Experian, the global information services company, has today announced details of its 8th annual Experian International Telecom Forum, taking place this year in Madrid on Thursday 20th and Friday the 21st June.
News release
Experian International Telecom Forum 2013
Nottingham, 12 June 2013 – Experian, the global information services company, has today announced details of its 8th annual Experian International Telecom Forum, taking place this year in Madrid on Thursday 20th and Friday the 21st June.
The two-day conference will bring together credit risk and marketing professionals from across the telecommunication and multimedia industry to explore the present and future challenges in marketing and risk management.
South Africa is one of the countries that will be represented at the forum. Linda Morgan, Executive Head of Collections at Vodacom SA, will be speaking about moving from a manual collections operation, in the telecommunications environment, to best practice.
“The South African mobile market is growing fast and becoming increasingly competitive. Service providers need to deliver sophisticated packages that will enable them to balance growth with effective risk management,” said Linda Morgan.
The forum promises to be an influential platform for the strategies and solutions that are setting industry trends, with keynotes and presentations from experts across the arena.
Confirmed speakers across the two-day event include:
· Vodafone Group Services Limited: Chris Handley, Group Head of Mobile Analytics
· Telefonica Group: Eduardo Navarro, Head of Global Strategy
· KPN: Anja Salier, Credit Manager
· Orange (Spain): Celia Aragones, Risk Director
· Vodafone (Spain): Iñigo Santamaria, Collections Manager
· Intrum Justitia: Cristina Aparicio, Sales Director
· BT Italia (Italy): Mirko Polizzi, Working Capital and Cash Manager
· Telenor (Denmark): Samuel Lindstedt, Head of Revenue Management
· Tuenti Movil (Spain): Adam Holt, Director of MVNO
· SFR: Pierre Alarcon, VP Cross Channel Customer Management
· Vodacom (South Africa): Linda Morgan, Executive Head of Collections
· Telefonica (Spain): Antonio Velazquez, Head of Corporate Risk
· Finconsum (LA Caixa Group): Jaume Torra, Risk Director
· Yoigo (Spain): Javier Méndez Castillero, Director of Credit, Collections, Billing & Fraud Prevention
The Forum agenda will cover several topics including ‘View of the global economy, impacts, trends & challenges on the Telecom industry’; ‘Understanding and managing credit and fraud risk’; and breakout sessions such as ‘Fraud’ and ‘Investment in Innovation’. There will be a number of case studies and workshops, as well as parallel interactive sessions run by leading market players. The Forum will also feature an impressive product and solutions showcase, with the event offering the opportunity to arrange private consultancy meetings with international experts in the industry.
Tim Barber, Sales & Marketing Director for Experian in EMEA, comments: “The conference is an excellent opportunity for leading experts and businesses from across the Telecoms industry to come together and debate prominent industry issues and trends, as well as to share knowledge, skills and contacts. This is Experian’s 8th annual Telecom Forum - we’re looking forward to an ever-strong panel of speakers, presentations and interesting discussion.”
The conference is open to CEOs, COOs, directors, head and senior executives of marketing, risk and fraud departments, from mobile and fixed network operators, mobile virtual network operators, mobile manufacturers, multimedia companies, industry associations and regulators.
ENDS
Contact:
Chantal Heckford / Maddy Morgan Williams
020 7490 8828
chantalh@lansons.com / maddymw@lansons.com
About Experian
Experian is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients around the world. The Group helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. Experian also helps individuals to check their credit report and credit score, and protect against identity theft.
Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended 31 March 2013 was US $4.7 billion. Experian employs approximately 17,000 people in 40 countries and has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; California, US; and São Paulo, Brazil.
For more information, visit http://www.experianplc.com.
Seven invaluable keys to a healthy credit rating door
South Africa, 04 June 2013 – Among an individual’s most valuable assets is a healthy credit rating. “Every effort should be made to gain and maintain such a rating, as it will stand you in good stead for all the transactions you undertake in the long-term future,” says Michelle Beetar, MD of information services company Experian SA.
Although there is no quick fix, she advises those with a poor or scanty credit report to heed seven guidelines should they hope to achieve a healthy long-term credit rating:
· Always pay your accounts on time every month. If you cannot pay this month, be sure to pay next. If you fall two or three months into arrears, credit lenders are less likely to give you credit.
· Pay the full instalment amount that is owed each month.
· Budget. Never buy on credit without knowing if you can afford the repayments.
· Try to keep credit repayments between 20% and 30% of your income. If you earn R5 000 a month, keep all of your monthly credit repayments to within R1 000 and R1 500.
· If you are unable to make a payment owing to unforeseen circumstances, talk to the company concerned and make alternative arrangements to pay back what you owe. You’ll be surprised at how receptive, sympathetic and accommodating credit grantors can be.
· Never ignore a letter of demand for payment. Make a phone call or write a letter to explain your situation.
· Never ignore a summons to court for non-payment. This could become a very serious reflection on your credit profile.
Noting that the objective of a credit scoring record or a credit rating is to assist the credit grantor to assess how you will pay in future, Beetar acknowledges the difficulty of obtaining credit without an established credit history. “But simply because you have a scanty credit record does not mean you have a poor credit score; it just means there is insufficient data to assess your credit-worthiness.”
Be that as it may, Beetar points out that the various lending institutions have different processes when processing credit applicants with sketchy credit records.
“Your success rate is dependent on each institution’s credit granting policies. We suggest to consumers seeking credit for the first time that they apply for credit at the bank where they have established another financial relationship, such as a cheque or savings account. This is at least a starting point that could yield positive results if you have operated those accounts impeccably.”
