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Credit Advice
Topics addressed on January 18, 2012:
Credit card bills sent to son’s address after he moved out
Dear Experian,
My oldest son recently moved. I have just found out that your agency, without my knowledge, changed the address on my credit cards. My bills should still be coming to me, and his should go to him. I think it is absurd to change all the addresses when someone moves when there are different people and cards involved. I think this program should cease immediately. At the very least, people should be notified that this is happening so they can confirm which cards should have the address changed.
- RKO
Dear RKO,
Experian cannot and does not change the billing addresses on your credit card accounts. That can only be done by your credit card providers.
If you are seeing your son’s new address on your credit report, it is because the credit card provider has changed the address in its systems and has then reported the new address to Experian. That would most likely occur if you are a joint account holder or authorized user on an account or accounts with your son.
Your son may have notified the credit card providers of his new address, causing them to change the billing address in their files. They will then use that address to report the account history for all names associated with the account, so it will add the address to your credit history.
Similarly, if you were to use a P.O. Box or work address to receive your statements from a creditor, that address would most likely appear on your report, too, even though you do not physically live there.
If you are concerned about which lenders are reporting your son’s new address, you can request a copy of your Experian report. It will include instructions to contact a representative to discuss which accounts now are being associated with his address. You will need to contact the creditors themselves in order to change the address they are reporting with the accounts.
Thanks for asking.
- The "Ask Experian" team