Consumer complaint received 2020-04-30
Company: TRANSUNION INTERMEDIATE HOLDINGS, INC.
State: NJ
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Credit monitoring or identity theft protection services
Sub-issue: Billing dispute for services

Complaint:
In XX/XX/XXXX, I requested a free credit score from Transunion. I did not sign up for a paid subscription service, and I absolutely did not knowingly consent to paying {$26.00} for any services offered by Transunion. Over the past 13 months, from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX, I was charged {$26.00} per month for 13 months, resulting in {$340.00} charged to my checking account without my explicit consent. Although the fee did appear on my monthly bank statement, I did not became aware of it until yesterday ( XX/XX/XXXX ). 

Yesterday, I called Transunion 's standard customer service telephone number ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) and waited on hold for 45 minutes. When a customer service representative answered the phone, she told me she could not help me and referred me to Transunion Credit Monitoring Online ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ). I called that number today ( XX/XX/XXXX ) and was treated with hostility by their customer service representative. This representative refused my request for a full refund for the following reasons : 1. The representative said that because I had recently logged into my Transunion account online, she had evidence that I knowingly possessed and utilized a Transunion account. I explained that this was not true. The only reason I logged into the website yesterday and today was because I noticed the Transunion fee on my bank statement and wanted to investigate. XXXX had saved my password from the one time I used the Transunion website in the past, and that is the only reason I was able to successfully log in yesterday. Otherwise, I had no familiarity with the existence of this account or subscription, aside from the one time I used Transunion to request a free ( as advertised ) credit score in XX/XX/XXXX. 

2. When I explained that the credit score service was advertised as free ( and that I would never have used it if I knew I would incur a monthly {$26.00} fee ), the representative dismissively told me that credit scores are never free. This is not what the Transunion website advertises. 

3. The representative said that I had been receiving emails from Transunion, which, in her view, provided further evidence that I both knew of and consented to a Transunion subscription. Transunion 's email service is, however, extremely deceptive. I never received an email explicitly from Transunion regarding an account in my name, though I now see that I had been receiving emails from XXXX XXXX. At the top of each email, it says " Free from the makers of XXXX. '' I do use XXXXXXXX to file my taxes, though my use of XXXX has absolutely no connection to my use of Transunion, and therefore I did not discern any connection between XXXX XXXX, XXXX, and Transunion. I now see that the bottom of each email says Credit reporting provided by Transunion in extremely small print. However, these emails give absolutely no indication that I either possessed a Transunion account or incurred fees for a monthly subscription. 

4.Lastly, the representative said on multiple occasions that it was not her or the companys fault if I did not check my bank statement. The representative also repeatedly asked why this was only my first time calling. These questions were posed as possible attacks on my character, suggesting, in my interpretation, that I am unintelligent or incompetent. 

The representative then said, rather vaguely, that she could not refund me because too much time had passed beyond the limit. When I said that I would file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, she offered me a six month refund. I said this was not sufficient, as I had been unfairly and unethically charged for 13 months. She then put me on hold, and then offered me an 8 month refund. When I reiterated that I would like a full refund and would take my claim to the CFPB, she said that she had already submitted my 8 month refund and asked if there was anything else she could do for me. 

At this point, I became very frustrated. I did not consent to an 8 month refund and never agreed to this arrangement. When I explained that I did not want the 8 month refund and would instead file my claim with the CFPB in the hopes of receiving a full refund, she told me it was too lateshe had already submitted the 8 month refund and could not make any further changes. At this point, I lost my temper and then hung up the phone. I apologize for any distress I may have caused the representative. 

Immediately after the phone call, I received an email from Transunion stating that my credit monitoring subscription had ended. 

I will never use any of Transunion 's services ever again, and I will warn all family, friends, and colleagues to stay away from this company.

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 monetary relief