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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 155449 times)

Offline jaywhy

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #340 on: September 09, 2013, 10:03:12 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?
Most likely.

Offline Shmulyg

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #341 on: October 02, 2013, 02:25:33 AM »
Doesn't work with amex. Works with Chase. Did it today. HUCA if rep doesn't want to pull Equifax.
Is this still the case? Any recent experience?

Offline Moshe123

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #342 on: October 02, 2013, 08:31:38 AM »
Is this still the case? Any recent experience?

No reports to the contrary AFAIK.

Offline Shmulyg

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #343 on: October 03, 2013, 11:04:48 PM »
No reports to the contrary AFAIK.
Thanks! Tried yesterday and was told by the CSR that they have to pull the same bureau (Exparian) that they initially tried. HUCA'd today and got the rep to pull Equifax. Both BA and SW approved in one phone call!

Offline Moshe123

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #344 on: October 03, 2013, 11:07:00 PM »
Thanks! Tried yesterday and was told by the CSR that they have to pull the same bureau (Exparian) that they initially tried. HUCA'd today and got the rep to pull Equifax. Both BA and SW approved in one phone call!

Thanks for updating.

Offline AJK

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #345 on: October 03, 2013, 11:18:40 PM »
Thanks! Tried yesterday and was told by the CSR that they have to pull the same bureau (Exparian) that they initially tried. HUCA'd today and got the rep to pull Equifax. Both BA and SW approved in one phone call!

Why'd they want to repull at all?
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 Shmulyg

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #346 on: October 03, 2013, 11:37:53 PM »
Why'd they want to repull at all?
It was frozen. They never pulled.

Offline AJK

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #347 on: October 03, 2013, 11:51:31 PM »
It was frozen. They never pulled.

Doh.
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Offline Shmulyg

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #348 on: October 04, 2013, 12:20:20 AM »
Doh.
Apparently you weren't following the conversation (or the thread's title, i might add)...

Offline Ephcc90

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #349 on: October 04, 2013, 08:50:59 AM »
I froze my experien and applied for citi plat MasterCard reg and bus. The bus was denied right away and I just got an email asking to unfreeze my experien. Any ideas why they need it?

Offline DoGo

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #350 on: October 31, 2013, 06:05:47 PM »
How do i freeze experian (NJ)? Does it cost?

Offline AharonInIsrael

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #351 on: October 31, 2013, 07:06:19 PM »
How do i freeze experian (NJ)? Does it cost?
Freezing doesn't cost, but unfreezing costs $5.
Check out the following site:
https://www.experian.com/consumer/help/states/nj.html
and also look at the previous posts in the thread.

Offline yoshi

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #352 on: January 02, 2014, 02:09:03 PM »
Hi I just called Experian to freeze my account. The rep told me that only a new company won't be able to pull from my Experian. Does this mean that if I already have a chase credit card and then freeze my Experian account chase would still be able to pull from Experian?

Offline ari2955

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #353 on: January 02, 2014, 02:11:46 PM »
Hi I just called Experian to freeze my account. The rep told me that only a new company won't be able to pull from my Experian. Does this mean that if I already have a chase credit card and then freeze my Experian account chase would still be able to pull from Experian?
No they won't be able to pull.
They are able to pull for existing accounts (soft pull) but not for new account (hard pull)

Offline yoshi

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #354 on: January 02, 2014, 02:15:50 PM »
So each credit card is considered a new "company"? Also what are the chances of being approved for the chase sapphire and freedom with a 2bm?

Offline ari2955

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #355 on: January 02, 2014, 02:22:40 PM »
So each credit card is considered a new "company"? Also what are the chances of being approved for the chase sapphire and freedom with a 2bm?
1) Yes
2) depends on your credit

Offline yoshi

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #356 on: January 02, 2014, 06:26:06 PM »
I just froze my Experian report. Applied for freedom and saphirre. And they told me they can't review the application because it tried pulling from Experian. I asked if they could pull from TU or from Equifax and the rep said its not possible. Anyone have any ideas?

Offline Moshe123

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #357 on: January 02, 2014, 06:27:36 PM »
I just froze my Experian report. Applied for freedom and saphirre. And they told me they can't review the application because it tried pulling from Experian. I asked if they could pull from TU or from Equifax and the rep said its not possible. Anyone have any ideas?

HUCA

Offline CountValentine

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #358 on: January 02, 2014, 06:30:15 PM »
HUCA
Tell them there is some incorrect info on your EX CR. You don't want to unfreeze it until it gets corrected.
Only on DDF does 24/6 mean 24/5/half/half

Offline yoshi

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #359 on: January 02, 2014, 06:31:58 PM »
It seems like they are saying that's standard procedure that once they tried pulling from a frozen report they have to pull from there. Should I still try huca?