Although life would be easier if this was a straightforward question, it unfortunately isn’t. As there is no universal rating system in the UK, it’s a little difficult to answer what a bad credit rating really is. For example, credit agencies Experian and Equifax both use different criteria to assess a person’s history.
In the case of Experian, the firm rates credit scores out of 999. Anything between 0 and 720 is generally regarded as being ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’. Equifax, on the other hand, rates scores out of 700 and will detail ratings under 379 as being poor or lower.
Therefore, to assess whether you have a bad credit score, you should contact one of these organisations and see what rating they give you. If you fall into one of the above categories, then this number may prevent you from obtaining certain financial products or low interest rates.