Consumer complaint received 2021-02-18
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: VA
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes

Complaint:
I can not get Equifax to remove the security freeze on my credit report account. 
I have been trying to get the credit security freeze lifted or removed from my credit report for the past 3 weeks. I tried to remove the security freeze using the online account at myEquifax multiple times and received an " Unable to process your request. Please call our Global Customer Care # ''.

I have spoken with about 20 various agents with the Equifax Customer care team who all try to lift or remove the security freeze from my credit report account unsuccessfully. The end result of each of their attempts is an error message and their telling me that the problem is with their system- a " system Glitch ''. They indicate they are having systems issues or the system is updating. They tell me they have to escalate the issue. Regardless, the end result of each call is " Please call back in 1-2 hours ''. 

Navigating the automated verification process for the Customer Care system is complex and time consuming. It is even more frustrating when you finally reach a live agent to repeat the same process over and over and end with the same result- " I am unable to remove the security freeze at this time due to our system issue. Please call back in 1-2 hours. '' I have repeatedly asked to speak with a Supervisor. I have repeatedly asked what will be the next step in the escalation process to resolve the issue. My questions go unanswered. Each call starts back at the beginning of the process with each new Customer Care agent fully confident that they will be the one who will be able to remove the security freeze. I feel like I am trapped on a merry-go-round with no way of getting off and no resolution in sight. 

This has been an extremely time consuming process. I began calling on XX/XX/2021. I made five calls that day. Still hopeful that by calling back in 2 hours it would be resolved. I called two times on XX/XX/2021. I called three times on XX/XX/2021. On XX/XX/2021, I had three conversations with three Customer Care agents- each one starting over again, each on ending with the " call back please ''. I was very hopeful on XX/XX/2021 when I was speaking with my third Customer Care agent of the day ( XXXX ). She indicated she was pulling in a technical ticket ( Conf # XXXX ). She assured me the technical team would address the system glitch and fix my credit report account. She assured me that I would get a call back from the Equifax team in 24-48 hours to confirm the ticket had been completed and the freeze had been removed. We confirmed my cell phone number for that contact. I was hopeful. XXXX was the 16th agent I had spoken to by that time. 

Unfortunately, no call from the Equifax team appeared over the next several days. I started my next round of calls on XX/XX/2021. I spoke with two agents and the calls ended with " the system is having technical issues, you will need to call back ''. There was no mention of the technical ticket. Today,XX/XX/2021- I have spoken with my 19th agent of this tedious process. Again, I have navigated the automated verification process that is in place before you ever have an option for reaching a live agent. And again, the Customer Care agent dutifully read through the script to try to remove the security freeze from my account and found the same error that his 18 predecessors must have found. We once again ended the call with him telling me there is a system malfunction that they are working on right now and I need to call back in 1-2 hours. He promised me that it will surely be fixed by that time, since they are working on it now. I do not believe my 20th conversation will be any different from the others. I do not know of any other options or what the resolution for this " system glitch '' is. I just know I want the security freeze removed immediately. 

I have looked all over the Equifax website for some other way to communicate my need for assistance with Equifax. All avenues bring me back to the Global Customer Care lines. I can not keep repeating the same unsuccessful measure. I need a remedy that works. I want the security freeze removed from my credit report account.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation