Removal of hard inquiries from the Experian Credit Report

[Anonymous]

Recently I had somewhat weird experiences with removal of old hard inquiries from my Experian Credit report. I had two such hard inquiries dated early June 2018 from real estate brokers/companies when I was in the process of renting an apartment. In my Experian Credit Report they showed with the expiration date of June 3 and June 5, 2020 or something like that. But then those dates passed, my Experian Credit Report got renewed (I think around June 8 or something) but the inquiries still stayed on it. It then got renewed again a couple of weeks later and the inquiries were still there. I logged in at the very end of June and they were still there. I called Experian and after being transferred several times was told that in this situation for some reason I had to initiate a dispute to get the inquiries taken off. They didn't explain why. I initiated a dispite and the inquiries were taken off in less than 24 hours. 

Now, in August, the situation repeated. I had one more, the last one, hard inquiry, dated August 15, 2018, from Verizon Wireless, from getting an iPhone there. On the report it showed the removal date of August 15, 2020. On August 16, 2020 my Experian credit report got renewed and the inquiry was still there. I called, requested to initiate a dispute, and the inquiry was taken off within 8 hours or so. 

I am wondering why it was necessary for me to call them at all. I thought that after two years these hard inquiries are supposed to be removed automatically. Or does it actually take them more than two years to remove them automatically (if you don't call them)?

Just feels strange ... 

[Irv02]

I heard sometimes it takes 25 months before the inquiry is removed.  I'll let the gurus chime in with the real answer.

[KLEXH25]

Yeah I thought it was as late as the first Saturday on the 25th month of the inquiry. Or am I making that up?

[Anonymous]

Interesting, thank you both! I haven't heard anything about this 25 months thing but I guess it must be something like that. 

I just assumed that when the credit report said: "Removal date: June 5, 2020", they actyally meant it. But apparently not quite. 

[KLEXH25]

Well I had a couple of inquiries fall off in May at the 24 month mark, so I'm not 100% sure if it's normal to remain longer. I'm trying to find where I read the 25 month thing. 

[Anonymous]

Hmm. That actually sounds a little disturbing, if it means that their removal practices are not uniform and perhaps not entirely predictable ...

[coldfusion]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Hmm. That actually sounds a little disturbing, if it means that their removal practices are not uniform and perhaps not entirely predictable ...

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No, Experian is quite predictable.

They make a single general purge old inquiries once a month, I forget the exact timing but it's something like the Tuesday after the 1st Saturday of each month.

If you have an inquiry that turns 24 months old in August it should be removed during the September purge.

[Anonymous]

OK, I see, thanks!

[Wavester64]

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@coldfusion wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

Hmm. That actually sounds a little disturbing, if it means that their removal practices are not uniform and perhaps not entirely predictable ...

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No, Experian is quite predictable.

They make a single general purge old inquiries once a month, I forget the exact timing but it's something like the Tuesday after the 1st Saturday of each month.

If you have an inquiry that turns 24 months old in August it should be removed during the September purge.

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I have something like that going on. I had a triple pull for a Capital One Card that all 3 CBs are saying should come off August 10th. That date came and went and TU and EQ INQs are gone, but the EX one is still there. So going by your numbers (I know you were guessing) it would be Tuesday September 8th that INQ should scroll off.

[Trudy]

For Experian only it is the 1st Saturday of the new month (25th month) when they remove inquiries.  My 6/12/18 INQ was removed on 7/4.  The only time it will be removed the 2nd Saturday is when the 1st falls on a Saturday.  My 1/5/18 INQ fell off 2/8 instead of 2/1.

For those who had a 7/2018 INQ you should have already experienced the 2nd Saturday removal due to 8/1 being a Saturday.