When do you have to unlock a locked credit file?

Non-investing personal finance issues including insurance, credit, real estate, taxes, employment and legal issues such as trusts and wills.
Post Reply
User avatar
Topic Author
tc101
Posts: 3810
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 2:18 pm
Location: Atlanta - Retired in 2004 at age 54

When do you have to unlock a locked credit file?

Post by tc101 »

I was a victim of identity theft years ago, and have a lock on my credit files. When I opened a new bank account I had to unlock the credit files. It was not much trouble.

When I got new gas service for my house it was the same thing. I think if I got a new cell phone or cable service I would also have to unlock the files.

If I was traveling and needed to unlock the file to rent a car it could be a lot of trouble. Is there a way around that?

What are some other times that you would need to unlock a credit file?
. | The most important thing you should know about me is that I am not an expert.
User avatar
Watty
Posts: 28859
Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2007 3:55 pm

Re: When do you have to unlock a locked credit file?

Post by Watty »

tc101 wrote:If I was traveling and needed to unlock the file to rent a car it could be a lot of trouble. Is there a way around that?
I have had mine frozen for years and I have never had any problems renting a car with just a credit card. If a car rental company wanted my Social Security number I would not use them.

The only times I have had to unlock it was when changing utilities to avoid a security deposit, and when I did a home refinance or applied for a credit card.

I would assume that if you were applying to lease an apartment they would want to do a credit check on you too.
earlyout
Posts: 1542
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 4:24 pm

Re: When do you have to unlock a locked credit file?

Post by earlyout »

My experience has been very similar to Watty's experieces. My credit history has been frozen for 10-15 years and I did not have to unlock the files for car rentals, even for some longer term (30 - 60 day) rentals. The only times I have had to temporarily lift the freeze were for an HELOC application, new credit cards or a cell phone. Getting new electric service after a move didn't require unfreezing the account.

When a vendor wants to check my credit, I find out which credit bureau they use and then it takes a single phone call to that credit bureau to temporarily unfreeze my file for 2 or 3 days. State law here in Georgia means it doesn't cost me anything to do this.
User avatar
lthenderson
Posts: 8525
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:43 am
Location: Iowa

Re: When do you have to unlock a locked credit file?

Post by lthenderson »

I had to unlock my credit freeze this week for the first time since I established it a couple years back. I was applying for a new credit card based off of comments I have read on this forum. I applied online, got denied and sent an email saying which credit bureau I needed to unfreeze. I did that online and called the credit card company back and was approved all within about a half hour. I have rented cars and other equipment during that time and was never asked to unfreeze my credit.
Z9yajAg
Posts: 38
Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2014 11:55 am

Re: When do you have to unlock a locked credit file?

Post by Z9yajAg »

I've been frozen for 10+ years, and so are my kids.

Always have to unfreeze: mortgage, credit card application, large credit card limit increase, buying a car
Usually must unfreeze: signing a lease, new cellular account & free phone
Sometimes have to unfreeze: new account at new bank, starting utility service
Never unfreeze:
-- small, annual credit card limit increases (they'll give you 10% per year without a pull)
-- rental cars
-- new phone / new contract with the same cellular co.
-- new account or CD at your existing bank

The problem is that most places query all 3 major bureaus, or randomly pick one and won't tell you which. I've never been able to unfreeze just one bureau, and have always had to unfreeze all three. In my state, it's $10 per bureau, which is $60 total for a mortgage for the wife and me.

I end up unfreezing for a week about once a year, and try to get everything done in that one unfreeze that I might need.

You can't move from bank to bank chasing the best national CD interest rates. I opened small $5 accounts at PenFed and some other high-rate CUs, though, so I'll be ready if rates start back up.
takeshi
Posts: 1175
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 10:02 pm

Re: When do you have to unlock a locked credit file?

Post by takeshi »

tc101 wrote:If I was traveling and needed to unlock the file to rent a car it could be a lot of trouble. Is there a way around that?

What are some other times that you would need to unlock a credit file?
Any time your reports need to be pulled you have to lift the freeze. A pull of your reports is not needed for a car rental. You and others have covered most of the reasons. Some credit unions require a pull for membership.
Z9yajAg wrote: have to unfreeze: mortgage, credit card application, large credit card limit increase,
Z9yajAg wrote:small, annual credit card limit increases (they'll give you 10% per year without a pull)
Creditors that issue credit cards vary. Some require hard pulls for CLI's. Some require them only for customer initiated CLI's. Some always use soft pulls. It really depends on the specific creditor. I wouldn't rely on "small" or "large". The size of the CLI depends on what one's credit qualifies for. Whether the CLI is based on a soft or hard pull is an entirely separate matter. I've received large CLI's with a soft and small CLI's with a hard. Unfortunately you don't get to see the amount of the CLI until the pull is performed.
Post Reply