Equifax

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Equifax can't keep anything straight ... and doesn't seem to try very hard. For the second time, the company has been penalized by the Federal Trade Commission for not responding to consumer inquiries. That will come as no news to the hundreds who've written to us, including those below:

Teresa of Reynoldsburg, OH July 24, 2009

Follow up to previous complaint. Equifax is still taking 14.95 out of my account although I informed them I wanted to cancel 2 months ago. I consider this fraud and a theft. I am currently on hold with Equifax and they say that the representative I spoke with to cancel my account stated I hung up on her. I verified that she had all the information that was necessary to cancel and she continued to try to "sell" their service not listening to what I was saying. I asked her numerous times if she had all the information she needed to cancel and she said yes. I ended the call assuming the charges would stop - WRONG.

So, since my service is still active I went through their automated service and placed a fraud alert on my account for their charges. When the representative came on the line, he was stunned when I explained that the fraud alert I placed was for their own charges. I now have a confirmation number for a refund of 2 months. We'll see if it ever hits my account.

Darryl of CHESAPEAKE, VA July 15, 2009

My story is bad just like everyone else.I have dispute an item on my credit report off and on for 3 years. They say wait 30-45 days. They keeping sending E-mails saying still disputing.Finally, an E-mail comes and says dispute completed.Tells me say thing every time. I call and complain it is still incorrect info. They start another dispute and same thing happens in exact order over and over and over.

Anyway they still are doing this to this very day.I call and tell them that a loan I had was paid in full three years ago..My report says charged off to the very day. I call every 45 or so days and they say company is reporting correctly. I would call company but Equifax has wrong phone #. I see they are investing very hard. Anyway every time I call them I try to give them the companies real number because I have been investigating myself, for three years.How can I find all correct info but they can not. I am regular person with a computer does Equifax not have any computers so they can find correct company info like I did. Nice work for the last three years. Maybe they will fix it before 7 years expire, who knows.

Rebekka of Atlanta, GA July 7, 2009

Hello- I'm writing to file a complaint against equifax- I am the victim of identity fraud, had an initial fraud alert placed on my credit file, and am trying to follow up. It takes a ridiculous long time on the automated system and requires excessive redirection in order to get the credit report and not pay for a score. At the end of it all I finally reached a representative and requested that the fraud alert on my file be extended. The response given to me was that an extended fraud alert would only be provided after a written request.

When I requested to speak to a supervisor to have the policy explained I was put on hold and subsequently disconnected. When I called the customer service line I had been provided and assured would link me to a live representative who could assist me, it went straight to voicemail on each of the 10 occassions I attempted to reach them and at this point I have not received a call back to address my concern.

James of Tres Piedras, NM July 1, 2009

I was turned down for credit by sears because of equifax erroneous reporting.It's been less than 60 days.When I call their 1(800)685-1111.It's totally automated. And wants 7.95 for what's supposed to be free.There is not an option for customer service or any way around the charge. Did I say Their reporting is erroneous? By the way equifax isn't even in the dictionary....

Tracy of Fair Lawn, NJ July 1, 2009

In July of 2007 I requested a security freeze be placed on my consumer credit information. In February 2009 I wanted to avail myself of lower mortgage refinancing rates. It was then for the first time that I realized I should have received a confirmatory PIN # for the freeze I placed back in the summer of 2007. I never did. So, on February 18, 2009 I sent what I thought was all the required documentation, along with a letter of explanation to Equifax Security Freeze.

I also requested my free annual credit report (per the state of New Jersey) at that time. I sent the information certified mail, return-receipt requested and the post office confirmed my letter was indeed received by Equifax. No response ever came. So, on March 24, 2009 I again sent a certified, return-receipt letter to Equifax, asking if my information was somehow incomplete, and again requesting my PIN # and free annual report. On March 30th I received my PIN #, but no credit report. Nothing else ever arrived. On May 19, 2009 I sent my third certified letter, return-receipt requested still looking for my credit report. On May 24, 2009 I received a form letter back from Equifax stating I had already received my free copy of my credit report within the past 12 months, but I could pay for another copy now. This is not true.

