Bogus Hard Inquiry from Sears

[Anonymous]

I checked my TU report and there is a hard inquiry from Sears on 2/4/08.  I have had a Sears card for 15 years, use it on occasion but generally have a zero balance even when I use it as I pay off the balance before the statement is issued.  I haven't applied for credit with them or a CLI or anyone else in the last six months and this inquiry only appears on TU.  I immediately disputed it, but does anyone have any ideas why or how it got there and how much it is affecting my FICO?

[Anonymous]

 I would guess that 1 *ing* in 1  year will have no affect on your scores.

If the CRA  does not delete    send a letter to Sears   tell them they did not have PP. Also let them know that if they want to review your account it should have been a soft pull.

[Anonymous]

Thinking about it, I did have contact with Sears - I had a new card sent to me at my new address and it took a phone call to a CSR to do it.  I THINK that generated the pull, but it still should have been a soft pull not a hard one.

[Anonymous]

No it would be a hard pull!!!   Any new CC is hard!   If you call any CCC for a CLI  will also be a hard pull.

If a CCC gives you a CLI  without you asking  it would be a soft pull  because you didn't ask for credit!

[Anonymous]

It wasn't a new ACCOUNT, it was a new CARD, as in replacement card.

[Anonymous]

a replacement card  as in lost or stolen (or like mine unreadable)  would NOT be a hard pull!

To do a hard pull requires YOU to ask them for credit.

Message Edited by HappyDays on 04-05-2008 01:37 PM

[Anonymous]

Then we are in agreement it should not have been a hard pull.  I have disputed it with TU nonetheless.

[Anonymous]

disputing does not always help.  If they do not delete it   then you would send a NO PP letter to the OC.

[Anonymous]

This is common if- You use a inactive account -

I would agree that a hard to send a new card is a bit overboard-

It makes a bigger difernce on what you told them for the reason of the replacement card AND how it will report-

I would tread lightly on this- you really want to get Sears to re-code this to a soft.  Outright dispute of an INQ connected to a TL can have bad results.

[Anonymous]

I would handle this through Sears not TU. TU likes to delete more than you asked for. Ask Sears to change the inq to PRM or AR coding. They should know what that means. Sometimes when you say soft inq they have no idea. If at any time you talked about a credit line, there ya go. Inq. You should be successful but work carefully. CCs tend to get upset when you talk about inqs. More than not basic and supervisor CSRs can not remove it. Try the credit reporting dept at sears. Check your CR for a contact number listed for Sears.

Sears probably won't be able to modify while a dispute is pending, FYI. Might have to cancel dispute. But if you have a dispute open might as well let it ride out 30 days. Usually TU will not except this type of dispute and reject it.

Message Edited by ilovepizza on 04-06-2008 08:53 AM