Creditors using outdated FICO scores?

[NoAnchoviesPlease]

I've had a couple of inquiries lately, around new TLs and dealing with some CLDs.

The scores (true FICO) that I've seen pulled/referred to in notices are high 600s (684/692/701) from EX and TU at the beginning of this month (been lightly gardening since then), but I've had two reports of EQ being in the 620-640 range. 

The weird thing is, the Experian and Trans-Union scores are dated in April. Both of the Equifax scores say they're from February (one notice was from very late March, one from early April). 

Any idea why the Equifax scores would be old/outdated, but EX/TU done at the same time would be current?

I've checked my 3-way report (around the time of the most recent notices) and I have been reviewing EQ every few days for the last month or so, and there's nothing out of whack. FAKO scores from my 3-way this month are relatively consistent. Only diff between the accounts is that one TL shows closed on EX whereas it's still open and reports as such on EQ/TU. 

I'm planning to get my official FICO scores in a couple of weeks, after a couple of TLs with PIF balances report in. But I'd welcome any advice in the meantime, even if it is just "get your EQ FICO now and see what's broken."

[user5387]

Not sure what you're asking, but a couple of comments.

1.  There are many FICO variants, and the ones you get from this site may not match what a lender uses.

2.  It's also true that lenders use their own internal scoring models, that may not match anything.

3.  Sometimes lenders use soft pulls that are fairly old in making underwriting decisions.

4.  You may be dealing with reporting and updating lags of some type.

[NoAnchoviesPlease]

Probably #3, based on what I described. Seems odd for it to be only on one CRA. 

I figure if the letter from the creditor says FICO, it means FICO, not an internal scoring model...  at least as far as the FICO score is concerned. 

[Marcos8]

My last attempt at using the Cap1 luv button produced a 7-10 day message that when the letter arrived referenced a credit pull that was over 2 months old. I think that the success that most have with the Cap1 EO is that they will do a new current soft pull to render a decision. This is the only downside (if you'd call it that) about creditors who soft pull for decisions. Amex historically is a soft pull for CLI's but the frequency at which they do it seems to be at a much higher rate so its's less of an issue for most people. This has been my personal experience anyway.

[NoAnchoviesPlease]

---

@Marcos8 wrote:

My last attempt at using the Cap1 luv button produced a 7-10 day message that when the letter arrived referenced a credit pull that was over 2 months old. I think that the success that most have with the Cap1 EO is that they will do a new current soft pull to render a decision. This is the only downside (if you'd call it that) about creditors who soft pull for decisions. Amex historically is a soft pull for CLI's but the frequency at which they do it seems to be at a much higher rate so its's less of an issue for most people. This has been my personal experience anyway.

---

Thanks Marcos8. 

I went to Cap1 EO for CLI after a decline, got $250 to bring me to $1k. If my next mini-spree calls up February scores and reports, I'll definitely request recon. Probably be a 100 point difference and an 80% decrease in util between them.