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American Express Soft Pulls on Closed Accounts

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bichonmom
Senior Contributor

Re: American Express Soft Pulls on Closed Accounts


@Scene wrote:

It's just a soft pull anyways! Nothing to really worry about.


IMO the issue is privacy. From everything I've learned here, they should not be able to pull his CR. Unless there is something I don't know about -- which is possible -- they do NOT have PP and should NOT be softing him. Period.

 

I don't mind if a CC I have softs me. That's fine. That's the agreement I made when I got the card. But does that give them the right to pull my credit in perpetuity, when I'm no longer doing business with them?

EQ FICO 750 | TU FICO 761 (Walmart) | EX FAKO 767 | Goal: 800+

Edits, funky spacing and spelling due to my iPad not getting along with the forum editor!

Message 11 of 20
MrShush
Valued Contributor

Re: American Express Soft Pulls on Closed Accounts

Maybe it is because they STILL report, that is the PP?
Message 12 of 20
tinuviel
Moderator Emeritus

Re: American Express Soft Pulls on Closed Accounts


@bichonmom wrote:

@MrShush wrote:
Pre-approvals fall under permissable reasons. My EX is littered with softs from mortgage refi companies and credit cards that I dont have but have received offers from. Seems like AMEX may want the OP back.

Yeah, except that he opted out. They shouldn't be able to pull his CR.


 

See the response in this thread:

 

http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/General-Credit-Topics/Soft-pull-VS-Hard-pull/td-p/1135961

 

This is in answer to whether a creditor does not get to see all of your information on a soft pull.

 

"No. 

With one exception, any permissible purpose gives the same access to your CR.  All of it.

The only type of permissible purpose that is distinguished as to access under the FCRA are those pertaining to what is commonly called "promotional inquiries."  (note: emphasis mine) Those are inquiries made by a party with whom you have no current business relationship or have not intitiated a request for credit.  Such inquirires are entitled only to your name and address for the purpose of sending you an offer for credit."

 

So, my question to the OP would be whether or not the softs are showing as PRM, or promotional inquiries? Or can you tell from looking at the report?

 


Current Scores: EQ 775 (03/04/2014), EX 756 (03/01/2014), TU 760 (03/01/2014)
Ruby Spade Garden Club Member - Last App: 03/04/2013 - No apps until 2014
Cards: Cap1 Venture 6.4k, Cap1 Quicksilver MC 1.75k, BankAmericard 1-2-3 Visa Signature - UCF Alumni Association 5k, Discover 7k, Citi Diamond Preferred MC 10.35k, Wells Fargo Rewards Visa 7k, Chase Freedom 5k, Chase Ink 7.5k, Amex Green NPSL, Dillard's Amex 7.5k, JC Penney 7.5k, Kay Jeweler's 5.1k
Message 13 of 20
LS2982
Mega Contributor

Re: American Express Soft Pulls on Closed Accounts


@MrShush wrote:
Maybe it is because they STILL report, that is the PP?

+1




EQ FICO 548 3/3/16
Message 14 of 20
bichonmom
Senior Contributor

Re: American Express Soft Pulls on Closed Accounts


@LS2982 wrote:

@MrShush wrote:
Maybe it is because they STILL report, that is the PP?

+1


OP posted that no Amexes are showing on his CR. Here's a quote from his earlier post:

 

There are NO Amex accounts still showing on any of my Credit Reports, open, closed, otherwise - I have no idea why they keep soft pulling me every other week.

 

So, it looks to me like they do not have PP. Yes, it could be a PRM. But that doesn't give the CCC our complete report. And, if he is opted out, isn't that supposed to stop PRMs?

EQ FICO 750 | TU FICO 761 (Walmart) | EX FAKO 767 | Goal: 800+

Edits, funky spacing and spelling due to my iPad not getting along with the forum editor!

Message 15 of 20
bichonmom
Senior Contributor

Re: American Express Soft Pulls on Closed Accounts


@tinuviel wrote:

@bichonmom wrote:

@MrShush wrote:
Pre-approvals fall under permissable reasons. My EX is littered with softs from mortgage refi companies and credit cards that I dont have but have received offers from. Seems like AMEX may want the OP back.

Yeah, except that he opted out. They shouldn't be able to pull his CR.


 

See the response in this thread:

 

http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/General-Credit-Topics/Soft-pull-VS-Hard-pull/td-p/1135961

 

This is in answer to whether a creditor does not get to see all of your information on a soft pull.

 

"No. 

With one exception, any permissible purpose gives the same access to your CR.  All of it.

The only type of permissible purpose that is distinguished as to access under the FCRA are those pertaining to what is commonly called "promotional inquiries."  (note: emphasis mine) Those are inquiries made by a party with whom you have no current business relationship or have not intitiated a request for credit.  Such inquirires are entitled only to your name and address for the purpose of sending you an offer for credit."

 

So, my question to the OP would be whether or not the softs are showing as PRM, or promotional inquiries? Or can you tell from looking at the report?

 


I was under the understanding that when you opt out, you stop those promotional inquiries. Am I mistaken?

EQ FICO 750 | TU FICO 761 (Walmart) | EX FAKO 767 | Goal: 800+

Edits, funky spacing and spelling due to my iPad not getting along with the forum editor!

