Freeze ARS and IDA credit reports the easy way!

When we started playing the miles-and-points game, our goals were simple: four tickets to Europe, and a few domestic trips on Southwest. Citi, Chase, and later Barclays and AMEX, took excellent care of us. In fact, none of US Bank’s offerings really interested me until I decided to try for the LAN Airlines card when it had a larger-than-normal bonus. At that time I had 18 new accounts opened within a year and, predictably, I got denied. USBank is well known to be picky. A while later, Bonnie tried to open a US Bank card. Less applications, and the phone rep made it sound like she would be approved when she was instructed to call in and verify her identity, but we got the same result. No love from US Bank.

Of course I knew better – I had seen posts on freezing some oddball credit reports called ARS and IDA, including the directions in posts at Travel Codex and the Free-quent Flyer. Since then I’d seen other posts that also spell it out, but they talk about certified mail and stuff I didn’t have time was too lazy for. There was spending to be manufactured! Office Max was leaving money laying around, and I had to take the boys and help them clean it up! I finally woke up, though, to the fact that requests can be faxed in. Last Friday, I faxed in two letters:

                                                                              <My fax number>

SageStream, LLC Consumer Office
P. O. Box 503793
San Diego, CA  92150
FAX (858) 312-6275

To Whom It May Concern

I’m writing to you to request a security freeze on my credit report. Under the Fair Credit Report Act you are required to comply. My information is as follows:

• Full Name <Me>
• Current Address <My house>
• Phone Number (123) 456-7890
• Social Security # ***-**-****
• Date Of Birth <A long time ago>

I’ve included the following two documents that verify my identity:

• Copy of driver’s license.
• Copy of passport.

After this credit freeze has been completed, please send written confirmation to the address listed above.

Kind regards,

<Me>

_________________________________

February 27, 2015

A second similar one went to ARS at

Advanced Resolution Services, Inc.
5005 Rockside Road, Suite 600
Independence, OH 44131
FAX (216) 615-7642

You can download full sample letters here for IDA/Sagestream and here for ARS.  Click ‘file’, then ‘make a copy’, and edit all of the red text. Print and sign it, and fax in along with copies of your documentation. You can use any two of: Drivers License, Passport, Social Security card(may not be accepted by ARS per comment below), Birth certificate, Alien registration card. The addresses and fax numbers are correct as of March 2015, and can be confirmed by calling Sagestream at (888) 395-0277 and ARS at (800) 392-8911. (EDIT: unfortunately, in some states you may have to mail in one or both requests. Voyaging Doc had to mail one in PA – see comment below.)

Today (Thursday, less than a week later) I received the IDA response confirming my report has been frozen. The ARS letter came yesterday. No stamps, no running around or Certified Mail, and I’m all set to try again with US Bank in April. This will be the first time in a couple of years that I’ve actually waited months between credit card applications and done a planned App-O-Rama, but it seems worthwhile if it’s the only way to get in on the Club Carlson buy-one-get-one-free award nights!

– Kenny