Question 1

What is a hard inquiry?

Accepted Answer

A hard inquiry is recorded when a lender, dealership, landlord or other company pulls your credit file to make a decision about you. Unlike checking your own score, a hard inquiry is visible to other lenders who look at your report.

Question 2

How long do hard inquiries stay on my Experian report?

Accepted Answer

Hard inquiries generally remain visible on your Experian file for up to two years, even though their scoring effect usually fades much sooner.

Question 3

How much can inquiries affect my score?

Accepted Answer

A single inquiry usually costs a small number of points, but they stack. A file with many recent pulls can read as higher risk to a lender, which may affect a card, auto loan or mortgage decision. Every credit profile is different and no specific point change can be promised.

Question 4

Does disputing an inquiry hurt my credit?

Accepted Answer

Filing a dispute does not create a new hard inquiry and does not lower your score on its own. You have the right to dispute information you believe is inaccurate or unauthorized.

Question 5

Which credit bureau does this cover?

Accepted Answer

Experian only. Banks and lenders pull Experian very often, so we built one focused service around it. We do not work on Equifax or TransUnion.

Question 6

Which inquiries qualify?

Accepted Answer

Experian hard inquiries you believe you did not authorize, do not recognize, or that appear to have been reported in error or duplicated. Inquiries you authorized and that are reported accurately are not eligible, and accurate information cannot be removed from a credit file.

Question 7

How many inquiries are covered by the fee?

Accepted Answer

Every questionable Experian inquiry you identify in your submission is covered by the single $295 fee. There is no per-inquiry charge.

Question 8

Is this a monthly subscription?

Accepted Answer

No. It is a single one-time payment of $295. No recurring billing, no add-ons at checkout, no hidden fees.

Question 9

Do you guarantee an inquiry will be removed?

Accepted Answer

No. ReadyVo™ does not guarantee removal, a specific credit score change, or approval for any loan or credit product. Individual results vary and the outcome is decided by Experian and the company that reported the inquiry. What we do guarantee is your money back: if nothing is removed from your Experian report, you get a full refund.

Question 10

What happens if Experian keeps the inquiry?

Accepted Answer

You will see the outcome in your account. If Experian verifies an inquiry as accurate and authorized, it stays on your file. We will explain what was returned and what options remain. If nothing at all is removed, we refund your fee in full.

Question 11

What types of hard inquiries may qualify for the 24-Hour Experian Inquiry Removal service?

Accepted Answer

Hard inquiries may qualify for review if they are unauthorized, erroneous, fraudulent, or unknown. Unauthorized means you did not authorize the inquiry. Erroneous means the inquiry appears to have been reported incorrectly or contains inaccurate information. Fraudulent means the inquiry resulted from identity theft or fraudulent activity. Unknown means you do not recognize the inquiry or have no knowledge of authorizing it. Each Experian credit report is reviewed individually to determine eligibility.

Question 12

What is a linked hard inquiry?

Accepted Answer

A linked hard inquiry is a hard inquiry that is connected to an actual account appearing on your Experian credit report, whether the account is open or closed. Example: you applied for a Capital One® credit card and your application was approved. Whether the account is still open or has since been closed, the original hard inquiry is considered linked because it resulted in an actual account. Linked hard inquiries generally do not qualify for the inquiry removal process.

Question 13

What is a not-linked hard inquiry?

Accepted Answer

A not-linked hard inquiry is a hard inquiry that is not connected to any account appearing on your Experian credit report. Example: you applied for a Capital One® credit card, but your application was declined. The hard inquiry appears on your credit report, but no account was opened. Because there is no account connected to the inquiry, it may qualify for the inquiry removal process, depending on the results of our review.

Question 14

Do auto loan and mortgage shopping inquiries qualify?

Accepted Answer

Generally, no. If you shopped with multiple lenders for an auto loan or mortgage and one of those inquiries resulted in an account being opened and reported on your Experian credit report, the related shopping inquiries are generally considered linked and do not qualify for the inquiry removal process.

Question 15

Will all of my hard inquiries be removed?

Accepted Answer

No. Not every hard inquiry qualifies for the inquiry removal process. Only hard inquiries that meet our eligibility criteria may qualify for review. Every Experian credit report is reviewed individually, and the number of eligible inquiries varies from person to person.

Question 16

How do I start?

Accepted Answer

Create your ReadyVo™ account, complete the one-time payment through the secure checkout, then upload your required documents on a single page.

Question 17

What documents do I need?

Accepted Answer

Four items: your Experian credit report as a PDF downloaded directly from Experian.com, a government-issued photo ID, a recent utility bill showing your current address, and your Social Security number.

Question 18

Where does my credit report need to come from?

Accepted Answer

Your report must be a full Experian credit report downloaded directly from Experian.com. We cannot accept TransUnion, Equifax, Credit Karma, screenshots, or other third-party reports.

Question 19

Why do you need my Social Security number and ID?

Accepted Answer

Experian requires identity verification before acting on any request tied to your credit file. Your ID and address document confirm who you are, and your report shows the inquiries in question.

Question 20

Is my information secure?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Your Social Security number is entered through a masked field, documents are uploaded over an encrypted connection into private storage, and only our review team can open them. We never sell your data.

Question 21

When does the work begin?

Accepted Answer

As soon as your payment clears and your four documents have been submitted and accepted by our review team.

Question 22

How fast is it filed?

Accepted Answer

Once your documents are approved, the removal takes 24 business hours.

Question 23

Can I track my inquiry removal?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Log in at any time to see exactly which stage you are in, from payment through completion.

Question 24

How will I receive updates?

Accepted Answer

Updates appear inside your account, and we email you whenever your status changes.

Question 25

What if you need more information from me?

Accepted Answer

You get a notification and a plain request inside your account explaining exactly what needs to be replaced or corrected.

Question 26

What happens if nothing gets removed?

Accepted Answer

You get your money back. If your request is filed and no inquiry is removed from your Experian report, we refund your fee in full. If at least one inquiry is removed, the service has been performed and the fee is not refundable.

Question 27

Can I get a refund?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You get a full refund if you have not yet submitted your documents, if we have not begun work, if we determine we cannot proceed, or if your request is filed and nothing is removed. See our refund policy for full details.

Frequently asked questions

Hard inquiries, explained

The service

Eligibility

Getting started

Your inquiry removal