A common inquiry understandably seeks to establish a standard credit score with a view to benchmarking one’s own score to that standard.
Beetar’s short answer is that there is no single credit score. Credit grantors may choose to use a standard credit bureau score in their decision making process, but these are specific to each bureau. Or they may choose to build their own credit score. Credit grantors will take different factors into consideration when building a credit score, based on the company's specific credit-granting policies.
“Be aware,” stresses Beetar, “that such scores differ between credit grantors and may even differ between the type of credit for which you apply – a home loan, credit card, personal loan, etc.” In the process of allocating a credit score, the bureau or lending institution looks at many different pieces of information. Ultimately, she says, they aim to take a fair view of both positive and negative information. “Often credit grantors will make use of credit bureau data, their own internal data and affordability data, such as the ratio of installment to income, to build a company specific credit score. A credit score is often specific to a lender and the product offered.”
Because there is no standard credit score, she emphasises the importance of understanding what information is contained on your personal credit report and to understand whether you have any negative information on your report. “The information stored by a credit bureau is a combination of both positive and negative information – in fact, about 70% of information held by South African credit bureaus is positive information and will actually help consumers gain access to credit.”
Beetar encourages consumers to take advantage of the free annual service provided by the credit bureaus as prescribed by the National Credit Act, giving consumers the right to access their credit reports once a year at no cost.
ENDS
Prepared by Meropa Communications on behalf of Experian SA
Contact:
Inga Sebata
Meropa Communications
+27 11 506 7328
+27 74 886 8711
About Experian
Experian is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients around the world. The Group helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. Experian also helps individuals to check their credit report and credit score, and protect against identity theft.
Experian plc. is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended 31 March 2013 was US$4.7 billion. Experian employs approximately 17,000 people in 40 countries and has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; California, US; and São Paulo, Brazil.
For more information, visit http://www.experianplc.com.
News release
Widespread scam targets debt-strapped consumers
South Africa, 12 February 2013 – “Do not pay anything up front until you have had a service of some value.”
This is the earnest warning to all consumers from Sharon Coppola, legal risk and compliance executive at information services group Experian SA.
It is a cautionary message prompted by a scam that has cost beleaguered consumers many thousands of rands since it started doing the rounds in recent months. Coppola also urges people to contact a credit bureau and get a free copy of their credit report to understand how they can manage their credit rating instead of falling prey to these scams.
Recounting the story of a victim who recently approached Experian for assistance, Coppola tells of a woman who desperately needed a second-hand car and advertised on public internet sites, in the process highlighting the difficulty she was encountering as a result of her poor credit rating.
She was then approached via email by someone who wrote that the same thing had happened to him; that he knew of an organisation that could help her; that he would arrange for her to receive a contact address.
Soon thereafter she was furnished with an internet email address, with which she engaged. Help was offered contingent upon her receiving a favourable credit record – which, the identity behind the email assured her, could be obtained upon payment to him of R3 000.
“Once I am able to secure a clean credit record for you, I can have your car ready and waiting.”
To illustrate its bona fides, the scam syndicate sent her a host of documentation liberally festooned with the logos of credit bureaus, the ombud, and a leading commercial bank.
“The forms were pseudo and the logos were reproduced from branded material readily available to the public,” says Coppola.
Once the R3 000 had been paid, the fraudsters closed their internet account and the account into which the money was paid. Unsurprisingly, the further impoverished consumer never heard from the perpetrators again.
She called Coppola to recount her dreadful experience.
“The saddest thing of all is that those who fall for the scam are those least able to afford the R3 000, since they cannot get credit anywhere else. In this particular case, the family lost their house. All they were trying to do was to get a cheap second-hand car in order to get around.
“We brought the scam to the attention of forensic investigators who said there was little they could do to track down the perpetrators because they hid behind a public website address. In effect, she lost R3 000 and she will never get it back.
“Alas, it is not the first time it has happened, and probably won’t be the last.”
As a service to the public, Experian is doing its level best to create awareness among consumers.
“Be warned; do not fall for this scam,” Coppola urges. “There are clever syndicates behind this carefully premeditated scam; syndicates that troll the web for debt-strapped consumers. Do not pay anything up front until you have had a service of some value.”
She emphasises the consumer’s right to go to a credit bureau before resorting to desperate measures and confirms that credit bureau does not remove information unless, after investigation, there is a legitimate reason for removal.
“A credit bureau like Experian is able to examine a credit rating and advise on how it can be managed, and where possible, improved. As a starting point, simply approach a bureau and request a free credit report. You can challenge the information contained in the report and could arrange for certain of the data to be excised.
“In short, make the bureau your first point of call.”
Footnote
To access your Experian credit report online and sign-up to receive credit report updates by sms and email, please visit www.creditexpert.co.za. For queries on your Experian credit report please contact Experian Consumer Relations on 0861 10 56 65.
ENDS
Contact:
Natasha Horwitz Experian South Africa 011 799 3400 Natasha.Horwitz@experian.co.za
|
Jonathan MahapaMeropa Communications +27 11 506-7333 |
About Experian
Experian is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients around the world. The Group helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. Experian also helps individuals to check their credit report and credit score, and protect against identity theft.
Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended 31 March 2012 was US$4.5 billion. Experian employs approximately 17,000 people in 44 countries and has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; California, US; and São Paulo, Brazil.
For more information, visit http://www.experianplc.com.