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Yesterday I spoke with a well known Home Security Alarm Co regarding installing an alram and monitor system next week. We walked through the options and pricing. Further, for 'security' reasons the agent asks for the 'last four digits of my SSN', which I gave, but never the full number.
Lo and behold, Score Alert gives me an EQ hard inquiry and my score sank 8 points.
I never authorized the Alarm Company to do a hard pull, further it is a mystery to me how they obtained my complete SSN number to run my credit (for a lousey $ 44 Dollars/month)
Would I have been made aware that the conversation led into a hard pull, I would have rejected the offer.
What option do I have as I clearly feel that I NEVER authorized anyone there to run my EQ credit report?
@IsleSeat wrote:Yesterday I spoke with a well known Home Security Alarm Co regarding installing an alram and monitor system next week. We walked through the options and pricing. Further, for 'security' reasons the agent asks for the 'last four digits of my SSN', which I gave, but never the full number.
Lo and behold, Score Alert gives me an EQ hard inquiry and my score sank 8 points.
I never authorized the Alarm Company to do a hard pull, further it is a mystery to me how they obtained my complete SSN number to run my credit (for a lousey $ 44 Dollars/month)
Would I have been made aware that the conversation led into a hard pull, I would have rejected the offer.
What option do I have as I clearly feel that I NEVER authorized anyone there to run my EQ credit report?
When you gave them the last 4 of your SS # that's all they needed to do the pull alone with your name and addy .... Sorry it happen to you
Edit: it's nothing you can do you called them
Yes, business transactions inititated by a consumer can provide permissible purpose for them to pull your credit report without your specifid approval.
However, that does NOT extend to any and all business transactions intitiated by a consumer
If they can show a permissible purpose under any provision of FCRA 604, that precludes need for your express authorization.
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The additional stipulation under FCRA 604(a)(3)(f) is that the business transaction must also have an associated "legitimate business need for the information."
If any of the options and pricing involved monthly terms upon which you might have chance of becoming delinquent, that is normally suffcient basis for their need to review your credit.
However, if you were simply purchasing equipment from them, paying cash, and they had no subsequent involvement in, for example, montoring alarms from the system, there would be no legitimate need to review your credit in connection with the transaction.
I would guess that they had permissible purpose. Advising you that they were going to pull your credit report may be a good business preactice, but is not required.
If you feel there practice is a bad business practice, you could file a complaint with the BBB, and hope they remove the inquiry so as not to harm their business reputation.
I don't know what well known Home Security Alarm Co you were dealing with, but I had my fair share run in with Vivint. A guy showed up on my door step and tried to sell me their service. That was when we were mortgage shopping for our new house in the next town. I told him I was not interested, didn't even tell him my name. Next thing I knew there was an Inq to my CR from them. When I called them about it, they said they do that to see if I was qualified for their services.
We will just say it got ugly for a bit after that.
Be carefull about ADT, last month I was looking for a different security company. Went to their website entered just my name,address and phone # for them to call me. The next day I had an alert stating an inquiry was made. I called the number on the alert and it got removed. . I am just curious how they pulled my credit without giving them any info, beside my name and address and phone.The lady i spoke too said it happens from time to time. They pulled EX for me. I decided to go with Protect America, the rep told me numerous times it would be a soft pull. Of couse it was a hard pull. That inquiry is in the process of being removed, they sent me a letter stating they pull your credit after you sign the application. But in my case they pulled it before hand. I fought with them and they are resending it. They should since they have me in a contract for the next 3 yrs.
Creditors do not need a SSN to pull your CRs ~ they can do it with just name & address.
Small claims court, small claims court.....
In order to obtain a comsumer credit report, a party must file with the CRA a statement of their permissible purpose. FCRA 607(a) and 604(f).
If a consumer wishes a copy of their statement of permissible purpose provided to the CRA, they can obtain it under the provisions of FCRA 609(a)(1).
A party who obtains a consumer report "under false pretenses or knowingly without a permissible purpose" is specifically subject to both actual and punitive damages under FCRA 616(a).
Having obtained a copy of their required statement of permissile purpose, which must be of record in your file if the CRA filled the request, then supporting a legal action would not be difficult if clearly false.