ATT Internet Hard Inquiry

[Anonymous]

---

@RobertEG wrote:

First and foremost, they did have a permissible purpose under FCRA 604 to pull your credit report, so there is no disputable inaccuracy in the posting to your credit report.

A consumer inititiated business transaction that has an associated legitimate business need to review your credit is a clear permissible purpose that needs no express consumer approval, and can be coded as hard..

Parties do not need an SSN to obtain your credit report.  While a supposedly uniique personal identifier is preferred, SSN is nowhere listed as a requirement to obtain a credit report.

I concur that the proper procedure would be to contact them and attempt to have it recoded as soft, but that is purely discretionary on their part.

I would not recommend a dispute, as their is no innacuracy in their reporting.

Credit inquiries are only included in FICO scoring for one year, and even then, it is not a major scoring factor.

---

Thanks RobertEG for the info. I did call and tried to get to the correct department, and at least to say I wasn't rude just a bit tense since it was a run around with  around 3 reps and one supervisor. I had read something about calling and seeing if it could be changed to a soft, but apparenly nobody that day could help, and seems asking to record it as a soft seems to be the only way.

Anywhoo, like I mentioned before above, its not even about the HP anymore, its just the fact that they pull it when you're not even done with the order or decide to drop out mid way and keep browsing for deals versus other applications when you submit at the end and then the system pulls your CR.

But it seems to be thats how phone/cable companies operate.. they must have an "answer" for you at the end whether you pay up front or pay on the first bill later when you're on the billing/payment method page and the amount of services you can get with them. But lesson learned haha.

Thanks for the info, really much appreciated!

-G

[Anonymous]

The lesson I think we are all learning from the folks who are chiming in on this thread is to sharply separate two kids of interactions with a phone, cable, utilility company or ISP:

(1)  Where you are exploring for information (rates, packages, etc.)

(2)  When you are ready to purchase something for sure

With #1, it sounds like you should never give them your name, since that can result in a hard pull.  (And of course definitely not your social.)

Only give them your name when you are sure you are ready to risk a hard pull.

This is a lesson I certainly am learning from you all.  I didn't know that this happens.  I am curious whether it is mostly just ATT or whether it is just as common with Sprint, Verizon, Comcast, etc.

It's especially challenging since certain kinds of comparison shopping really requries you to disclose your address.  It's hard for a cable company or an ISP to give you a meaningful rate quote without your address.  I wonder whether the appropriate thing to do (given the risk of a hard pull) is to give them your correct address and then (if they press for it) a false name.  The hard pull will not go through unless they have a name plus address that matches your report.  Obviously you should give them all correct info if you are genuinely applying for a real product -- just trying to imagine how to protect yourself when you are legitimately shopping for options.

[Anonymous]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

The lesson I think we are all learning from the folks who are chiming in on this thread is to sharply separate two kids of interactions with a phone, cable, utilility company or ISP:

(1)  Where you are exploring for information (rates, packages, etc.)

(2)  When you are ready to purchase something for sure

With #1, it sounds like you should never give them your name, since that can result in a hard pull.  (And of course definitely not your social.)

Only give them your name when you are sure you are ready to risk a hard pull.

This is a lesson I certainly am learning from you all.  I didn't know that this happens.  I am curious whether it is mostly just ATT or whether it is just as common with Sprint, Verizon, Comcast, etc.

It's especially challenging since certain kinds of comparison shopping really requries you to disclose your address.  It's hard for a cable company or an ISP to give you a meaningful rate quote without your address.  I wonder whether the appropriate thing to do (given the risk of a hard pull) is to give them your correct address and then (if they press for it) a false name.  The hard pull will not go through unless they have a name plus address that matches your report.  Obviously you should give them all correct info if you are genuinely applying for a real product -- just trying to imagine how to protect yourself when you are legitimately shopping for options.

---

Totally agree with you, I should have used some different information when simply comparing prices and plans.

All I can say for sure is that by the time you insert your information and continue onto the next step and head to the payment method page (this page is not yet the end of the order), they would have already ran your credit since thats the page I closed my browser on without filling out my payment method info.

Hopefully others read this to avoid a HP on EQ.

[RobertEG]

While directed to auto loan permissible purposes, the following 1998 discussion in an FTC staff advisoyr opinion letter of when a business transaction gives rise to a credit inquiry is a sound legal discussion of when a pull is proper:

"Section 604(a)(3)(F) permits CRAs to provide consumer reports to any party who has a "legitimate business need for the information in connection with a business transaction that is initiated by the consumer." You ask whether this provision allows a dealer to obtain a consumer report on a person who "comes to an automobile dealership and requests information" from a salesman about one or more automobiles. In our view it does not, because a request for general information about products and prices offered does not involve a business transaction initiated by the consumer.

 "More generally, you ask "when is the beginning of a business transaction" initiated by the consumer? In responding to this question, it is important to note that Section 604(a)(3)(F) limits this "business need" permissible purpose to transactions (i) that are "initiated" by the consumer and (ii) where the seller has a "legitimate business need" for the information. The staff's view is that an automobile dealer may obtain a report only in those circumstances in which the consumer clearly understands that he or she is initiating the purchase or lease of a vehicle and the seller has a legitimate business need for the consumer report information in order to complete the transaction.

"For example, a consumer who asks a dealer questions about prices and financing is not necessarily indicating an intent to purchase or lease a vehicle from that particular dealer. Nor does the dealer have a "legitimate" business need for a consumer report in this situation. The consumer may simply be comparison shopping. In such a situation, the dealer must obtain written permission from the consumer before obtaining a consumer report. If the dealer would like to see a consumer's credit report before answering general questions about the availability of financing, this must be explained to the consumer and written permission must be obtained. In the same way, a request to "test drive" a vehicle does not indicate an intent to initiate the purchase or lease of the vehicle. Accordingly, if a consumer asks to test drive a vehicle, the dealer must obtain written permission from the consumer before obtaining a report.

 "Only in those circumstances where it is clear both to the consumer and to the dealer that the consumer is actually initiating the purchase or lease of a specific vehicle and, in addition, the dealer has a legitimate business need for consumer report information may the dealer obtain a report without written permission. In this regard, we note that obtaining information for negotiation purposes does not constitute a "legitimate" business need. The dealer must have a specific need for the information directly related to the completion of the transaction. For example, a dealer may obtain a report, if one is necessary, in order to arrange financing requested by the consumer.(1) The dealer may also obtain a report to check a consumer's creditworthiness when the consumer presents a personal check to pay for the vehicle. By contrast, a permissible purpose would not arise if a consumer intends to pay by cash."