Consumer complaint received 2018-10-05
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: GA
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:
On XX/XX/XXXX I completed an application for an apartment at XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX GA. Later that day I was contacted by the property manager and told that they could not process my application because although I had signed the necessary authorization, they could not get my credit report from Equifax . I was told Equifax said there was a " freeze '' on my account. 

I called Equifax and was told that since I did not have any credit cards and had never had a loan, I had no credit account and they had no information on me. 

I called the property manager and they said they would contact Equifax again. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I again called Equifax, but after supplying considerable information, including my name, DOB, SSN, current address, former address for 17 years, prior addresses for 25 years, every previous telephone number I could remember, the last credit card I ever had which was in XXXX from XXXX which I always paid on time and then closed, I was told repeatedly that I had not correctly answered the " security questions '' and they could not give me any information, including whether there was a " freeze '' on my account. I kept asking what the security question was and they kept asking about credit cards. I pointed out that I had never requested a freeze on my account and I am the account holder. I asked repeatedly who had placed the " freeze '' and why I had never been notified of it. I was told to mail them copies of my drivers license and social security card to Equifax and they would attempt to investigate and contact me within 30 days. I do not understand how receiving copies of these documents will provide them with any additional information. I gave them both my SSN and my DL number on the phone. Since they can not see me, how are they to tell that I am the person pictured on the drivers license? 

On XX/XX/XXXX I again spoke with the property manager who said she had again tried to get my credit checked with Equifax who told her there was a " fraud alert '' and a " freeze '' on my account. She said another applicant is having the same problem. Unfortunately Equifax is the only company they can use to check my credit. 

Interestingly, I just obtained a report from Experian. I do not understand how there can be a fraud alert and freeze at Equifax and not at Experian. 

I think it is wrong for Equifax to allow a " fraud alert '' and a " freeze '' to be placed on someone's account without notifying them. I also think it is wrong to turn verifying an account holder 's name into a one-sided guessing game. There should be a regulated specific procedure for verifying identity and the person whose account it is should have the right to know what that procedure is and what information will suffice to establish identity. 

I believe that Equifax 's misfeasance, negligence, refusal to provide the information I am entitled to, and failure to respond to promptly resolve the problem may me to lose the apartment. It is the only apartment I can afford. It is in a public housing building. There are no other subsidized apartments available. Equifax may cause me to be homeless.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation