topic Re: I added authorize user to my Amex and they did a hard pull. in General Credit Topics

I added authorize user to my Amex and they did a hard pull.

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Oct 2017 05:42:43 GMT

I thought if anything it would be a soft pull or no pull at all but Amex did a hard pull on my credit file for adding authorized user. Does anyone know if Chase will do the same?

Re: I added authorize user to my Amex and they did a hard pull.

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Oct 2017 05:51:48 GMT

That is when you added someone else to yours? If so, ouch!

Chase does not do that.

Re: I added authorize user to my Amex and they did a hard pull.

Loquat — Wed, 11 Oct 2017 11:45:10 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
I thought if anything it would be a soft pull or no pull at all but Amex did a hard pull on my credit file for adding authorized user. Does anyone know if Chase will do the same?

Well that's interesting. Didn't know they did that. I wonder if it's a YMMV sort of situation. Hmm....as for Chase. I've never received a HP for adding an authorized user.

Re: I added authorize user to my Amex and they did a hard pull.

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Oct 2017 12:52:54 GMT

Interesting. I added my dh to both my Amex and to my Chase and none of them resulted in a HP

Re: I added authorize user to my Amex and they did a hard pull.

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Oct 2017 13:18:09 GMT

Hmmmm, I have never experienced this nor have I ever heard from friends that this happened. Any thoughts as to why OP?

Re: I added authorize user to my Amex and they did a hard pull.

K-in-Boston — Wed, 11 Oct 2017 13:47:26 GMT

I've never had a HP from any lender for adding an authorized user, or being added myself. My last HP from Amex was in 2002, in fact. I would call Amex and speak with the Credit Bureau Team, as this is not a permissible purpose for a new credit inquiry. If that does not solve the issue, I would contact the EO. I've seen rare cases of this happening when someone called in to add an AU; did you do this online or over the phone? Which card is this for and how long has it been opened? Any other recent applications for American Express products?

Re: I added authorize user to my Amex and they did a hard pull.

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Oct 2017 13:44:31 GMT

I would love to hear the outcome of this if you decide to call and speak to someone, as suggested! I was thinking of having my friend add me as an authorized user on one of her AmEx cards. I don't want her having a hardpull in the process.

Re: I added authorize user to my Amex and they did a hard pull.

UncleB — Wed, 11 Oct 2017 15:35:32 GMT

@K-in-Boston wrote:
I've never had a HP from any lender for adding an authorized user, or being added myself. My last HP from Amex was in 2002, in fact. I would call Amex and speak with the Credit Bureau Team, as this is not a permissible purpose for a new credit inquiry. If that does not solve the issue, I would contact the EO. I've seen rare cases of this happening when someone called in to add an AU; did you do this online or over the phone? Which card is this for and how long has it been opened? Any other recent applications for American Express products?

I 'second' reaching out to Amex to ask about this; I suspect there's a glitch somewhere.

Re: I added authorize user to my Amex and they did a hard pull.

HeavenOhio — Wed, 11 Oct 2017 15:48:23 GMT

It would make more sense if the AU were pulled. But in this case, the pull was on the card owner's report.

Re: I added authorize user to my Amex and they did a hard pull.

K-in-Boston — Wed, 11 Oct 2017 15:52:51 GMT

@HeavenOhio wrote:
It would make more sense if the AU were pulled. But in this case, the pull was on the card owner's report.

While it would make more sense, that is still not a permissible purpose as the lender is not extending credit to the authorized user. Still curious to find out whether this was an online glitch or a phone request with a CSR mistake, as the latter is the only kind of example I was able to find of being hit with a HP for adding an AU.

Re: I added authorize user to my Amex and they did a hard pull.

Berk — Wed, 11 Oct 2017 20:22:06 GMT

Doing a HP on an AU makes zero sense. Lenders don't care who you authorize to use your limit, they only care about YOUR ability to pay since you're the only one who entered into contract with them.

I have AUs on multiples of my cards and have never received the first HP from adding them. I too wonder if it is some kind of glitch or CSR mistake.

Re: I added authorize user to my Amex and they did a hard pull.

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 14:57:54 GMT

I would definitely dispute this.

Re: I added authorize user to my Amex and they did a hard pull.

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 15:12:42 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
I would definitely dispute this.

Not with the CRAs you wouldn't, unless you want fraud alerts on all 3 and to possibly lose a positive tradeline forever.

Re: I added authorize user to my Amex and they did a hard pull.

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 16:11:21 GMT

I thought that was very odd and i applied online. My husband said they proplebly did it by random but ooch! , 4 pts down taken from my score. just dont under stand the hard pull and not a soft if anything. my Blue sky amex card opened 04/2015. I have been charging more do to family vacation the last few months. My CL 8,500 last CL increas was 3/2017.

Re: I added authorize user to my Amex and they did a hard pull.

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 16:12:41 GMT

I know thats why i was very surprized by the HP on my credit file

Re: I added authorize user to my Amex and they did a hard pull.

bhill40 — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 23:14:00 GMT

When you apply online i know during the process, they ask do you want to add a AU? Outside of that, it shouldn't be an HP! I would def contact AMEX and try to get it resolve! You have earned your score and let them take it away based on possibly a glitch, to qualify for something that you want, you can't get it because you missed it by 4 points due to the bank/creditor mistake!!

Re: I added authorize user to my Amex and they did a hard pull.

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 02:27:51 GMT

Discover warns about that which is why I couldn't add anyone. So we just share a card and rack up points.

Re: I added authorize user to my Amex and they did a hard pull.

UncleB — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 02:31:32 GMT

Since this is regaring a hard pull on a credit bureau report I'm moving the thread to 'General Credit' for additional exposure.

--UB

Re: I added authorize user to my Amex and they did a hard pull.

K-in-Boston — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 14:53:57 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Discover warns about that which is why I couldn't add anyone. So we just share a card and rack up points.

"Before adding Authorized Users to your Discover account, we need to verify their identities, which requires information such as their first name, last name, Social Security number, date of birth, and physical address." doesn't mean they are going to do a hard pull. As with the earlier example, it's a violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act to place a hard inquiry on someone's credit report(s) when there is no direct relationship between that party and a consumer. An authorized use has no responsibility whatsoever for an account they are authorized to use.

Re: I added authorize user to my Amex and they did a hard pull.

RobertEG — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 18:46:14 GMT

Review by an existing creditor for their own internal reasons, and not as a result of any request for extended credit initiated by the consumer, has a permissible purpose under FCRA 604 as an internal account review.

The CRAs provide specific coding of any such permissible purpose as a soft pull.

Any showing as a hard pull is thus a result of improper coding of the permissible purpose for the inquiry.

I would contact the creditor and have them correct the coded permissible purpose.