On June 2, 2009 I sent my fourth certified letter, return-receipt requested, still looking for my "free" annual credit report - and on June 9, 2009 I again received a form letter saying no, that I already received my "free" report. As I explained in my fourth letter, if logic prevailed, one could easily see I have now spent more money requesting my "free" annual credit report (via certified mail, return-receipt requested costs) than it would have cost me to simply have outright purchased a report from the onset of my quest. It is very difficult and costly to only be able to connect with Equifax through letters.

Without a two-way conversation, with the expense of certified, return-receipt letters and with the inconvenience of needing to frequent a post-office, I am really at a loss. It is absolutely infuriating that a consumer organization that holds so much power over the public may simply respond with form letters and no human contact or effort on their part to investigate a situation further.

Wen of McDonough, GA June 28, 2009

I asked Equifax to correct a payment delay item on my credit report. They made no effort to investigate the item. This is what happened. Charter communications was used to withdraw my monthly service charge from my checking account automatically. When I moved to my new house a couple of years ago, Charter did not withdraw money directly from my checking account for the last bill. Instead, they billed me to my old address which resulted in late payment since I had already moved. I asked Equifax to take out this late payment item because it was not my fault that I paid late. I was penalized for Charter's mistake. Equifax did not do much at all.

Guan of Glencoe, OK June 23, 2009

I have been using equifax for over a year, and I thought it was great that I get to see what is going on with my accounts. I later found that someone might have been using my SSN to obtain services etc in my name, and so I signed up for LifeLock. Lifelock requested for my credit reports and such on my behalf, and I got them all. A few months later, I decided to move to a new house, and promptly updated lifelock, and all other agencies. I updated Equifax though my online account since they are right there, and did not think much about it.

1 year after moving, I found that I have absolutely no more use for Equifax, and so I called to cancel my account. First time I was put on hold for about 1 hour, during which I had a brief 10 seconds (maybe) conversation with someone asking me if I was holding for accounting dept. I said yes, and went back to holding. After that one hour, I hung up.

The second night, same thing. I called 3 times total, put my phone on speaker, and just read my books. Over 2 hours my phone remained on hold. I had enough, looked up the contacts, and shot emails out to 3 sales manager. I was promptly replied to the next day that the information will be forwarded, and my account cancelled. I called to check the next day, and it did happen.

And then, a month later, LifeLock requested for my credit reports again. This time, I did not get any credit report despite it being more than 1 year since I moved. All the agencies claimed that I need to send in supporting documents that I am who I claim to be, including Equifax..... Now, I have to wonder, just what in the world have I paid them for? Do they even know who they were working for while I paid for my services? were they even true to what they were suppose to provide?

What a sham.

Teresa of Reynoldsburg, OH June 22, 2009

I had a home invasion and many items were stolen including my laptop. I felt it important to protect my credit as I obviously did not know how much information could be recovered from the laptop I did my banking and bill pay on. I called equifax and they offered a 3 month free trial to watch my credit cards and indicated that any charges on my credit would be alerted via text message to my phone.

I charged it to my debit account however, I did not know that I already was paying for their service through my Kroger Plus Mastercard. They discarded or ignored that I was already a customer. My bad, I wasn't keeping track that I had signed up previously. My thought however, would be, let me know I'm already signed up and have been paying for over a year. Months past and no mention they were double dipping. It took 2 billing cycles for me to get their charge removed from one account.

After that charge was not longer being collected, the equifax alerts were fewer and farther between. I used a credit card that had not been active for several months and it took 30 days for an alert to be texted. I have cancelled all services, and am right now in dispute resolution for another charge on my account. Who is watching our credit???? Those who are stealing it!

Faye of silverdale, WA June 4, 2009

I am trying to get ahold of someone to speak to so i can dispute my credit that I have already paid off, but I cannot get past their automated system and it doesn't direct you to anyone who you can speak to.

Ginger of Jonesville, NC June 2, 2009

My husband and I contacted a company, inquiring about loan consolidation. We also inquired about our information staying confidential. They assured us it would. The very next day we received 3 phone calls from mortgage companies stating they heard we might be wanting to refinance. This really upsets me. It does not seem right that Equifax can give out that information. All companies that contacted us said their info came from Equifax. I want my phone calls private. For Equifax to be such a "dominate" force where people look at for important issues, there needs to be better customer service and they do NOT need to give out information like this to companies. I too tried to reach someone by phone. You can't get past the automated system.

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