Consumer complaint received 2020-01-25
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: TN
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes

Complaint:
Due to numerous breeches, I placed a security freeze on my credit with all three credit bureaus on XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. I wrote the pins down and keep them along with the letters sent to me, so I have the accurate information! I attempted to lift my credit freeze temporarily from XXXX XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX to apply for a refinance on my home due to interest rates being lowered. The call was through the automated system and took more than 20 minutes just for the machine to tell me they were unable to process my request. The bank notified me that they could not pull my credit, as I was hoping they were using XXXX  or XXXX, and they were not, they used Equifax!! So I was denied an opportunity to refinance my home and save money!!! I am not happy about that at all, as I put this freeze on my credit to prevent others from opening credit in my name, not ME! Fast forward, XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. I have been without a working phone for 4 months, and am finally ready to get a new phone. XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, I attempt once again to do a temporary freeze over the phone, and once again, denied by Equifax. I then wrote three letters to have the credit freezes with all three credit bureaus removed PERMANENTLY, as this has been nothing but a headache to me and very stressful and costly!!! I do not appreciate this at all. I have wasted my gas, and time big time, with this issue and I deserve an apology for what I have been through and am still going through. I mailed these letters along with every single thing they asked for and then some : copy of license, copy of ssn card, utility bill, mortgage statement, les, and more to ensure they had what they needed to remove this XXXX from my credit! I mailed these documents certified return receipt on XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, and have receipts costing me {$6.00} a piece ... multiply by 3!! I did request confirmation and return receipt, but after a week, stateside, they should have received these documents in plenty of time. On Tuesday, XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, I went to XXXX to get a phone, I had a XXXX appointment. I was there until XXXX!! Why! Because they received a notice while trying to pull my credit that I needed to call Equifax to have a credit freeze lifted! I was furious. They called for me because my phone does not work! I sat on hold to speak to someone for more than 40 minutes!! They put me through the ringer asking me my life story!! That took another 24 minutes after finally getting someone on the phone!! This is over an hour with Equifax in a store in which I am embarrassed and have wasted two hours after a long 9-hour workday!! All for what, I had to leave with no phone. The representative told me the freeze was lifted at XXXX effective immediately, but if not, it wouldn't take more than an hour for them to see it ; I was there until XXXX! They close at XXXX! They still could not pull my credit. They held everything for me, the phone, application, etc. I called Equifax Wednesday morning, to avoid me making another trip for nothing to XXXX to try to ensure the freeze was lifted and see what the problem was. Once again, I was on hold forever, over 20 minutes, to finally get someone, be put through the ringer all over again with all of this nonsense, at some point, ask me a pin and verify my credit is unfrozen!!! But NO! This XXXX  had to get my life story all over again after I clearly identified  myself with my social, my dob, my address and something else ... I explained I just did this last night and just want to verify the credit freeze was lifted, and he refused insisted on wasting my time keeping me on the phone, while I'm at work, for over 50 minutes for nothing!! He finally did let me know that the credit report is unfrozen. I requested a supervisor several times during this call and he insisted there were none available. CALLING THESE PLACES IS THE ABSOLUTE PITTS!!! NEVER WILL I DO THIS AGAIN!! I returned to XXXX after not being able to leave with a phone the day before, the evening of Wednesday, XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, once again after getting off work, another 9-hour day. I was there another 40 minutes and they still could not pull my credit with the same message, have me call Equifax to have credit freeze lifted. Needless to say, I was not going through that horrific ordeal with this company a third time in two days!! So I left again, without a working phone. I called the store I went to Thursday, XXXX XX/XX/XXXX to tell them I was going to go another route. I was not sure if it was something with them, doing it wrong or what. I decided to try another XXXX, but customer service there was not good. Again, going all out of the way, and found a corporate XXXX to help me. I went through all of my personal information again, getting an account setup, which takes 20-30 minutes, to get to the credit portion!! They were also told as she showed me the screen, have customer call Equifax to have credit freeze lifted!!!!!!!! Once again, I have been embarrassed, inside of another store while I'm sitting on a XXXX XXXX  score!!! Once again, I'm having to walk away after three days of doing this with no working phone!! I am not happy, and I want Equifax to compensate me for my time, trouble, and embarrasment! Moreover, I want to know what is going on with my credit! Tonight, XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, I tried calling again to make sure the credit freeze was lifted as I said I wouldn't do it again, and was disconnected!!! I try logging in to see if I can see what's going on with it, and I see where the freeze has been removed ; however, for " credit file status '' it says " report is blocked for promotional purposes ''. I tried calling, for the last time, and was on hold for an hour and 20 minutes waiting on a supervisor after holding for 25 minutes for a person to pick up!!! I have never been more frustrated in my XXXX  years of living!!!! Request a supervisor call me immediately to explain and apologize for this horrible experience that I am enduring right now!!!

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation