topic Re: AMEX Inquiries in Rebuilding Your Credit

AMEX Inquiries

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:53:10 GMT

Hi Friends,

I want to thank so many of you over the last year that have helped me clean up my credit report.

It was January 3, 2011 when I pulled my first reports on freecreditreport.com

Since then I have had MANY old accounts deleted and waiting this week on two PFD

Only thing I will have left is late pays from Santander and the dreaded First Premier....

Here is my question, AMEX is pulling my credit like crazy..


•	CAPITAL ONE	Date: November 17, 2011
•	AMERICAN EXPRESS 2	Date: November 15, 2011
•	AMEX ACCOUNT REVIEW	Date: November 11, 2011
•	AMERICAN EXPRESS	Date: October 25, 2011 , July 29, 2011 , May 5, 2011 , April 30, 2011 , October 30, 2010 , October 26, 2010
•	SANTANDER CONSUMER USA INC	Date: October 12, 2011
•	AMERICAN EXPRESS CO	Date: September 29, 2011

Are they going to see I have cleaned up my credit and try come after me for old debt (2000)?

Does anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks!

Re: AMEX Inquiries

llecs — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:49:12 GMT

If you have an old debt from 2000, do you have any open accounts with them too?

They sure like their soft inquiries, though. They pull mine once every month to two months and that's for a positive, open TL.

Re: AMEX Inquiries

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:00:13 GMT

IIecs,

I wanted to thank you specifically for helping gyude me through the credit process.

No, I don't have an open TL or and TL appearing on my CR.

Any other thoughts?

Can you ask them to stop with soft inquiries?

Re: AMEX Inquiries

llecs — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:20:33 GMT

If you are out of SOL, then I don't think there's any harm in asking. Credit-wise, there's no impact. I see these are on EX. If they were on EQ, my answer would be different because the risk is there for a split file. Personally, I wouldn't do anything. If I had to guess, I'd guess that some of these might be for pre-approved offers. In my pre-Amex days, I was getting softed every 3-4 months or so by them.

Re: AMEX Inquiries

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:57:37 GMT

Johnny -- your report looks exactly like ours!!! NO JOKE -- Amex is soft pulling both my husband's CR and mine multiple times a month every month. We are wondering what's up with that too.

Our previous experience with Amex was from MANY years ago, over 30 years ago -- and, our accounts were good.

We can't imagine why its necessary for them to check our CRs almost daily every single month. ???

Re: AMEX Inquiries

pizzadude — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:09:59 GMT

Opting out is the easiest way to stop promotional soft inquiries like this. Soft inquiries coded as "account review" are from your creditors, and generally won't be stopped by opting out.

Re: AMEX Inquiries

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:15:10 GMT

Just looking at other discussions and seeing that folks are having this problem often. One person has said that since I don't have an ongoing relationship with AMEX and they are doing so many pulls they are violating FCRA and privacy acts.

I am going to engage an FCRA attorney to battle Santander for late pays, maybe I should ask the AMEX question as well

Thoughts?

Re: AMEX Inquiries

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:17:10 GMT

Pizza -- We're geting the Account Review from Amex on both my husband's CR, and mine, in the soft pull inquiry section of the reports and, like I said, we haven't had an open account with them in over 30 years!!!

We are now opted out AND we have put securiity freezes on Experian, Equifax and Transunion. I am wondering if in January we will STILL see this ongoing soft pulling from Amex because we used to be customers LONG LONG ago???

Re: AMEX Inquiries

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:22:51 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Just looking at other discussions and seeing that folks are having this problem often. One person has said that since I don't have an ongoing relationship with AMEX and they are doing so many pulls they are violating FCRA and privacy acts.

I am going to engage an FCRA attorney to battle Santander for late pays, maybe I should ask the AMEX question as well

Thoughts?

One reason we opted out and froze our credit reports was because of collection agencies who we had NEVER had any dealings with HARD pulling our CRs. I did not realize that this was a violation of the FCRA and privacy act. Interesting!

If you do engage an attorney, please let us know what you're told.

Re: AMEX Inquiries

pizzadude — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:46:51 GMT

Hi Discernment ~ freezing your CRs should do the trick, I doubt that AMEX or anyone else will be bothering you now. But if I had an AMEX from 30 yrs ago, I would be doing everything I could to open a new account because of their backdating. That would give my AAoA a huge boost.

Re: AMEX Inquiries

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 02:58:37 GMT

@pizzadude wrote:
Hi Discernment ~ freezing your CRs should do the trick, I doubt that AMEX or anyone else will be bothering you now. But if I had an AMEX from 30 yrs ago, I would be doing everything I could to open a new account because of their backdating. That would give my AAoA a huge boost.

Believe me, whenever we FINALLY generate a FICO score, this is one of our first goals.

Re: AMEX Inquiries

Anonymous — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:31:22 GMT

You will note that this is not the same AMEX as the other listed as Amex Co. or AMEX, Account review (check the address).

I'd bet the pulls are almost concurrent with each of your other lenders reporting dates, so to change your report.

Crazy but if they are your current lender, they are allowed to access your report whenever they feel like it, even daily from multiple sites.