Consumer complaint received 2020-04-29
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: IA
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Unable to get your credit report or credit score
Sub-issue: Other problem getting your report or credit score

Complaint:
I have been reported deceased by my own credit card company XXXX. My husband and I wanted to take advantage of the low interest rates and refinance, saving thousands of dollars and two years of mortgage payments. Sadly, we are not able to, because I have NO CREDIT SCORES with XXXX  and Equifax as I am deceased according to their records. 

Through several phone calls and conversations, this is what I have been able to put together. Sometime in XX/XX/XXXX, a phone call was made to XXXX reporting me deceased. XXXX will not release the name of the individual or whom they are associated with ( a subpoena is needed ). It was shared to me, after extensive questioning, that policy was not followed, and more than one identifier was needed to be confirmed before they report an individual deceased. 

XX/XX/XXXX, I received a written document, reporting that XXXX was sad to hear of my passing and asked for the information about an executer to my estate. I quickly phoned the company and told them I was very much alive and thought that was the end of it. 

In XXXX, my husband and I saw mortgage rates trending downwards and started the refinance process with a very reoputable bank and an individual that has done thousands of loans. While visiting with her, she was able to put together, after closer examionantion of my Manager XXXX from XXXX told me on XX/XX/XXXX after a 1.5 hour wait on hold, that I was reported dead in XXXX and on XX/XX/XXXX, they reversed the report, reported it all credit reporting agencies. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I spoke with XXXX ( operator ID XXXX XXXX ) and she reported that everything was fine with my account. I exclaimed to her it was not and that one card XXXX was fine, which was the one she had pulled up, but I also have another account with XXXX XXXX XXXX and that is the account that has be reported deceased and a {$0.00} account balance according to Equifax.which is not accurate. After she did some further looking, she did see where it was reported as me being deceased and told me it happens all the time. ( I have XXXX sisters in the banking industry and they never take a call at face valuethey put the account on hold and NEVER do they report an individual deceased to credit agencies until they have a death certificate in hand. ). She was also able to see where I self reported myself alive. XXXX was also able to see that even though XXXX remediated my file, they failed to report any more credit information from that card since XXXX. 

I have filed disputes with both Equifax and XXXX. Equifax has a documents stating I am not deceased, but I still remain without a credit score! 

I am saddened on how much time and effort I have had to put into this situation and even more sad that we were not able to capitalize on the lower rates. This was something I had no control over and reported things immediately once I received the notice and that there was false information. I find it upsetting that I have to prove to an institution that should be protecting ME, that I am not deceased and it is my creditors that are causing me harm even though I have faithfully continued to pay on time, my monthly payments. Of note, charges have been made to my accounts since my supposed death. 

I reached out to my state 's attorney general and this is the place I was advised to report to.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation