Consumer complaint received 2021-11-12
Company: TRANSUNION INTERMEDIATE HOLDINGS, INC.
State: MT
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Improper use of your report
Sub-issue: Credit inquiries on your report that you don't recognize

Complaint:
I noticed on XX/XX/XXXX that an invalid credit inquiry had been made on XX/XX/XXXX in my TransUnion credit report. 

I requested online to file a dispute as I had not made this inquiry and was told in a chat box to first contact the creditor to determine whether it was a false inquiry ( as if I didn't know whether or not I applied for credit somewhere ). 

I called the company listed on the TransUnion report ( XXXX at XXXX and they requested my social security number ( the second time I had to provide it over the phone at this point ). They confirmed that they had no record of me ever applying for credit with their company and had no account for me with that social security number. 

I contacted TransUnion at the same time on the chat box again and informed them of this information as I was communicating on the phone with the creditor. TransUnion told me to have the creditor contact them ( TransUnion ) to remove the inquiry but the creditor responded that since they had zero account or record of me, they would be unwilling to provide any documentation linking me or my SSN with their company. The TransUnion agent on the chat box told me to send a letter to TransUnion with my social security number ( in the mail, which Im sure is super secure.. no wonder there are so many instances of identity theft and credit fraud ), name of the company, date of the disputed transaction, and reason for the dispute. Against my better judgment, I sent this letter the next day ( XX/XX/XXXX ). 

Sometime between XXXX ( I dont know because the envelope isnt dated ), I received a letter back from TransUnion dated XX/XX/XXXX explaining to me what inquiries on a credit report are. This is not the action I requested. I understand what an inquiry is. I understand what a credit report is. What I do not understand is why TransUnion will not remove this inquiry despite BOTH XXXX and XXXX not having this inquiry on their reports. I called TransUnion again upon receipt of this letter and their response to me was that I was required to have a letter from the creditor explaining I do not have an account with them. Back to square onXXXX, as I had explained online to the first agent, the creditor will not write this letter to them because they have no account for me, no inquiries from me, no record of my social security number. Rather than just calling the creditor themselves and providing my social security number ( which they have received from me numerous times over the phone, via e-mail and in a written letter by this point ) to receive that information over the phone, they are requesting something in writing that the creditor will not provide and I, as a consumer, now have the arduous onus of producing. I should not have to fight with a nameless, faceless, non-accountable entity like a credit reporting bureau to clear an inquiry I never made, the creditor confirms I never made, and the other two agencies are not reporting. Frankly, I would not mind if TransUnion ceased to exist. They still have not updated my last name, either, despite me changing that online the same day I saw the bogus inquiry. 

Thank you for your time, attention and consideration in this matter. 
Sincerely, XXXX

Company public response: Company believes complaint caused principally by actions of third party outside the control or direction of the company
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation