Can a company request your credit report without your authorization?

Question

I had my credit report obtained a few times by some large companies like Capital one, and Washington Mutual, can they d this without my consent?

Answer 1

Are they hard inquiries or soft ones? (there is a big difference)

Any company can pull soft inquiries on you unless you are opted out. (in fact the credit reporting agencies sells your information to those companies if you are not opted out)

Companies can only pull hard inquiries on you if you are requesting credit from them, you already do business with them or they own or was assigned an debt/account of yours.

Your request of credit, doing business with the company or a company purchases a debt/account of yours gives them permissible purpose to pull a hard inquiry.

If it was a company that you had not requested credit from or you don't do business with them, etc, and it was a hard pull (not a soft, unless you are opted out) - then they do not have permissible purpose. And you should dispute it.

Answer 2

They did.

They must have had a reason to request your CR. You might want to contact both and ask for the reason why the requested your CR.

Answer 3

Yes they can.