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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 153654 times)

Offline Chuck2

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #220 on: August 16, 2012, 09:35:12 AM »
I just did a 2bm with Experian frozen (Ink bold and Ink Plus) I called Chase and they told me they have to Pull Experian because there computer tried it... basicly they want the pin.
any advise?
:-)

Offline AJK

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #221 on: August 16, 2012, 12:57:19 PM »
HUCA
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Offline Chuck2

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #222 on: August 16, 2012, 08:50:24 PM »
HUCA
finally the fourth time I called they approved me for both cards and they agreed to pull from TU
:-)

Offline tuvz

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #223 on: August 27, 2012, 09:22:22 PM »
Did my first amex 3bm two days ago, PRG SPG Delta gold (all consumer)
so far the PRG & Delta are both declined and the i have a two similar letters online from them stating:

Due to the freeze you placed on your credit file, we were unable to obtain sufficient credit information to process your application.
 
While processing your application we discovered that you have restricted access to credit information with a consumer reporting agency.   Please provide us with the PIN or Access code from the credit reporting agency listed below the signature in this letter.   If we do not hear from you within 30 days from the date of this letter, we will be unable to provide additional consideration to your request.


My EQ is my only frozen report and has been like that ever since i started building my credit history

i checked my credit karma account and it says two hard pulls from amex on the 25th and 27th of August...:/

whats the best way to go about this with trying to get these cards all approved and not getting numerous hard pulls?

thanks!



Offline AJK

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #224 on: August 28, 2012, 12:31:46 AM »
Call AmEx and explain that your credit was already pulled.

But, since when does CK show you who did the pulls and when?
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 HelpMe

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #225 on: August 28, 2012, 12:56:05 AM »
But, since when does CK show you who did the pulls and when?
I would say at least six months.

Credit Monitoring Alert on Aug 2, 2012 - A new hard credit inquiry from CHASE has been added to your credit report:

"Elvis Has Left The Building"

Offline AJK

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #226 on: August 28, 2012, 01:00:37 AM »
Interesting. I haven't had a pull on my TU in more than a year, so I guess I wouldn't have seen it.
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 tuvz

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #227 on: August 28, 2012, 03:34:05 AM »
Call AmEx and explain that your credit was already pulled.

But, since when does CK show you who did the pulls and when?

thanks

ill call them asap
atm the starwood is still pending, do you think they are going to want to pull a third time for that card?

Offline AJK

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #228 on: August 28, 2012, 01:02:25 PM »
YMMV it seems.
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 acinchus

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #229 on: August 29, 2012, 11:54:25 AM »
Does the Experian credit freeze online process work in realtime with ability to assign PIN online? Or does it always require offline mailing.  I am in TX and looking to do AOR as early as tomorrow. After applying for AMEX or Citi, wondering if I should try EX freeze to have Chase pull from EQ or TU?

Offline SGF

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #230 on: August 29, 2012, 12:23:06 PM »
Does the Experian credit freeze online process work in realtime with ability to assign PIN online? Or does it always require offline mailing. 
all online, you can find the links here to freeze and unfreeze

Offline SGF

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #231 on: August 29, 2012, 12:38:58 PM »
so about 2 months ago did a 2BM with chase and they declined me and said that my experian has too many CC inquiries in a short time so they cant approve me and i didnt have a chance to call recon.
2 weeks ago i froze my experian and applied again via 2BM, they obviously told me there was s/t wrong with my credit so they cant accept me, i asked the CSR if she can pull from TU for both applications, she did and i was instantly approved for both cards.
i froze and unfroze online, very simple.

Offline compddd

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #232 on: August 29, 2012, 04:38:19 PM »
So I live in Southern California, which means Amex, Citi, and Chase all pull from EX, so I have 0 inquiries ever on my EQ and 0 inquiries in the past 12 months on my TU.

Would I be good to go if I froze my EX and apped with Chase or Citi? I know Amex refuses to pull anything but EX even if frozen.

Offline AJK

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #233 on: August 29, 2012, 05:22:12 PM »
GTG on Chase. Not sure on Citi.
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 SGF

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #234 on: August 31, 2012, 01:00:35 AM »
So I live in Southern California, which means Amex, Citi, and Chase all pull from EX, so I have 0 inquiries ever on my EQ and 0 inquiries in the past 12 months on my TU.

Would I be good to go if I froze my EX and apped with Chase or Citi? I know Amex refuses to pull anything but EX even if frozen.
worked perfectly for me, should work for you as well

Offline SGF

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #235 on: August 31, 2012, 01:11:27 AM »
looking thru my mail and found this letter, im confused as to why they are doing this? is it something that happens automatically when i freeze or unfreeze my credit? i dont recall asking for the to do this

Offline compddd

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #236 on: August 31, 2012, 10:27:47 AM »
They did that to me too. I just opted back in right away.

Also when you froze your EX, which one did Chase end up pulling? EQ or TU? Did you try Citi as well?

Offline SGF

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #237 on: August 31, 2012, 10:42:46 AM »
They did that to me too. I just opted back in right away.

Also when you froze your EX, which one did Chase end up pulling? EQ or TU? Did you try Citi as well?
i asked them to pull TU and they did.
only chase

Offline aryeh1

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #238 on: August 31, 2012, 11:15:36 AM »
They did that to me too. I just opted back in right away.


How do you opt back in?

Offline compddd

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #239 on: August 31, 2012, 11:17:05 AM »
i asked them to pull TU and they did.
only chase

So when you apped, did you get pending on all of the apps and had to call Chase and tell them to pull TU?