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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 155544 times)

Offline AJK

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #320 on: September 03, 2013, 04:00:45 PM »
Do I look stupid?  ???Not sure what that is :-X

Not sure you want me to answer your first question after you read the answer to your second question...

In NY, Citi has started/been pulling EQ, not EX.

So your EX freeze didn't compel them to pull EQ... they were already pulling EQ to begin with.
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Offline Feivish

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #321 on: September 03, 2013, 04:04:03 PM »
Not sure you want me to answer your first question after you read the answer to your second question...

In NY, Citi has started/been pulling EQ, not EX.

So your EX freeze didn't compel them to pull EQ... they were already pulling EQ to begin with.
I guess reading that last 10 pages on the Citi AA thread was not enough.
Ding ding ding.
Now it rings

Offline CountValentine

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #322 on: September 03, 2013, 04:21:08 PM »
What can I say, I like livin' life on the edge...
Ding ding ding!
Only on DDF does 24/6 mean 24/5/half/half

Offline Shmulyg

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #323 on: September 03, 2013, 06:22:04 PM »
Not sure you want me to answer your first question after you read the answer to your second question...

In NY, Citi has started/been pulling EQ, not EX.

So your EX freeze didn't compel them to pull EQ... they were already pulling EQ to begin with.
They pulled both for my recent first AA app., so i froze it for my second.

Offline Feivish

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #324 on: September 03, 2013, 06:25:49 PM »
They pulled both for my recent first AA app., so i froze it for my second.
When was the first?

Offline Shmulyg

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #325 on: September 03, 2013, 07:26:34 PM »

Offline Feivish

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #326 on: September 03, 2013, 07:59:58 PM »
8/15/13
@AKJ since when do they only pull eq?

Offline kls0654

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #327 on: September 08, 2013, 01:55:18 PM »
Not sure you want me to answer your first question after you read the answer to your second question...

In NY, Citi has started/been pulling EQ, not EX.

So your EX freeze didn't compel them to pull EQ... they were already pulling EQ to begin with.

Are you sure about this ? I am from NY

I want to be certain about this , if the do this it will be a very big help for me

Offline AJK

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #328 on: September 08, 2013, 02:12:21 PM »
Certain about what in particular?
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Offline kls0654

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #329 on: September 08, 2013, 02:18:31 PM »
I want to be sure Please if Citi is using Equifax or Experian in NY


Offline AJK

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #330 on: September 08, 2013, 02:49:07 PM »
I want to be sure Please if Citi is using Equifax or Experian in NY

Seems to be YMMV. Used to be just EQ, now they seem to pull both EQ and EX.
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline kls0654

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #331 on: September 08, 2013, 03:00:05 PM »
If I may ask you ... How do you know ? Is there a place where I can check this ?

Offline AJK

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #333 on: September 08, 2013, 03:27:22 PM »
 ???
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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #335 on: September 08, 2013, 09:14:46 PM »
I chimed in on this a while ago in the AA thread.

Citi recently has started pulling both EQ and EX in NY on all apps. The primary report that they look at is EQ. Freezing EX has been proven successful. They don't ask to pull it.

Offline Shmulyg

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #336 on: September 08, 2013, 09:20:12 PM »
Citi recently has started pulling both EQ and EX in NY on all apps. The primary report that they look at is EQ. Freezing EX has been proven successful. They don't ask to pull it.
+1
IME too.

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #337 on: September 09, 2013, 01:32:51 AM »
Buy discounted gift cards from me.
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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #338 on: September 09, 2013, 02:02:19 AM »
+2 here too (twice)
I froze Experian for my second app. Went through without a hiccup.

Offline yhalps

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #339 on: September 09, 2013, 09:56:32 AM »
hi, newbie here,
chase declines me because of my history with them (settlement over 3 years ago) would they still decline me on a business card?