Individuals

For individuals interested in GBG and their data

Where we can assist you, we will always seek to do so, but it’s worth being aware that for the majority of our processing, GBG sits in the middle of 2 Data Controllers – Our Customer and our Data Supplier. They will each control some elements of your data processing which we may not have visibility of, and nor are we able to influence, therefore we may ask you to speak directly with them.

Under GDPR, for more information on how we operate, we have 2 Privacy Policies which are key:
• Where we collect data directly, please see our Privacy Policy
• Where we collect data indirectly, please see our Products & Services Privacy Policy

Frequently asked questions

Can’t find the answer you’re looking for? Talk to our customer support team.

You will have interacted with one of our customers. You should be able to identify who by the company name after GB Group, which is on the soft footprint on your credit report. Sometimes the company has a number of trading names, so may choose to use their registered company to complete the search.

This is usually displayed as:
GB Group - (name of company who conducted search) e.g. “GB Group – ABC Company”.

If you do not believe you have had any dealings with the company named, or one of their subsidiaries, you will need to contact them directly in order to notify them you have not transacted with them, and to inform them someone may have used your details fraudulently. They will have a team set up to deal with this type of query.

Alternatively, you can contact the credit report provider to request the removal of the search.

Why does GBG show on my credit report?

GBG plc offers an electronic identity verification service to organisations who wish to verify the identity of individuals as part of a customer registration process.

Our terms and conditions with these organisations stipulate they must have informed those individuals on whom searches are conducted. This is usually held within the company’s Data Protection Notice and/or Terms & Conditions of trade that an individual would normally agree to as part of the sign up process.

The searches are conducted by our customers for the purpose of verifying your identity and is not a credit check. There is a requirement placed on many organisations who need to comply with legislation for example Anti Money Laundering (AML) regulations. 

These searches do not have an impact on your credit file and are not seen by any company performing their own credit check.

Why can't GBG help?

Each customer defines their own risk level and this is not something GBG can affect or influence.

One of our customers who you have been engaging with will have carried out a check as part of a recent transaction, for example a mobile phone contract change, the opening of an online account or new credit agreement. This check is to ensure the bank details you provide are valid which will allow the smooth set-up of any arrangement you may have with them.

Our terms and conditions stipulate our customer must inform you they are conducting a check and what will happen.

No money will be taken as this will remain as a pending transaction.

This transaction will be removed by the bank within 5-7 working days from when it first appeared on your account.

There are a number of reasons why you may have received a call for another individual, for example:

  • There was a keying error when the information was entered by GBG’s Customer/Data Supplier
  • The number could have previously belonged to another individual and reallocated by the telecommunications provider
  • An individual may have provided contact details belonging to their partner or another family member
  • It could have been used fraudulently by another individual

Contact us using the details below to securely log a request for GBG to investigate the removal of this data.

To write to us:

Data Protection Officer
GB Group PLC
The Foundation
Heronsway
Chester
CH4 9GB
United Kingdom

Call us on +44(0)161 909 6713, or contact us using the form.

GBG is more than happy to consider a right to be forgotten, and you can submit your request via our form below, phone or in writing. We have one calendar month to respond.

The right to erasure is not absolute and only applies in a number of circumstances:

  • We no longer need your data
  • You consented to the use of your data, but have now withdrawn consent
  • You have objected to the use of your data, and your interests outweigh those of GBG
  • Where you believe we have collected or used your data unlawfully
  • We have a legal obligation to erase your data
  • The data was collected from you as a child from an online service

When making a request, please include:

Your name and contact details:

  • Identification in the form of driving licence or passport, with a recently utility bill or bank statement dated in the last 3 months.

More information on this right can be found on the ICO’s website, here.

To contact us, please use the following details:

To write to us:

Data Protection Officer
GB Group PLC
The Foundation
Heronsway
Chester
CH4 9GB
United Kingdom

Call us on +44(0)161 909 6713, or contact us using the form.

GBG is more than happy to consider a right to object to/restrict processing, and you can submit your request via our form below, phone or in writing. We have one calendar month to respond.

When making a request, please include:

Your name and contact details:

  • Identification in the form of driving licence or passport, with a recently utility bill or bank statement dated in the last 3 months.

More information on this right can be found on the ICO’s website, here.

To contact us, please use the following details:

To write to us:

Data Protection Officer
GB Group PLC
The Foundation
Heronsway
Chester
CH4 9GB
United Kingdom

Call us on +44(0)161 909 6713, or contact us using the form.

GBG will process data based on consent in limited situations

You can submit your request to withdraw your consent via our form below, phone or in writing and please include:

Your name and contact details:

  • Identification in the form of driving licence or passport, with a recently utility bill or bank statement dated in the last 3 months.
GBG does not receive data from our data suppliers based on consent as we do not believe this to be a viable, lawful means of doing so.

If you believe another organisation is processing data based on consent, please contact them directly.

GBG is more than happy to consider a right to rectification, and you can submit your request via our form below, phone or in writing. We have one calendar month to respond.

GBG process data on behalf of our Customers or Data Suppliers, which means we don't gather the data directly, nor are we able to update it.

What this means in practice, is that we check data we hold for our Data Suppliers, and if it's incorrect, we're happy to pass the message on to them. However, you still need to contact the company you are dealing with to correct their database.

If we do hold data on behalf of our Customers or Data Suppliers, we are unable to update or change it, but we can suppress the incorrect data so we don’t share this incorrect record again. The reason why we can’t change it is if the Data Supplier didn't update the record or change it, then GBG’s update process would be overwritten in the new file provided by the Data Supplier.

When challenging the accuracy of your data that you want corrected. You should:

  • State clearly what you believe is inaccurate or incomplete
  • Explain how the organisation should correct it
  • Where available, provide evidence of the inaccuracies

When making a request, please include:

  • Your name and contact details:
  • Identification in the form of driving licence or passport, with a recently utility bill or bank statement dated in the last 3 months.

More information on this right can be found on the ICO’s website, here.

To contact us, please use the following details:

To write to us:

Data Protection Officer
GB Group PLC
The Foundation
Heronsway
Chester
CH4 9GB
United Kingdom

Call us on +44(0)161 909 6713, or contact us using the form.

Submitting a Subject Access Request

GBG has one calendar month to respond from receipt of your request. For more information on time limits, the ICO has some guidance here.

When making a request, please include:

Your name and contact details:

  • Identification in the form of driving licence or passport, with a recently utility bill or bank statement dated in the last 3 months.
  • Any information to identify or distinguish you from other people with the same name
  • Any details or relevant dates that will help identify what you want
  • Please send your request to:

Data Protection Officer
GB Group PLC
The Foundation
Heronsway
Chester
CH4 9GB
United Kingdom

Or, contact us using the form

Please read the relevant FAQ before submitting a request to understand if it's something we can help you with, plus they will provide guidance on timing.

Other requests to exercise your rights can also be made via our form below, phone or in writing.

Please write to:

Data Protection Officer
GB Group PLC
The Foundation
Heronsway
Chester
CH4 9GB
United Kingdom

Call us on +44(0)161 909 6713, or contact us using the form.

Data request

Please read the relevant FAQ before submitting a request to understand if it's something we can help you with.