Every German probably has to deal with the Schutzgemeinschaft für Kreditsicherung - SCHUFA for short - at least once in his or her life.
Whether you are signing a cell phone contract, looking for an apartment, shopping online or taking out a loan: In all these situations, the contractual partner will take a close look at your creditworthiness.
In order to check your creditworthiness, SCHUFA requests information about you, which indicates your credit standing.
Either your SCHUFA is clean and you will get the contract or loan without any problems, or you will be rejected.
The most common reason for this: a negative SCHUFA entry.
What consequences this has and how you can delete it in just 3 simple steps negative SCHUFA data we will show you today.
Negative SCHUFA entry - Is that bad?
In short: yes.
Even if you're not looking for a new home, nor do you want to sign a new mobile phone or credit contract, a negative SCHUFA entry can play havoc with your credit rating.
With almost every type of installment payment or order on account, your SCHUFA is checked.
So unless you want to pay in advance for every purchase, keep your SCHUFA rating as high as possible.
In addition, your life situation can also change unexpectedly at any time.
If your landlord announces his own needs, you suddenly need a new apartment - and therefore also a clean SCHUFA.
Would your adult child like to move out and needs you as a guarantor? Then you need a clean SCHUFA.
You suddenly need faster Internet - for example, because you have to work from home - and therefore need to switch providers? That's only possible with a clean SCHUFA.
So it's better to be safe than sorry. Therefore, you should always keep an eye on your own SCHUFA data and delete any bad entries at the SCHUFA as quickly as possible.
How do I find out if I have a negative SCHUFA entry?
Now that it is clear how important it is to always strive for a good SCHUFA score, there is still the question of how to find out that you have a negative SCHUFA entry.
Unfortunately, you don't get any mail or email when a negative entry is filed in your SCHUFA.
Therefore, it is important to regularly check your own creditworthiness and to be informed about deadlines for the deletion, SCHUFA deletion requirements and the correct procedure.
Requesting your self-disclosure is the only way to find out if you have a negative SCHUFA record.
Do I now have the SCHUFA entry forever?
If you actually have one or more negative SCHUFA entries, the shock is deep.
"Does this mean I'll never be approved for a loan, find an apartment or sign a cell phone contract again?" many ask themselves.
But do not panic.
SCHUFA entries are normally deleted automatically from your SCHUFA credit profile after some time. How long a SCHUFA entry is stored depends entirely on why you received the entry.
The reason for your entry therefore has a significant influence on its duration until it is deletion. SCHUFA deletion periods are precisely regulated. If you would like to find out more about this topic, we recommend our article "SCHUFA entry: How long does it remain?".
However, here again the most important in brief:
- You can delete false entries immediately at the SCHUFA to delete have
- If you have not paid a claim of less than 2,000€, you can delete the SCHUFA entry deleted as soon as you have paid the amount
- If you have not complied with a claim for more than €2,000, the deletion period for the associated entry is three years
More info:
- Information about ongoing banking relationships, such as maintaining a current account or holding credit cards, is recorded until the end of the banking relationship
- After the last paid installment of a loan, the credit relationship remains recorded for 3 years
- If you make a credit application, this is noted 12 months
In addition, the following applies: You will never get a negative SCHUFA entry just like that!
Although you will not be informed by SCHUFA as soon as the entry is up, the company with which you have not complied with your payment request must first send you two warnings at intervals of 4 weeks.
In addition, the company must point out a threatening SCHUFA entry!
Can you delete a SCHUFA entry deleted have it deleted?
As just noted, you can delete a SCHUFA entry deleted at least if certain criteria are met.
Basically, you can delete three types of negative SCHUFA data deleted have deleted:
- False entries
- Einträge über geringfügige Schulden (<2.000€)
- Special case: Titled receivables
False entries
In principle, you can delete all outdated or simply incorrect data at the SCHUFA have it deleted.
Since SCHUFA handles millions of data every day, errors often occur.
According to various studies, every 3rd SCHUFA report contains incorrect or outdated entries, which in the worst case have a negative impact on your credit score.
That's why it's so important to always keep track of your entries and your SCHUFA score and order your self-disclosure at regular intervals.
