CLI's and hard inquiries

[Anonymous]

Regarding requesting an increase in CL with existing CC: I have not yet had a straight answer yet.  This is my understanding at this point:

If I ask for an increase with an existing CC, they usually do a soft pull.  Based on what B of A told me, they definately do a soft pull.  Household Bank also told me that they do a soft pull, but said they were not sure if it would affect my score.

Can anyone tell me if they ever do a hard pull?  Can a soft pull cost me a point or two or does a soft pull never cause my score to decrease?

Will put up seperate thread for this.

Hanniss

[Anonymous]

---

hanniss wrote:

Regarding requesting an increase in CL with existing CC: I have not yet had a straight answer yet.  This is my understanding at this point:

If I ask for an increase with an existing CC, they usually do a soft pull.  Based on what B of A told me, they definately do a soft pull.  Household Bank also told me that they do a soft pull, but said they were not sure if it would affect my score.

Can anyone tell me if they ever do a hard pull?  Can a soft pull cost me a point or two or does a soft pull never cause my score to decrease?

Will put up seperate thread for this.

Hanniss

---

hards can cost points, softs never do.

[MidnightVoice]

remember - most CSRs do not know the difference between hard and soft.

[Anonymous]

Okay, so I called Cap1, they gave me a boost from $750 to $3750 after a quick account review.  Chase has an online request where they ask for income and amount requested.  I plugged that in, and they said they'd be back w/in one business day.  I tried to call, but hold times were very long.  I'm not in a big rush, so I figured I'd go that route.  I'll let y'all know how it turns out.  Thanks for the help, y'all!

[Anonymous]

To Haniss-

I'm pretty sure I'm right when I say any CSR needs your EXPRESS permission to conduct a hard inquiry.  That said, they would have to disclose that they were reviewing your credit prior to doing so.  When I called Cap1 for a CLI, I listened very carefully when she explained the process, and she never asked anything of me, simply to wait while she took a few seconds to review the account.  However, when I asked Chase a few months back, he said it required a review of my credit, and asked if I understood.  I expressly asked if he was doing a hard inquiry, and sounding a bit like he was upset he hadn't sneaked it past me, he told me yes, it required a hard inquiry, so I told him no thank you.

Moral?  Double check, and if they don't know, ask to speak to someone above them, and keep escalating...One other quick note - every time I've talked to Chase, the CSR has been someone for whom English was a second language at best.  If you can't understand what they're telling you, be patient and ask them to slow down!  He just about slipped that past me, but I asked him to repeat himself and that's when I caught it.  Just food for thought if you happen to have a Chase card.

[MidnightVoice]

---

OBXFrank wrote:

One other quick note - every time I've talked to Chase, the CSR has been someone for whom English was a second language at best.  If you can't understand what they're telling you, be patient and ask them to slow down!  He just about slipped that past me, but I asked him to repeat himself and that's when I caught it.  Just food for thought if you happen to have a Chase card.

---

That is interesting - every time I have called Chase I have got someone for whom English was not a language they spoke.  They were **bleep** Yanks though 

Seiously - I have always spoken to an American with Chase, and they have always happily told me they will do a hard pull for a CLI.

[haulingthescoreup]

---

@Anonymous wrote:
...One other quick note - every time I've talked to Chase, the CSR has been someone for whom English was a second language at best. If you can't understand what they're telling you, be patient and ask them to slow down! He just about slipped that past me, but I asked him to repeat himself and that's when I caught it. Just food for thought if you happen to have a Chase card.

---

OBXFrank, is your Chase card a Chase-backed store card? Maybe they have a different set of CSR's for your card, or something.

[Anonymous]

Chase Amazon.  Good possibility, but the number I call for CS is from the chase.com website.  Maybe I was the unlucky one that drew overflow CSR's every time I called!

[Anonymous]

OBX Frank:

I just called Chase (have a frequent flyer credit card, United Airlines, with them), and asked if they do a hard or soft pull.  The guy ensured me that it was a soft pull.... and he said that as far as he knew, there would not be a hit on my credit for it.  Looks like the guy was not straightforward or just did not know, given that you guys all are saying they are doing a hard one.  Will ask for supervisor next time I talk to them. 

[MidnightVoice]

---

hanniss wrote:

OBX Frank:

I just called Chase (have a frequent flyer credit card, United Airlines, with them), and asked if they do a hard or soft pull.  The guy ensured me that it was a soft pull.... and he said that as far as he knew, there would not be a hit on my credit for it.  Looks like the guy was not straightforward or just did not know, given that you guys all are saying they are doing a hard one.  Will ask for supervisor next time I talk to them. 

---

I have the same thing.  I have discussed it twice over that few months and both times was told it was a hard.

But CSRs do not always know the difference!