why are bennetts/lexisnexis doing credit searches on me?

[r1200rt]

i have a bennets bike policy that doesnt expire until aug 2026

i have obtained no quotes since setting up the policy in aug 2025

see pics

two days ago there were two "soft searches" on my credit report from bennets, as well as searches from "LexisNexis" (whoever they are??)

i called bennets and they have no idea about any of this

any thoughts?

 

[siddo]

Lots of companies that you have agreements with check it.
Stop worrying about it as it has no impact on your rating.

 

[r1200rt]

I'm not worried, but curious why soft searches for quotes are being done by bennets, not by me, and bennetts have no knowledge of it!

 

[Robbieben]

Its very common practice now, on a soft search they can see other info, policies etc that you hold. The computer searches & finds that information and then a few days, weeks later you'll get a letter through the door advertising their products.

 

[wessie]

Lexis Nexis are used by a lot of companies to verify an address. Every time you get a quote they look to see if you are actually matched at the address. As I found out when I moved, premiums are higher if you do not appear on the electoral roll, which took 3 months before it started to show on my credit file.

Did you have an old policy that ran out this time of year? Did you get a speculative quote for an insurance product in April, not just motoring?

I still get checks and emails from previous house insurers around the renewal time of house insurance for my last place in April. I moved here in October 2023 so not had an April renewal for 3 years.

 

[r1200rt]

nope, no old policies around this time of year

i just think it's weird that these are "quote searches"

 

[MILLE_RIDER]

I used to work for Lexis Nexis, they were publishers of legal and business literature back then

 

[r1200rt]

an email from bennetts, see below. i have never used "The Bike Insurer" comparison site

"the bike insurer" is owned by "Vast Visibility Ltd", part of the Howden group

so... one of these companies is submitting my details to "The Bike Insurer" comparison site??


--------

Dear Mr xxxx,

Thank you for your email enquiring about the soft searches which have been carried out.

Having reviewed your file, I have located quotations which were processed via The Bike Insurer in March 2025. When a quotation is processed via a price comparison website, part of their terms is that a new search is processed on the anniversary of when the original quotation was processed. This should be advised on their website.

As it is a soft search, this will not have had any impact on your credit score and Bennetts are unable to remove this.

However, if you contact whoever you check your score with, they may be able to do this for you.

Kind Regards

 

[wessie]

I used to work for Lexis Nexis, they were publishers of legal and business literature back then

they still are. I used their legal databases when researching for my dissertations. They have simply extended to operating ID verification databases to service the ever increasing need to store and sell our data.

 

[Riktus]

The checks are automatic approaching renewal Lexis Nexis are a Verification company usually used to varify an address or a flood risk. Bennetts Credit check will be automatically generated in the renewal process starting approx 60 days before renewal as it will start the process of tendering the renewal terms to Underwriters.

 

[r1200rt]

my renewal date is aug, ie months away

and, as i said..bennets did not perform these checks. they said they came from a comparison site (that i have never used)