Comment by shmatt
3 years ago
I think the issue is - do companies who give them information also get access to it for people outside their org
Others have wrote this in the thread, but anecdotally I once tried to push up what I considered a low ball offer, and lied about my current comp. HR quickly said - no, thats not your current comp
I'm pretty sure they didn't reach out to my current company to ask, so the only other option was abusing a system like this
I very much doubt it. The "Salary data is for sale" title is misleading; There's no way for me to go pay Equifax for access to u/shmatt's data. They might have some aggregate datasets for sale, removing PII.
The same goes for credit data; you (largely) can't run a credit check on me without my permission.
This is an HR service to ease the burden of legitimate requests for employment or salary data that you, as an employee, request.
More logically, employers wouldn't want other companies to be able to access their payroll information for competitive reasons.
I can't explain your previous experience; perhaps you were at a company with firm pay bands, and they knew you were already at the top of your current one?
> you (largely) can't run a credit check on me without my permission
that is LOL incorrect. I know a car sales department lead, a licensed real estate broker who is also a rental apartment owner, and multiple small business owners that I suspect can all snoop on my US credit record pretty much at will. The second part of that is that each and every one of those people do lie on signed documents routinely, which apparently is normal.
Notwithstanding bad actors, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires[1], among other things:
1. Only business entities with a specific, legitimate purpose can request / access a credit report.
2. Consent must be provided depending on use case.
"Soft pulls" (e.g., pre-screened CC offers) can be done without your consent. (You can opt out of these.)
A dealership finance office or lease broker would absolutely run your credit, and typically there are explicit forms you sign authorizing such a check as part of that business transaction authorized by you. "At will" checks outside of such transactions would appear to be in violation of FCRA.
Conversely, credit agencies are required to provide you a list of all inquiries upon demand, so you can see if those parties you mention actually are running your credit without your permission.
[1] https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/pdf-0096-fair-credit-r...
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> you (largely) can't run a credit check on me without my permission
In my country there are forums where every once in a while a guy with access to these credit systems shows up and starts literally taking requests. People post names and he reveals everything about the person's credit history. For free and in the open.
Wouldn't be surprised if it was just as easy in the US for some bank or employer to look up your entire financial history.