Deleting personal data from 38 debt registers
The client appeared in unofficial databases despite settling obligations. We cleared his history, allowing him to obtain a mortgage.
Mr. Marek wanted to buy an apartment, but the bank rejected his application for a 412,000 PLN mortgage. The reason was old online entries about debts he had paid off 4 years ago. We helped him remove this data and regain a clean slate in the eyes of the bank.
The challenge
The client had 38 negative entries on private credit information exchange portals and online debt exchanges. Most of them concerned a 120 PLN fine and an overdue phone bill from March 2017. He settled all liabilities in 2020, but site administrators did not respond to his requests. The developer set him a 24-day deadline to provide a positive credit decision. The banking system automatically blocked the client because it saw his data in the Google search engine on debtor lists.
Our approach
The Nick Castro team took action immediately after receiving powers of attorney. Instead of writing polite requests, we sent legal notices based on specific GDPR paragraphs and the Polish Civil Code. We tracked down 14 different database administrators operating in 4 different cities in Poland. We used the right to be forgotten to force the removal of data from the Google Ireland Ltd index. Each of the 38 links was monitored by us every 12 hours.
The solution
We prepared precise demands to stop data processing for each portal separately. In 7 cases where administrators delayed responding, we used the argument of reporting the case to UODO (Personal Data Protection Office). We acted in silence, without making unnecessary noise around the client's name. We effectively withdrew information from circulation, blocking its display when searching for Mr. Marek's first and last name.
Results
We managed to clear all entries before the deadline set by the developer. Mr. Marek received a loan with a 2.8% margin and bought the apartment.
Timeline
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October 2, 2024Analysis of 38 links and verification of payment proof
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October 5, 2024Sending legal notices to administrators in 4 cities
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October 12, 2024Removal of the first 23 entries and link blocking in Google
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October 21, 2024Final cleaning of the last 15 databases and final report
"I thought an old ticket would destroy my plans for a home. Nick Castro handled the matter in 19 days, without unnecessary talk. We have specific paragraphs for this and it worked. Your data, your control – these are not empty words."