Consumer complaint received 2018-02-08
Company: TRANSUNION INTERMEDIATE HOLDINGS, INC.
State: CA
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 established a credit freeze for both me and my husband on XX/XX/XXXX with TransUnion, XXXX. XXXX XXXX, XXXX, CA XXXX after the XXXX security breach was reported. We were charged {$10.00} for each credit freeze request by TransUnion or a total of {$20.00}. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I requested to have a credit lift on my account because we are moving to Florida and XXXX, our new internet provider, requested to check our credit through TransUnion. I telephoned TransUnion at XXXX and requested a credit lift. The representative explained that I could either enact a 24-hour credit freeze lift or a 30-day lift, either option was {$10.00}. So, I told her that I would like to authorize a 30-day lift since I may be opening other accounts once we arrive in Florida. She then charged {$10.00} against my XXXX credit card for a 30-day credit lift. 

Two days later on XX/XX/XXXX, I was contacted by XXXX and told that they still could not access my credit through TransUnion because a lift was still in place. They suggested I contact TransUnion and inform them of the problem. I called TransUnion and told them that XXXX had not been able to access my credit report which had a 30-day credit lift placed on XX/XX/XXXX. I was told that my account only had a 24-hour credit lift placed on XX/XX/XXXX. I explained to the TransUnion representative that I had requested the 30-day credit lift since we may have others wanting to access our credit history once we arrive in Florida. I requested that they correct the mistake and enact the 30-day freeze I had authorized on XX/XX/XXXX. The representative said he could not do so but suggested I contact TransUnion 's Fraud Prevention Team and gave me the phone number. 

I then telephoned TransUnion 's Fraud Prevention Team at XXXX. I spoke with a representative and explained the problem again. Once again, the representative told me that a credit lift had been placed on my account on XX/XX/XXXX for a 24-hour period and that I would need to pay another {$10.00} to have the credit lift extended for 30 days. I explained to him that I had paid for a 30-day credit lift but their representative had made a mistake and had enacted only a 24-hour credit lift. Since he was unable to assist me in correcting their representative 's mistake, I requested to speak to a supervisor. 

My call was transferred to XXXX XXXX of the Consumer Relations and Fraud Victim Assistance Department in XXXX. After explaining the situation to XXXX XXXX, he reiterated that I would have to pay another {$10.00} to have the credit lift time period corrected even though I told XXXX XXXX that I had paid for a 30-day credit lift, not a 24-hour credit lift. XXXX XXXX refused to correct the problem without charging me another {$10.00} for the service in which I had already requested and paid for on XX/XX/XXXX. I asked XXXX XXXX how I could be assured that he was going to take care of the credit lift, when in fact, the representative on XX/XX/XXXX assured me that a 30-day credit lift had been enacted charging my credit card {$10.00} but in fact, had not followed my instructions on the 30-day credit lift. 

I informed XXXX XXXX that I would be filing a complaint and requested a file number. He told me to refer to TransUnion File No. is XXXX. Unfortunately, that is the only documentation I have of TransUnion 's fraudulent practices. 

Has TransUnion used this tactic on other consumers?

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 non-monetary relief