Message 16 of 20
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: American Express Soft Pulls on Closed Accounts

Well, I am opted out and, I have all 3 CRs frozen -- yes FROZEN, paid the $10 to each CRA to freeze my reports and, not only is AMEX soft pulling my Experian report in the very same manner as pipeguy is experiencing but, just last month, I had a collection agency from out of nowhere do a HARD pull on my Transunion CR. 

 

AMEX has been soft pulling my husband in the very same manner and it is also from the two same AMEX addresses, the one in Arizona and, the one in El Paso, Texas

 

With the invention of Lexis-Nexis and other such databases, I am not sure there is any such thing as privacy.  No matter what we try to do to, there's really no privacy. 

Message 17 of 20
tinuviel
Moderator Emeritus

Re: American Express Soft Pulls on Closed Accounts


@bichonmom wrote:

@tinuviel wrote:

@bichonmom wrote:

@MrShush wrote:
Pre-approvals fall under permissable reasons. My EX is littered with softs from mortgage refi companies and credit cards that I dont have but have received offers from. Seems like AMEX may want the OP back.

Yeah, except that he opted out. They shouldn't be able to pull his CR.


 

See the response in this thread:

 

http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/General-Credit-Topics/Soft-pull-VS-Hard-pull/td-p/1135961

 

This is in answer to whether a creditor does not get to see all of your information on a soft pull.

 

"No. 

With one exception, any permissible purpose gives the same access to your CR.  All of it.

The only type of permissible purpose that is distinguished as to access under the FCRA are those pertaining to what is commonly called "promotional inquiries."  (note: emphasis mine) Those are inquiries made by a party with whom you have no current business relationship or have not intitiated a request for credit.  Such inquirires are entitled only to your name and address for the purpose of sending you an offer for credit."

 

So, my question to the OP would be whether or not the softs are showing as PRM, or promotional inquiries? Or can you tell from looking at the report?

 


I was under the understanding that when you opt out, you stop those promotional inquiries. Am I mistaken?


 

Oh, I see what you're saying. Well, then I'm not sure what's going on.


Current Scores: EQ 775 (03/04/2014), EX 756 (03/01/2014), TU 760 (03/01/2014)
Ruby Spade Garden Club Member - Last App: 03/04/2013 - No apps until 2014
Cards: Cap1 Venture 6.4k, Cap1 Quicksilver MC 1.75k, BankAmericard 1-2-3 Visa Signature - UCF Alumni Association 5k, Discover 7k, Citi Diamond Preferred MC 10.35k, Wells Fargo Rewards Visa 7k, Chase Freedom 5k, Chase Ink 7.5k, Amex Green NPSL, Dillard's Amex 7.5k, JC Penney 7.5k, Kay Jeweler's 5.1k
Message 18 of 20
pipeguy
Senior Contributor

Re: American Express Soft Pulls on Closed Accounts


@Anonymous wrote:

Well, I am opted out and, I have all 3 CRs frozen -- yes FROZEN, paid the $10 to each CRA to freeze my reports and, not only is AMEX soft pulling my Experian report in the very same manner as pipeguy is experiencing but, just last month, I had a collection agency from out of nowhere do a HARD pull on my Transunion CR. 

 

AMEX has been soft pulling my husband in the very same manner and it is also from the two same AMEX addresses, the one in Arizona and, the one in El Paso, Texas

 

With the invention of Lexis-Nexis and other such databases, I am not sure there is any such thing as privacy.  No matter what we try to do to, there's really no privacy. 


I had AmEx accounts from 1978 until 2004 (might have been early 2005), started with Green of course, upgraded to Gold then invited to Platinum when I started traveling a lot in about 1986-87 (probably 1990 for the Platinum). I added Optima which was a credit line card with extended payments, Open another extended payments card and one other line might have been Blue if that was different from Open at that time. I traveled domestically and to Western Europe to the tune of 200,000 miles or so a year and maybe 75-100 hotel nights per year.

 

The business basically shut down in 2005 and was completely closed in 2007, with it the travel stopped and my financial situation went from business oriented to private. I closed a lot of credit cards and credit lines out after my business shut down, to the tune of $250k+ of available credit (credit cards mostly).  Most all of those accounts have dropped off my credit reports (all have on EQ). There are currently NO Amex accounts showing up on any of my Credit Reports. My EQ file is security frozen ($10 paid) due to some on going issues with Equifax properly reporting and I have OPTED out on all three CRAs twice which shows up on several of my reports as "opt out of promotion".

 

In other words, I used to be an active customer of AmEx but I have not been in 7-8 years. I have opted out of all promotions or mailings and I have EQ frozen. AmEx continues to soft pull me 2+ times a month even after 7-8 years with NO active accounts or account listings on all 3 CRAs.  Exactly WHY they are soft pulling my Experian (only) report I have no idea, to what end or purpose? I understand that a soft pull means nothing as far as FICO, but why is my credit report any business of AmEx 7-8 years after I closed all my accounts? None of the other Credit Cards I closed are soft pulling my reports, some not all are still showing on TU and EX as closed accounts.

 

Just seems strange.....

Message 19 of 20
bichonmom
Senior Contributor

Re: American Express Soft Pulls on Closed Accounts

Pipeguy, ITA. Frankly, I find it very disconcerting. Yes, our privacy has been chipped at until we barely have any left -- or any we think we have is an illusion. But that still doesn't make what they're doing okay.

 

 

EQ FICO 750 | TU FICO 761 (Walmart) | EX FAKO 767 | Goal: 800+

Edits, funky spacing and spelling due to my iPad not getting along with the forum editor!

Message 20 of 20
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