If you discover incorrect or outdated entries there, you can have them removed immediately.
The most common types of false entries are outdated addresses, incorrect or already fully settled payment claims, banking relationships that no longer exist (e.g. an old account that has already been closed) or similar.
You can complain about such false entries directly to SCHUFA. To speed up the deletion process, you should, if possible, enclose relevant documents with your letter proving that a false entry has been made.
If you have already paid an invoice, then enclose the corresponding transfer confirmation or - in case of cash payment and loss of the receipt - ask the seller to issue a payment confirmation again.
If any outdated banking transactions are noted, such as a loan more than 3 years old or an old account, ask your bank to confirm that this business relationship has ended and send it along.
SCHUFA will then immediately delete the incorrect entry(s).
Entries about minor debts
Since 2012, there has been a rule that SCHUFA must immediately delete entries on minor debts if they have been settled within a period of six weeks from the date of the SCHUFA entry.
Minor debts refer to debts of less than €2,000, although this may not be a titled debt.
In addition, in any case, you must provide proof of full payment of the claim.
Special case: Titled receivables
Titled receivables are a special case.
A claim against you is titled when you have been ordered to pay in court proceedings.
Your creditor - i.e. the person to whom you owe money - then has the right to initiate enforcement measures against you.
The entry can only be deleted from your SCHUFA directory at an early stage if you settle the outstanding debt and it is subsequently removed at the competent local court. However, this is only possible with the consent of the creditor.
A "note of completion" and a so-called "deletion certificate" will then be sent to SCHUFA, which will then delete your entry from your profile at the SCHUFA can.
Who should I contact if I want to delete a delete a SCHUFA entry want?
In the case of incorrect entries, you can usually contact SCHUFA directly and enclose the relevant documents.
Sending a short letter explaining the situation and enclosing the relevant evidence is sufficient. This is the address of SCHUFA:
SCHUFA Holding AG
PO Box 10 25 66
44725 Bochum
In the case of wrongly registered claims, it is best to contact your creditor directly or the relevant collection agency, if one has been engaged by the creditor.
If the creditor and/or SCHUFA refuse to remove the entries, you should, in the best case, contact a lawyer. If you have legal protection insurance, it will normally cover the costs of the mandate.
Checklist: In only 3 steps the SCHUFA entry let
Here is a summary of the steps you need to follow in order to delete an unpleasant SCHUFA entry to have it deleted:
Step 1: Request self-disclosure
The first step is to find out which entries SCHUFA has stored in your credit profile in the first place.
So request your self-disclosure.
Step 2: Check self-disclosure carefully
In the second step, you check your self-disclosure for incorrect entries.
Pay particular attention to excessive deletion periods and incorrect information.
Make a note of any incorrect entries.
Step 3: Find contact person & have entry deleted
If you have discovered incorrect entries, you can now take care of these entries with the SCHUFA to have them deleted.
In case of incorrect address data or statute-barred entries, contact SCHUFA directly and enclose the relevant evidence.
If you are dealing with unjustified claims, contact your creditor or the responsible collection agency directly.
Submit your request for deletion as well as proof of settled payment both to your creditor and directly to SCHUFA.
If the entries are justified, but you have settled all outstanding claims in the meantime, you can apply for early deletion of the SCHUFA entries, provided the creditor agrees.
To do this, contact SCHUFA and the creditor in parallel and ask the creditor to agree to the deletion of your entry.
The latter then gives SCHUFA permission to delete the entry.
Conclusion
In general, the following applies in matters of SCHUFA: Deletions and the associated stress can be avoided, prevention is everything!
This means that you should always pay your bills on time to avoid having a negative record in the first place.
In any case, check your self-disclosure at regular intervals to be able to eliminate any incorrect entries immediately before they cause you problems.
You can conveniently order your personal SCHUFA self-disclosure online at selbstauskunft.de!
Also try to build a good relationship with your creditors so that they are more willing to agree to a cancellation once you have settled your debt.
If you get into arrears - for whatever reason - do not ignore reminders and letters, but proactively clarify how and when you intend to settle the payment.