Consumer complaint received 2020-08-10
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: AK
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Other personal consumer report
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Sub-issue: Personal information incorrect

Complaint:
EQUIFAX will not " unfreeze '', or " thaw '' my frozen credit account. As a result of THEIR mismanagement of consumer data, and subsequent data breach, I followed general consumer advice to freeze my account at all 3 major credit bureaus. At the time, the company gave me a PIN number to " unfreeze '' my account, when needed. Well, at some point, they upgraded their PIN number system, and my old PIN no longer works. When I call the company to attempt to unfreeze my account, I get put directly into their automated verification system, without being given the option to talk to a customer service representative. When I attempt to answer the questions, they tell me my answers are wrong. Based on that the automated system states it can not verify me, and HANGS UP. When I call back, the exact same thing happens, OVER and OVER and OVER. It's a XXXX loop that I can not get through, and the automated system does not let you talk to a customer service rep UNLESS they can verify you. But THAT IS the problem. The problem is somehow, with the data they have, not matching the answers I give them. I understand that but I CAN NOT begin to SOLVE the problem WITHOUT talking to a representative. Again, I can not talk to a representative until they " verify '' me. I have mail them information TWO different times. All they do is KEEP my ORIGINAL documents and send me a letter telling me to resubmit the SAME XXXX DOCUMENTS, without telling me specifically WHAT is wrong. So, I have sent the same documents TWO times. I got another letter telling me to SUBMIT THE SAME XXXX DOCUMENTS A THIRD TIME. XXXX, now WHY would I do that again if you won't tell me WHY they don't work???? DUH!? I am sick of this. I can not do small things like switch to a different long distance service provider, because they MUST run a credit check, and they can not successfully do it because of the " freeze '' on my account ( they use Equifax ). I CAN NOT do large things LIKE SELL MY HOUSE, because the electric company WILL NOT put electricity in my name WITHOUT RUNNING A CREDIT CHECK, which they CAN NOT SUCCESSFULLY DO since my credit is " frozen ''. They use Equifax. The house can not pass an inspection IF ELECTRICITY IS NOT ON. This is affecting my LIFE, and I CAN NOT talk to a representative regarding this, only a mail box abyss and an ultra frustrating, endless, automated phone loop, that I can not successfully get through and get hung up on every single time I simply try to call, to JUST TALK TO A HUMAN being. This company should make it SUPER EASY for consumers to talk to a live person since CONSUMERS DID NOT ASK THESE COMPANIES TO COLLECT AND STORE OUR INFORMATION, NOR DID WE ASK THEM TO HOLD US XXXX FOR THEIR OWN ERRORS THEY HAVE REGARDING OUR DATA. This does not affect the company at all, however these companies are AFFECTING PEOPLES LIVES!!!!! To boot, these credit bureaus get to SELL OUR DATA FOR FUN AND PROFIT, WHICH CONSUMERS HAVE NOT, I REPEAT, HAVE NOT, HAVE NOT, C-O-N-S-E-N-T-E-D too. This has gone WAY too far.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation