Rapid Travel Chai

I wrote yesterday that Citi closed two of my accounts for not having activity in over a year. When I asked to have them reinstated, the agent said it had to take a hard credit inquiry to bring them back.

I should have learned my lesson last year when this happened with one of my wife’s cards. At the time I hunted around and found inconclusive reports.

So, readers, weigh in, what’s better? Credit report showing “Closed by Issuer” or sacrificing a hard credit inquiry to reinstate? And does that really reinstate or still show the closed account and then a new one?

(corrected) Another interesting angle is via twitter Yehuda said that he has gotten Citi to pull Equifax when his Experian is frozen. I have never before heard of success on this with Citi. They and Amex always insisted on accessing the original report they tried in my experience and many reports. Yehuda corrected my misunderstanding, what is reportedly happening now is rather than Citi trying one report and insisting to access that, Citi’s systems, at least for New York, are then accessing Equifax after Experian is blocked. Has anyone else had success like Yehuda?