Consumer complaint received 2023-02-10
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: PA
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 am XXXX  and have legally changed my name. Equifax is the only one of the three major credit bureaus who has failed to adequately update my name in their system, making it impossible for me to access my credit report since at least as early as XX/XX/XXXX. This situation has forced me to call Equifax many times, whose phone representatives usually misgender me and even laugh at me while doing it, making it unbearable and fruitless to keep calling. I need to be able to access my credit report, and I should be able to call Equifax when I need to without being callously demeaned. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I was unable to access my credit report through XXXX or the Equifax website. XXXX displayed the message, XXXX XXXX XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, I called Equifax and then filed a dispute through my Equifax online account, attaching my updated drivers license and social security card per that days phone representatives specific advice. I kept checking the dispute status on the website, which said it was under investigation through at least XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, I noticed the website claimed the dispute had been Completed XX/XX/XXXX but the website still showed my deadname, not the name I verified in my dispute. When I attempted to access my credit report on XXXX the Equifax portion displayed the message, Based on the information provided, we are unable to verify your identity. I have attached screenshots to this complaint of these dispute statuses and my attempt to access my credit report on XX/XX/XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, the problem was still not fixed so I called Equifax again. The representative misgendered me many times throughout the call, despite immediately introducing myself as XXXX XXXX XXXX. The representative confirmed that Equifax had received my documents and attempted to update my account. They then informed me they required me to either fax or physically mail my name change court order to their dispute department and wait at least another 30 days. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I again called Equifax, introduced myself as XXXX XXXX XXXX, and the representative immediately proceeded to misgender me, repeatedly. I asked to speak with their XXXX and they ignored me, continuing to misgender me. Eventually, they transferred to another representative who did not misgender me, confirmed that I had submitted my name change court order XX/XX/XXXX, and said they needed to place me on hold while they reviewed my account. A machine cut into my hold and surveyed me on how difficult it was to get the help I needed today, and whether I would hire the representative I had just spoken with, if I ran a customer service company. I called back. The new representative proceeded to misgender me repeatedly. When I asked to speak with a XXXX, I was placed back at the very beginning of the call queue to re-verify my identity for the machine. Seventeen minutes later another representative answers, who proceeds to misgender me repeatedly but is the first Equifax representative to actually apologize, correct themself, and call me sir going forward. They confirm that Equifax has all the documents they require of me, and updates my first and then last name on my website account so that at my user information on my online portal would be correct, providing a confirmation number and telling me I would receive authentication directions in regular mail once its completed in 72 hours. The user information was indeed changed to display correctly for me. After the call, I saw two new disputes on my account dated XX/XX/XXXX. Apparently the representative who sent me to survey while on hold opened and then simply closed a dispute. 

XX/XX/XXXX, I was still unable to access my credit report on annualcreditreport.com. My other XXXX credit reports display and print successfully, but Equifax never loads and just shows a blank screen with the annualcreditreport.com header which I am able to use to navigate to the next credit report without ever seeing or printing my report from Equifax. If I try to navigate back through the menus to access it again, I am shown a message saying Report already received, or XXXX experienced an issue processing your request. 

XX/XX/XXXX I am still unable to access my Equifax credit report on annualcreditreport.com. My.Equifax.com still shows my dead name and when I attempt to access my credit report, the website displays no error code, just the message We are temporarily unable to complete this request. Please try again later. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I make myself call Equifax again. I introduce myself as XXXX XXXX XXXX but the representative proceeds to misgender me. They apologize when I correct them but continue to alternate between calling me sir and misgendering me throughout the call. They enrolled me in a service called Equifax XXXX XXXX with access to XXXX XXXX to see what happened when I tried to access my credit score through my.Equifax.com, which gave me the error code Out of XXXX under the same message, We are temporarily unable to provide your credit score. Please try again later. After a hold, the representative told me they escalated through their technical department who would look further into why I my.Equifax.com would not show me my credit report or credit score, fix the issue on my Equifax account, and notify me by email once its been resolved. I asked the representative to add a note for the technical department informing them of the problem also occurring on annualcreditreport.com but the representative told me Equifax does not have control over that website. I was able to convince the representative to at least tell me that they would add that information to the statement for the technical department. I also asked them to look carefully through the system, confirm that all required documents are connected to my account, and to check that my name is correct in all places they could see. They confirmed both, and offered to mail me a paper copy of my credit report. When I received the paper copy, my correct name was on the credit report but was wrapped in a cover sheet with my dead name on the address displayed through the envelope window which indicated that Equifax clearly has failed to update my name in all places in their system. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, my.Equifax.com displays the following message when I log into my account : Please give us a call and give this code to the Agent : BLNK Your Equifax credit report and score are not available at this time due to a technical error. Please call XXXX XXXX at XXXX ( XXXX ). Hoping that a next step can be taken toward fixing my account, I follow the instructions and call Equifax. I introduce myself as XXXX XXXX XXXX and the representative proceeds to misgender me repeatedly, interrupting me to misgender me again in the middle of me correcting them, over and over rather than listening to me. They eventually slowed down, apologized, called me sir, and proceeded to speak with me in a very strained voice while asking me to verify my identity not only through the usual questions but also by making me read back a one-time passcode they sent me. The representative told me the same thing that the one on XX/XX/XXXX had - that they were going to escalate the case and I would receive an email when it was resolved. 

I have not contacted Equifax since XX/XX/XXXX because it is traumatic and does solve my problem of being unable to access my credit report. As of today, the problem persists on both annualcreditreport.com and my.Equifax.com.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation