Consumer complaint received 2018-04-06
Company: TRANSUNION INTERMEDIATE HOLDINGS, INC.
State: TX
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes

Complaint:
This complaint is a response to my recent discovery that TransUnion credit reporting agency has placed a Freeze on my financial data. I am currently attempting to purchase a home and TransUnions erroneous Account Freeze is damaging my capability to accomplish this desire. 

I did attempt several times last year to place an Account Freeze on my financial data file which has been created by and is maintained by XXXX XXXX, see the details of these attempts below. However, each of these attempts ended prematurely when TransUnions on-line process ended in various Error messages with their software locked-up and no further input or action on my part possible. Each time, I was left with no option but to exit their web-site and then re-enter in order to attempt completion of my effort. Each of the re-entry attempts also resulted in their software becoming frozen. 

At no time during any of these attempts did their software indicate that a Freeze had been accomplished. In my research of the TransUnion web-site prior to starting the request process, I did find a statement that during the process an identification / verification code would be issued. It was stated the code must be recorded for verification to allow subsequent alteration of such a freeze. Therefore, during all of my attempts I was aware of and prepared to record such a code when it was presented. No such verification code was presented during any of my attempts. 

I do state the following time line of activity is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge and ability. 

1 ) During the end of summer XX/XX/XXXX, all of the national news outlets reported that TransUnion had been hacked and millions of credit account information files had been stolen by the hackers. The consensus of the experts reported the best method of protecting oneself financially from this stolen data from being used to injure you was to place an Account Freeze with each of the credit bureaus on the data files each of the credit bureaus created, maintained, and which was the basis for their commercial existence. 

2 ) I then researched the TransUnion web-site, the various laws which TransUnion and the other bureaus cited as authority for performing their activities ( i.e. : the Fair Credit Reporting Act ),  and other sources relative to this line of enquiry. 

3 ) On XX/XX/XXXX, I went onto the TransUnion.com web-site with the intent to create an Account Freeze on my data. I navigated per the sites instructions to the process which would create such a Freeze. I got almost through the entire process when I got an error message. There was no method for backing up or correcting the problem. I waited for over an hour to see if the system would self-correct or offer a way to proceed nothing happened. I went back to TransUnions web-site home page and was not allowed to enter into the account I had been opening. The TransUnion system would not recognize any of the entries ( and variations ) I attempted. At no time was there ever presented a Code or other identification / verification method which might be used to re-enter the site or allow me future access to the not-yet-created account. 

4 ) On XX/XX/XXXX, I again went onto the TransUnion web-site to attempt to place an Account Freeze on my data file. Again, I navigated to the software app and was in the process of completing the application to request the freeze when the software stated there had been an error during the process. This time it froze-up while I was answering security questions ( What was the city of my birth? ). Again, I attempted to let it self-correct & again it did not after waiting more than an hour. During this session, I did try several more times and always ended with error messages. At no time did the software indicate that I had either successfully completed the task or provide any type of Code or other type of identification / verification that could be used to re-enter their system. 

5 ) On XX/XX/XXXX, I again went onto the TransUnion web-site to attempt to place an Account Freeze on my data file. Again, I navigated to the process and was in the process of completing the application to request the freeze when the software stated there had been an error during the process. Again, I attempted to let it self-correct & again it did not after waiting more than an hour. As during the previous sessions, I did try several more times and these attempts always ended with error messages. At no time did the software indicate that I had either successfully completed the task or provide any type or Code or other type of identification for verification that could be used to re-enter your system. 

6 ) All of the above attempts were to place a free Freeze on my data files per existing legislation and regulations. I did not attempt to use or sign-up for the TransUnion commercial product to partially freeze my data.

7 ) During XX/XX/XXXX, I began looking for a new house and thus began applying for financing. It was during this process when I discovered that TransUnion had actually created an Account Freeze on my data files. My financing applications were all rejected when TransUnion would not provide the normal credit data to my mortgage application vendors. This inability to obtain TransUnion information caused me to miss several opportunities to purchase desired residences.

8 ) On XX/XX/XXXX, I went back onto the TransUnion web-site. This time I attempted to use their commercial product to examine my financial data. This is when I found the status of my account was listed as frozen. 

My complaint is 1 ) The TransUnion process for placing ( and possibly removing ) a freeze on my data files is non-functional. 
2 ) If TransUnion did place a freeze on my data, they should have notified me of such activity - especially if their software could possibly create a freeze without clearly indicating to the use that this had been accomplished. 
3 ) There is no method for contacting TransUnion regarding a problem with their freeze process. There is a method to place the freeze and a method to remove a freeze ( if their process worked properly ), but no ability to correct any type of problem with what is obviously a very problem prone system.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation