Interesting (and surreal) credit application process

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Okay, so I’m buying myself a new laptop as an early Christmas present, and I’m customizing it online. I finish with that, and notice they have an 18-month no payment/no interest program you can apply for. Great, says I. I fill out the application, and it tells me to call the 1-800 number to complete the application.

Grr… it says you can be approved online, but okay, I want this thing, let me call the number. So I call, and the guy takes my Social Security number and my address, then says, “I’m going to ask you some multiple choice questions to verify your identity, okay?” No problem. It’s a Sony laptop, and they apparently use HSBC for their credit applicants, so I’m dealing with major companies here.

Question Number 1: “[Father’s second ex-wife that I haven’t heard from or seen in fifteen years] owns real estate in a) California, b) Texas, or c) Colorado?”

Question 2: “[Father’s second ex-wife that I haven’t heard from or seen in fifteen years] is between the ages of a) 30-40, b) 40-50, or c) 50-60?”

Question 3: "[Father’s second ex-wife that I haven’t heard from or seen in fifteen years] currently lives in which county… a) Fairfax, b) Montrose, or c) some other county I’ve never heard of.

Needless to say, I answer each question with a mixture of confusion, guesswork, and frankly, resentment. I finally stop the guy and say, “Can I ask you a question now?” “Sure.” “What in the hell does my father’s ex-wife have to do with whether or not I can buy a computer?” “It’s not determining whether or not you’ll be approved… this is simply for verification purposes. We’ll mail you our decision in seven to ten days.”

WTF?? I have great credit, but I’ve never applied for 18 months of no interest/no payments. Is this normal?? I called my dad and he was just as surprised as I was. He doesn’t keep in touch with her either, and even he admitted he wouldn’t know the answers to those questions!

So why did this happen? Am I doomed to a lifetime with a delapidated laptop simply because I don’t keep in touch with my ex-stepmother??

2

I’m not sure what I find stranger, the fact that they expect you to know these things, or the fact that they apparently know them and have them available as part of your credit information.

I remember a few years ago Discover Card was upgrading their online security system, and as part of that they asked me to provide the answers to four or five questions like “where was your father born?” or “what is your pet’s name?”, but I got to choose which questions I wanted to use (out of a list of about ten, IIRC). They only time I’ve ever had to answer any of these, however, is if Discover doesn’t recognize the computer I’m signing on with (like when I need to reboot my cable modem, which apparently resets my computer’s ISP).

Another time, I needed to change the contact info on my Southwest Airlines Rewards account. The problem was, I hadn’t used it in a while, during which time I had moved and no longer had the same e-mail address. As part of the verification process they gave me a date that I had flown on SWA, and asked me what airport I had departed from on that date. Fortunately I remembered the flight and was able to answer, but at least that was information I would have reasonably expected them to have access to.

3

My online banking log-in process is like that. I had to provide answers to six random questions like the name of my favourite film, a place memorable to me, a favourite TV character and suchlike. After that, they selected three of those questions at random to be part of the log-in process.

4

I find the whole thing very strange [that is, Doowahdiddy’s situation, not the “secret question” scenario some of you also mentioned].

I mean, obviously they have to verify that you are you to prevent identity theft; but the times I’ve had to do that was when I was getting my free annual credit report and they asked questions specific to me: what county my vehicle was registered in (multiple choice), what bank my 1998 mortgage loan was through and so forth. Now, the first one, the car registration, that’s not an embedded piece of information in my credit report is it? So it must be a part of some larger database that the credit bureaus have access to, perhaps?

Now, if that is the case, then how in the hell did the OPs ex-stepmom’s info get embedded in the same database to be connected to his stuff? All I can think of is if he has the same name as his father and somehow they are mixing up what info is connected to father and which to son.

5

I’m confused? Why couldn’t you simply explain that the woman hasn’t been any part of your life in 15 years and you have no knowledge of her exact age, business dealing or home address? Surely if they have information that arcane, they should have other historical facts that you would be expected to know?

6

Umm. This could be a very bad thing. The ex might have been opening joint accounts with your name.

I would get all 3 credit reports ASAP. Ditto for your father.

7

Exactly. I just can’t wrap my mind around the connection.

Yes, but I never provided them with those questions or answers. I wouldn’t have a clue about any of that stuff, seeing as how I haven’t thought of her in 15 years (which was way before I was old enough to apply for credit).

On preview, drpepper, that’s what I thought, but no, my father and I have different names, and they went by my SS number anyway.

8

Just ask to speak to their supervisor. Ask said supervisor what you asked us. Explain you know knowing about your fathers ex-wife, nor shoudl you be expected to.

Likely, they are checking Lexis/Nexus or a similar personal fact seach service, and it lists her as your Mother.

9

I remember now being asked the same sort of questions that drpepper referred to the last time I requested a free copy of my credit report (which also reminds me that it’s about time for me do do that again). In fact, one of them was something I couldn’t remember off the top of my head and had to look up.

10

I encountered a similar process while obtaining my credit reports; they keep asking me about a refinance on a house that I haven’t owned for 12 years, but my ex-husband refinanced 3 years ago. I don’t know what bank he used to refinance it, but my name must still be somewhere, because it keeps coming up on my credit report questions. I’ve contacted the ex, who explained that’s what it must be, but he’s a very honest person and I’m quite certain he’s not using my info for anything. Now I’m in the process of sending hard copy letters to the credit agencies to get it cleared up. Pain in the ass.

11

Once in a while they will ask a question about account they know you never had, as part of the test.

12

I really doubt it. I think these kind of questions are pretty standard for verifying I.D. for credit. I also think they are complete bullshit. I got straight-up pissed off when I applied for my last credit card. They not only asked me questions about the whereabouts of my abusive ex-adopted father, they asked me how old he was, and his father has the exact same name as he does. So I basically had to guess which one they were talking about, and I had a 50-50 shot of getting it completely wrong. If you want to verify my I.D., ask about ME, not my fucked up family. It’s none of your Ogdamned business!