Utility Credit Report; Hard or soft inq?

[ScarletFever]

I am moving, and the new utility company requires a credit check. However, the online app does not require a ss#. Does that mean it's a soft pull? Can a report be pulled without a ss#, and if so, is it possible to get a hard inq without a ss#?

[laz98]

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@ScarletFever wrote:

I am moving, and the new utility company requires a credit check. However, the online app does not require a ss#. Does that mean it's a soft pull? Can a report be pulled without a ss#, and if so, is it possible to get a hard inq without a ss#?

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no, it doesn't necessarily mean that it is a soft pull.  yes, they can get your credit reports without your SSN.

[ScarletFever]

wow....thanks.

[RobertEG]

The recording of a credit inquiry as a so-called "hard" or "soft" pull is not regulated by the FCRA.

As long as the requestor has a legitmate purpose under any subsection of FCRA (a), they can obtain your full CR.  Request fir service from a utility company is in connection with a business transaction intitiated by the consumer, and thus is a permissible pull.

How the utility company codes their inquiry is usually discretionary.  There are a dozen or so inquiry codes, some of which FICO recognizes in their scoring ("hard" pulls), and some that FICO scoring does not count ("soft" pulls). 

Creditors,when reporting to a CRA, and CRAs, when thereafter matching their reporting to your consumer file, like to use SSN, since that is usually the most unique and specifc personal identifier, and thus minimizes improper matching to the incorrect credit file.  But, as has been said, it is not required.  They will then fall back on the other identifiers provided, such as full name, address, etc. 

[ScarletFever]

Thanks Robert...that is good info in regard to the legalities. But what about practices? What do utilities typically do? I am in New Jersey. I can't imagine that utilities would perform hard pulls, especially without a ss#. Do you  or anyone else have experience with this? The last time I move was 18 years ago, and there were no credir checks on utilities...thanks..

[RobertEG]

Good followup question!

My best answer is that they are probalby just as clueless to the implicatiions of how they coded your inquiry.

I suggest that you call them, try to educate them subtly on the creditt reporting implications, and see if they wont update to an inquiry code that wont record in your FICO scoring.  They probalby know much less than you, and dont really care.  They got your CR.  That is all they wanted.