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Most banks, including Chase and AMEX, pull from Experian in NY and NJ when you apply for a card. If they see too many pulls, they are more likely to decline your application. The goal is to have the bank look at a different credit report that doesn’t have as many pulls. This is basically done by putting a security block, or “freeze” your Experian (or other hard hit reports) account. That way, banks are blocked from seeing it.

That can be done here:
Equifax
Experian
TransUnion

Obviously, you will not get instant approval and will have to call recon and ask them nicely to pull from a different bureau. Some banks will decline to do so and will require you to give them the pin# you set up when you froze the credit report so they can pull it. When you do call up, make sure you have a good reason for having your report frozen. Tell them there is some incorrect info on your experian credit report and that you don't want to unfreeze it until it gets corrected. DO NOT say that there was a fraud alert so you froze it!!!! This will cause them to freeze your application.

CHASE:
Personal- many have reported success in freezing experian and having apps approved. There are recent reports of this not working anymore and customer service requiring the pin to unlock your report so this may require lots of HUCA. One DDFer reports 15 HUCAs (3/19/14) and no luck. It may be dead  :(
If you plan on doing a chase 2BM, you might want to call and get both approved in the same call as to avoid multiple pulls. Alternatively, you can just unfreeze it before a 2/3BM.
AsherO reports that he had them pull equifax and they pulled transunion 2 days later as well. The best way to avoid a double-pull, is to freeze both Experian + another bureau and have them pull the third.

Business- There is limited reported success getting chase business reps to pull anything other than experian. Only one DDFer reports success and even he admits it was a real pain and lot and lots of HUCA-ing.

AMEX:
Unfortunately, it doesn’t work at all for AMEX. They will require your pin so they can pull Experian.

CITI:
In NY, Citi pulls from either Equifax or Experian or both. So by freezing experian, you can get them to pull just equifax thus preventing the dreaded double pull. (Many Ddfers have reported that Citi will no longer pull from another report once the original pull has been made).

A few side notes:
Freezing your report will automatically opt you out from pre-approved offers. Churners like those so you might want to opt back in.
If you have accounts with a bank they can still do a soft pull on your frozen credit report.
If you open a new account, it will get reported to the frozen credit report. The report just won’t show a hard pull.       

« Last edited by Yehuda25 on March 25, 2014, 10:01:00 PM »

Author Topic: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score  (Read 155570 times)

Offline Zalmy2

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Re: Re: Chase Recon with frozen EX
« Reply #280 on: January 09, 2013, 08:38:04 PM »
I have my EX frozen and I called Chase recon and asked them to pull my TU, and they said sure, but why is your EX frozen? and I stupidly said "because I got a fraud alert on ID monitor so I froze it" and now they won't pull TU and they notated my app to say I need to unfreeze my EX before they'll process it.

Am I SOL? Should I just apply again and when they ask me why it's frozen for the new app, I can tell them something else?
so what should I say why did I freeze it?

Offline modechai

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #281 on: January 25, 2013, 12:05:48 PM »
Did anybody have any success recently with Experian frozen ?

Offline compddd

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #282 on: January 25, 2013, 03:38:38 PM »
I used to have success with it with Chase personal cards, but now even they won't do it after multiple HUCA

Offline nobiggy

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #283 on: April 02, 2013, 08:43:39 PM »
I have
3 pulls from EQ
1 pull ffrom experian
4 pulls from TU

Which one(s) do you suggest I freeze before I apply for a 3BM? Also if they ask me why I froze it what should I say?

Offline ashers

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #284 on: April 03, 2013, 07:58:16 AM »
I have
3 pulls from EQ
1 pull ffrom experian
4 pulls from TU

Which one(s) do you suggest I freeze before I apply for a 3BM? Also if they ask me why I froze it what should I say?
I suggest you W-A-I-T
it CAN be done!

Offline nobiggy

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #285 on: April 03, 2013, 09:05:33 AM »
I suggest you W-A-I-T

If you can please be specific how long etc..
i will explain how my report is
EQ: 1/12 4/12 1/13
EX: 3/12
TU: 1/12 8/12 1/13 1/13

and based on citi monitor my score is
EQ: UNRATED
EX: 727
TU:726

Offline Moshe123

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #286 on: April 03, 2013, 09:40:58 AM »
Then you're pretty ok. You should have been clearer about the dates.

Offline nobiggy

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #287 on: April 03, 2013, 09:43:06 AM »
Then you're pretty ok. You should have been clearer about the dates.

before i do anything i just want to make sure all is good
so if i want to do a 3bm for AMEX and CHASE  i should be ok without freezing anything? and of course i will write for income 50K or so?
Also am i able to apply for a business card or will i be declined? and business and consumer can be mixed for one hard pull?

Offline nobiggy

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #288 on: April 08, 2013, 06:56:50 AM »
Then you're pretty ok. You should have been clearer about the dates.

????

Offline YG

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #289 on: April 08, 2013, 07:38:20 PM »
I used to have success with it with Chase personal cards, but now even they won't do it after multiple HUCA
+2 HUCA
+1 speaking to suprvisor

All said they can no longer change bueraus after an initial attempt at pulling with a given buerau.
i asked if i could reapply and initially pull another buerau, they said they cant control it.  it pulls automatically.

 :(!!

I've done lots of pulls on EX lately, and being in NYC ill prob have no hope with AmEx for a while now so i wanna lay low with EX HPs for a while, now it seems i have to lay low with chase apps bichlal too
:(

Offline Moshe123

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #290 on: April 25, 2013, 07:43:57 AM »
My wife has 6 pulls on Experian and 1 on Equifax, if I freeze her Experian will Chase still pull Equifax?
I want to do a 2bm.

Offline lkwd atrny

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #291 on: April 25, 2013, 01:24:13 PM »
I tried this, and got denied by Amex because of the freeze.  Promptly removed the freeze which cost me $5.

Offline Moshe123

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #292 on: April 25, 2013, 01:37:33 PM »
I tried this, and got denied by Amex because of the freeze.  Promptly removed the freeze which cost me $5.

Doesn't work with amex. Works with Chase. Did it today. HUCA if rep doesn't want to pull Equifax.

Offline gloreglabert

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #293 on: April 25, 2013, 03:07:32 PM »
Doesn't work with amex. Works with Chase. Did it today. HUCA if rep doesn't want to pull Equifax.

Biz or personal? I've had zero success with biz reps, lots of HUCA

Offline Moshe123

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #294 on: April 25, 2013, 03:10:24 PM »
Biz or personal? I've had zero success with biz reps, lots of HUCA

Personal in my case.

Offline gloreglabert

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #295 on: April 25, 2013, 03:12:51 PM »
Personal in my case.

Yeah, I'm waiting to hear any recent reports of biz success. Personal seems to be easier.

Offline aryeh1

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #296 on: May 01, 2013, 11:40:27 AM »
did not work with chase business 3 bm,
am i better giving pin or unfreezing ?

Offline Moshe123

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #297 on: May 09, 2013, 01:20:11 PM »
I unfroze my report and got this confirmation message:

Quote
Your request for permanent removal of a security freeze from your personal credit report has been processed.

Does this mean that the freeze is already off or not?

Thanks

Offline mgarfin

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #298 on: June 09, 2013, 01:28:42 PM »
I unfroze my report and got this confirmation message:

Does this mean that the freeze is already off or not?

Thanks

I just got the same can I Immediately apply for a card

Offline Moshe123

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #299 on: June 09, 2013, 01:46:18 PM »
I just got the same can I Immediately apply for a card?

Yes