Consumer complaint received 2021-09-30
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: VA
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Unable to get your credit report or credit score
Sub-issue: Other problem getting your report or credit score

Complaint:
Equifax has lost my credit history sometime after XXXX and has not re-established it. In XXXX I received a full Equifax and accurate credit report from them. In the interim years they suddenly stated I had no file with them, that basically I did not exist at all in their records. After multiple phone calls and faxes and USPS mailings they finally re-instated a " file '' on me, so I now exist, but that file no longer has my longstanding credit history. The file is " empty ''. Equifax states there IS no history, the file is essentially brand new, despite my faxing them a copy of their XXXX full credit report before I became " lost ''. I am in my 60 's, have lived in the same house for over 30 years with a mortgage, have had credit cards for decades, all 3 other credit agencies have my full adulthood file on hand ( XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX ). Only Equifax says I suddenly have no history. I have escalated calls to superiors at the company with no resolution. I have faxed to them a full credit history report ( see actions below ) to prove I have history and they do not respond and have not resolved the issue. This is affecting my ability to open minor accounts such as a satellite tv account or something similar and could affect my future ability should I need to access credit for a major purchase. And lastly, I am unable to sign into their online portal : When I use my email address it says it can not verify my identity, so I've mailed identification documents to them twice ; if I try to set up a new online account it says one already exists associated with my email address. A circular trap. There is no help from customer service. They just insist I keep sending documents, which I do, then the online sign-in trap remains unsolved, and my missing history remains unresolved. I do not know what to do to regain my history AND my access to it via reports. I beg for your help in this matter. Thank you. 

XX/XX/XXXX : I contacted Equifax Credit Agency via their online portal to place a security freeze on my account. This was done successfully and I received a PIN as confirmation which I still posses. Success and proof that at that time they had a credit history file on me. 

XX/XX/XXXX : I received mail from Equifax confirming my requested Initial Fraud Alert which would be active for 90 days. Success again as well as further proof that at that time they had a credit history file on me. 

XX/XX/XXXX : I missed a deadline to re-up my enrollment in Equifax 's TrustedID XXXX subscription, which is fine, and received email notice of that product 's cancellation. This is only important because it once again confirms that in early XXXX there was a credit history file on me or this activity would not have been possible. 

XX/XX/XXXX : I received an Equifax letter in response to my mailed form requesting a free credit report. It stated they needed verification documents which I sent. 1 ) W2 form showing SS # ; 2 ) Utility Bill showing correct mailing address. 

XX/XX/XXXX : I recived a letter stating Equifax is " unable to locate a credit file ''. 

XX/XX/XXXX : A phone call to customer service results in their requesting I fax documents showing SS, Drivers License, XXXX showing Mailing and Physical address, and a Utility Bill. This is a repeat of submitting identification documents listed above in XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX year prior. 

XX/XX/XXXX : I fax to Equifax each of the above listed documents along with the correct spelling of my name, personal identification info, and contact info. No reply, still no ability to sign in online. 

XXXX : I speak with an Equifax representative XXXX at XXXX, ID # XXXX who promises to escalate the issues ( the missing credit file and the inability to establish online presence, my desire to permanently remove the freeze long ago established, and to receive a free credit report ) to his supervisor by XX/XX/XXXX and that someone would contact us. No one did. 

XX/XX/XXXX : I attempted yet again to sign into their online portal using my longstanding email address. It says " no account found '', yet when I attempt to create a new account it says " you have an existing account ''. Another circular trap. I can not get in. Customer service can not /will not help me. 

XX/XX/XXXX : After multiple unsuccessful phone calls with customer service, I submit a XXXX page fax. It lists my concerns, it lists my personal information, it lists my contact information, it states my 4 goals ( find missing file, provide a free credit report, resolve my inability to sign-in online, lift the existing freeze - the freeze that exists even though the file it is placed on no longer does ). This fax also includes : a W2 showing SS ; a current drivers license image proving mailing address ; a home insurance policy image showing mailing and physical address ; an electric bill showing physical address ; a XXXX  XXXX  credit card bill w/account number proving I have a credit card that should be showing in my file and in my history ; a copy of the first page of my Equifax XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX report proving that as of that date they DID have all my real estate and revolving credit accounts listed with a full history. No response, no resolution. 

XX/XX/XXXX : A phone call to Equifax results in their stating I now have a file but it is empty of history, as if starting over. This is unacceptable to me. I explain I will fax the full XXXX page XX/XX/XXXX Equifax Mint Credit Report so this time they can see proof of my longstanding credit history ( that they themselves provided me 3 years earlier ) and hopefully re-fill/re-build my account. I did so also including a repeat of the prior week 's documents verifying ID in multiple ways. 

XX/XX/XXXX : To date, 4 years after they DID have my full credit history, 2 years after they stated my file was lost, 1 year after they stated a file was re-established but this time void of my longstanding history, and 1 year after any contact with them, the issues remain unresolved. 

Note : Many phone calls and communications occurred beyond the major ones listed here as a timeline.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation