Consumer complaint received 2019-08-15
Company: Experian Information Solutions Inc.
State: CA
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 XXXX, after I had obtained my FICO score in a Visa credit card account, which is free for all cardholders, I was presented an offer for a free credit report from Experian. 
I did not see anything about a free trial or subscription. 
I was never aware of any trial period nor subscription and I did not give Experian any credit card information to bill me for anything. 
In reviewing my emails since this dispute, I found an email from Experian on XX/XX/2019, which I missed at the time and I did not open up until XXXX. 
I never responded to that email, and I never confirmed my membership as the email suggested I do. 
Subsequently, I received many emails from Experian, all of the subjects appearing to be solicitations and advertising rather than information on any membership or account I might have. 
I never received an email from Experian confirming my account or notifying me of any trial period ending. 
When I realized I had been charged {$21.00} on XX/XX/2019 and {$21.00} on XX/XX/2019 for something from Experian, I called the customer service number several times, and could not reach a customer service representative, but was required by an automated system to declare my entire social security number before I could get into any other menu. I refuse to do that. 
I then contacted XXXX XXXX and told them I wanted to dispute the charges. 
XXXX XXXX responded on XX/XX/XXXX with documentation from the Experian Credit Report that indicated they had charged those amounts with a credit card on file, and XXXX XXXX reapplied the disputed amounts to my account. 
I received the same notice from XXXX XXXX about the subsequent charge of {$21.00} on XX/XX/2019 from Experian Credit Report, and they reapplied that amount to my account as well. 
XXXX XXXX sent us a letter on XX/XX/XXXX, amplifying Experians evidence to support their claim. In that documentation, these elements are factually incorrect : customer service logs show no record of cardholder attempt to resolve issue and/or cancel by first contacting customer service o I called customer service several times and could not get to a customer service representative or to any other option on a menu without giving my entire social security number. I will not do that. 
Merchant asserts the cardholder successfully passed an authentication process required to obtain their credit report. 
o I understand the successful authentication process to establish identity. Completion of this process does not subsequently authorize account generation or charges. 
Merchant asserts credit reports were ordered by the cardholder on XX/XX/2019 and XX/XX/2019. 
o I never initiated credit reports on those or any other dates other than the initial XX/XX/2019 request. 
Customer information : Merchant asserts customer information as the following : Telephone number [ removed ] and Billing Address : [ removed ] XXXX, CA XXXX USA o While that telephone number is one of several valid numbers for me, it is a personal number and not provided to merchants, therefore, it would have not been provided by me to Experian. 
o While that address is a valid residential address, it is not the billing address associated with the XXXX XXXX credit card Experian has used in this credit card transaction and I would not have provided that address. 
Since then, I received an email from Experian that the credit card they have on file is incorrect and I need to contact them to give them an accurate credit card for billing. I tried to click through to Contact Us and the only option is to enter in new credit card information and agree to the billing. There is no option to connect to customer service with questions or issues without giving credit card information and becoming current on the subscription they set up for me. 
I demand that Experian immediately cancel whatever credit report subscription account they set up for me and refund all charges billed to date.

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