There are a few different reasons a Preflight transaction may result in an error. Below we have listed the most common reasons for errors and how to trouble shoot.
Things you can try to resolve an error:
- Check your information: when filling out the Preflight form the more information and details you provide, the easier the authentication of your identity and matching to your file becomes. This includes but not limited to, full/complete legal name, a middle initial, a suffix, full street address, no use of symbols in address field, current and previous addresses, etc...
- Review Credit Card Number, billing address and availability of funds: Billing address must match credit card statement and that the balance on the card will allow for the transaction to approve.
- Contact your loan officer so they may assist you in continuing your mortgage. We never want to hold up the mortgage process due to an error so be sure to let them know as soon as possible that you have run into an issue.
After getting through the form and confirmation screen, the identity authentication questions will display. These questions, although difficult at times, are there to safe guard your identity and personal credit information. These questions and database are the same as the bureau level process and AnnualCreditReport.com.
If the error displays after going through the question and answer process, it is likely that one of the following has occurred:
Too many questions incorrectly answered. PF will allow for some incorrect questions, and will display additional questions to attempt to assist authentication. If too many are incorrect, PF will display an error. Preflight can be attempted 3 times within a 24 hour period to allow for different questions to display in hopes of successful identification. If an error is received all 3 times in a row, a 24 hour lock is placed on the transaction which won't allow you to proceed until that time has passed.
Troubleshooting the question and answer process:
- Double check the information entered on the first page - make sure your complete legal name, date of birth, current address, prior address is fully complete- also be sure there are no mistakes in SSN, phone number, etc...
- Take your time with the questions, be sure to read thoroughly, they are not meant to trick you but the verbiage can be difficult.
- Be sure to have your spouse with you (if possible) to assist in questions.
- Questions include "out of pocket" answers, not just about credit - pick the answer that best fits.
- If the process cannot be completed for any reason, simply call your Loan officer and they will be able to assist you in pulling credit directly from their system.
Freeze on the Experian credit file. If a credit freeze is currently on the Experian credit file, authentication will not be successful and PF will not allow the credit file to be pulled until freeze is lifted. Contact your loan officer to assist.
Victim statement on credit file. A victim statement on a credit file alone, will not restrict you from being properly authentication. However, paired with a lack of complete information on the Preflight form and if any questions were failed, this can cause a questionable result which would produce an error. If you have a victim statement on the credit file, and you filled out the PF form with the most detailed information available, you should contact your Loan officer to discuss proper solution.
If you pass the authentication questions, you receive a successful notification but the Preflight report does not display. This can be caused by the credit card declining (or expired) as well as merchant service issues (cc processing system problem.) Again, if this happens contact your Loan officer for further assistance.
Preflight technical difficulties. We do our best to notify our clients if we are experiencing technical difficulties or if the system is being updated. While this happens very rarely it is possible the error resulted from a technical error on our part. We do apologize if you should experience that issue and would like to apologize in advance for this rare occurrence.