website under the FAQ section, replying to a question “Are you approved by the RBI?” it says “Yes. We are affiliated with Safe Capital which is an approved institution as per RBI charter”.
Earlier, Credit Sudhaar used to mention itself as an NBFC registered with the RBI, which was changed later.
This also means, Credit Sudhaar may be using either Safe Capital or Dipran’s login credentials to access the CIBIL database, especially the portfolio review which gives complete details of an individual. Since Credit Sudhaar is not a specified member entity of CIBIL, this violates Section 22 of the Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act, 2005 (CIRCA), which says...
22. Unauthorised access to credit information.—
(1) No person shall have access to credit information in the possession or control of a credit information company or a credit institution or a specified user unless the access is authorised by this Act or any other law for the time being in force or directed to do so by any court or tribunal and any such access to credit information without such authorisation or direction shall be considered as an unauthorised access to credit information.
In addition, the CIRCA clearly defines a specified user who can register with a credit bureau as member entity. Section 2 (l) states “specified user” means any credit institution, credit information company being a member under sub-section (3) of Section 15, and includes such other person or institution as may be specified by regulations made, from time to time, by the RBI for the purpose of obtaining credit information from a credit information company.
Besides credit institutions, insurance companies, telephone services providers, credit rating agencies registered with Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), a stock broker or sub-broker registered with SEBI, a trading member of recognised commodity exchange, SEBI and Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) are regarded as specified users under Regulation 3 of the CIRCA.
Let’s put it in simple words. Credit Sudhaar is just a specific services provider. CIBIL is allowing credit institutions and others to sell their loan products or other services on its Market Place. Credit Sudhaar is only registered on Market Place to offer “credit advisory” service for which the charges are Rs10,000 (it is mentioned as processing fees).
Both Mr Wadhwani and Mr Ramamurthy, the promoters of Credit Sudhaar had worked with Standard Chartered Bank and Citi. Both were also directors of SHAHA Finlease Pvt Ltd, an NBFC formed to buy bad assets from StanChart. On several occasions, the RBI, StanChart and the banking ombudsman had reprimanded SHAHA Finlease for its unprofessional conduct and unruly collection agents. Even on the Internet, there are number of complaints against SHAHA Finlease.
Our mails to CIBIL and the RBI remained unanswered till writing the story. We would incorporate their replies as and when we receive it.
NOTE: If you are facing similar issue, you may want to get help from Moneylife Foundation's free Credit Helpline http://www.freecredithelp.in/
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Just went through your article and I must say this is really happening and creditsudhar making people panic.
Yesterday I went to Credit Sudhaar website and filled the necessary information on website. Then website flags the message saying that your credit report is "BAD" to improve the credit report please choose the packages below which ranges from 4500 to 22,000 rupees.
Then I went to CIBIL website and downloaded my report by paying 550, my score mentioned there is 745 to be exact. And score of 745 is normal and acceptable to apply for the loan.
Today afternoon I got a call from Credit Sudhaar guy saying that we just received you application for personal loan and please tell us your requirement for the same and we will also help you to increase your credit score with charges mentioned above. I asked them what your company is doing exactly and how come you people provide free cibil score to individuals then call center guy realized that he called the wrong guy! at the end of the call he said that we just called you for feedback about our services which will help you in future.
Just now I just got another SMS saying that we will improve your score to 850 and to know more call us on mentioned mobile number, that also means CIBIL is selling our personal database to other people who recently downloaded the reports by paying Rs. 550.
I dont know how to react on this, some companies making people panic, some of then selling our data to other people, other people giving us so called valuable advice! Conclusion - your information is not more safe with anyone who stores it online because for few bucks these people are selling our personal and financial information to other people!
To stop people getting cheated twice over Moneylife Foundation had started a Free Credit Helpline. You can seek FREE, guidance and counselling from our experts. But before that we urge you to spend some time reading the resources we have on our helpline to understand what is a credit score and what are the consequences. Here is the link http://moneylife.in/credithelp/#ask-question
Where is Acche Din? for the peoples who are suffering due to low credit score?
This policy should be in Aam Adamin favor only.
Who can able to take responsibility?
Where is Acche Din? for the peoples who are suffering due to low credit score?
This policy should be in Aam Adamin favor only.
Who can able to take responsibility?
If you ask refund they will ready to refund 10% of amount you have paid. They should have banned and punished
it is like jailing with out any information.
RBI the nodal agency to implement is acting like bankers bank rather than a level playing authority.
Officers who handle this portfolio must be scrutinized of their act.
It is high time RBI should bring transparent codes with the knowledge of the public.
What does the settlement means to the common man it is closure of the account but to the bankers it is not
Who authorizes banks to share personal data and how cibil got authority to work on those data , need to be answered by RBI, before some real scam pops up. In India scams are everywhere and the real looser is common man.
Manoranjan, [email protected]
credit sudhar should be banned
How can the it assure to improve the credit ratings of individuals
these are fraud companies or banks are making lots of mistakes in reporting, banks should have inbuilt punishment clause in the act
What an irresponsible organization it is & how lethargic their services are, seriously and how lethargic are their services. They have reported someone else's credit card default in my report, due to which I had to go through a lot of pain, loan application denials and very much of a loss by taking loans elsewhere with higher interest rates.
The details are provided here, with email exchanges between CIBIL and I.
http://blog.thitherwards.com/cibil/"> CIBIL & It's Lethargic Services...
Please go through this and share it with all public, however & wherever possible.