Preapproval Hard Inquiry ~ FURIOUS

[Anonymous]

Received preapproval for Bank of West World MasterCard in mail. Called and asked if application would yield hard inquiry; rep stated no. She read disclosures and asked if I wanted to go forward with application, and I again asked if hard inquiry would be processed. Again she said no, that my credit had already been checked and because it was a preapproval, there would be no hard inquiry. After the call, I received an email from Experian alerting me to a recent credit inquiry. Called back and was ultimately connected with a supervisor who stated the call would be reviewed, offering me no more than an apology for what had occurred. I stated that I wanted the inquiry removed, and she then connected me with her supervisor, who informed me (with a rather obnoxious tone) that they can’t change credit report data. I responded that I entered into an agreement that I would have otherwise opted out of because of the hard inquiry, and therefore they needed to take responsibility for the error of their agent and remove the inquiry. I have a call in to her supervisor, but am wondering how to proceed if this person is as uncooperative as the last.

[Anonymous]

I could argue both sides of this.  Granted, if you were told it wouldn't be a hard inquiry, what was said should be honored.  I can assure you though that whatever CSR said that was flat out wrong and did not understand how the process works.   

The point here though is that you shouldn't have been told it wouldn't result in a hard inquiry, as you were applying for a new credit product.  When you're asked if you want to go ahead with the application, that's the point of no return in terms of getting the HP vs the SP. 

It's extremely rare and next to impossible to obtain a credit card without taking on an inquiry.

[FinStar]

It likely won't be removed OP. Unfortunately, this likely falls under the premise of an uninformed representative, which may yield coaching at best.

Bank of the West, regardless of pre-approval offers, will still yield a HP. All you can do is ask to see if they can recode the HP inquiry as a SP, but YEMV.

Always expect a HP for any type of credit origination.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your reply. I understand that it is rare to only have soft pull when applying for credit; however, it is the bank’s legal obligation to disclose the terms of the application properly, which they did not. As a result, I entered into a legal agreement based on erroneous information, and the bank is legally obligated to remove the inquiry because of their associate’s error. Again, my question is how to force them to comply.

[Anonymous]

I guess go down the BBB route for starters and see what that does for you.  You were approved for the card though, right?  If you were, I honestly wouldn't make a fuss about it, because as you stated previously you're well aware that credit apps result in HPs.  It sounds like you were sort of preying on ignorance here, which really isn't something to get worked up about if it doesn't work out.  It's like if on Pay Day you saw that your direct deposit for some reason went into your bank account twice.  You know that's not right, so you call your employer and he looks into it and says "nope, everything looks fine on our end..."  Then a few days later he contacts you and says that he does realize there's an error and will need to take back the double-payment.  You can't get mad over that, as you knew from the very start what was right and what was wrong.  Again, assuming you were approved for the product here, stirring the pot may end up getting your account flagged in some way shape or form, which could end up biting you in the rear at some point down the line.  Just something to consider, as inquiries are the least impactful part of one's credit score.

[Anonymous]

That’s the other thing, there is a 7-10 day processing period, and approval or denial is mailed. This wasn’t disclosed until after the application was completed, and the supervisor confirmed that the 7-10 day wait is standard procedure. 

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[Anonymous]

No, I wasn’t preying on ignorance. I did not know if a preapproval would assess a hard pull, which is why I asked more than once to insure the information provided was accurate and to clarify the terms of the application. They’re the bank, why am I as the consumer responsible for their screw up? The fact is I did not authorize a hard inquiry. The BBB idea is a good one, though, thank you. 

[Anonymous]

You stated in your previous post that you know that new apps result in HPs, so your expectation should have been a HP.  I completely get that you were told otherwise, but even so, you still know how the system works.  When I say preying on ignorance, I'm not suggesting that you were trying to manipulate the situation here, simply that regardless of what a CSR tells you there are standards that even you yourself said you were aware of prior.  If you end up not getting approved for the product, battle away.  If you are approved, though, I personally wouldn't risk the possible black eye left on the account over something as meaningless as an inquiry on a product that you seemingly value.

[Anonymous]

No, if you re-read my posts, I never stated that I knew new apps result in hard inquiry. I stated that I asked if the app would trigger a hard pull. The onus is on the financial institution. The terms of their verbal disclosure and my verbal signature is as legally binding as a written contract. The fact is I would not have agreed to go forward with application if I had been told about the hard inquiry. Thanks for your input.

[bourgogne]

does the doc you got in the mail say anything about checking your credit?  bank of the west are idiots, there is no other way to sugar coat it.  their systems are from the 60s and thus far the only positives i can see are n/c checking and overnight bill pay which is somewhat of a miracle if you know this bank.  the atm in beverly hills right in the flipping heart of bh has eaten my $s more times than I can remember.  the rule is when you get a card expect a pull.  the only times when this might not happen is with amex or doing a double with chase in-branch.  its only a pull.  hope at least you get the card.