Consumer complaint received 2023-05-16
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: SC
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:
Credit Frozen : 1. I was notified in XXXX of XXXX that my Equifax Credit was frozen when attempting to purchase a house in XXXX XXXX, AL. To remedy this, I called Equifax and they notified me that I needed to submit the home loan application. I used my husband as a co-signer on my home loan application and utilized my VA Loan eligibility to secure the loan. My husband and I closed on the house in XXXX XXXX, AL on XX/XX/XXXX. 

2. In XX/XX/XXXX, I was notified that I would be moving through the XXXX under a Permanent Change of Station to XXXX XXXX, SC. After reaching out to my husband 's parents, they graciously offered to sell their home to me. After coordinating the home loan application through XXXX, they notified me that my Equifax Credit file was frozen. 

Actions taken in chronological order : 1. During the month of XXXX XXXX XXXX, I called Equifax every single XXXX. The first Equifax specialist I spoke to notified me that they could not verify my identity and therefore, I needed to send in by mail a copy of my driver 's license, social security card, and a letter of intent to unfreeze my account ( as well as proof of my identity ). I sent this in during the last week of XXXX. I resumed to call everyday to verify that Equifax received my documents. I was told repeated that they had not received my documents and when they did, I would receive a letter in the mail acknowledging receipt. 

2. On XXXX XXXX, during my daily call, I was notified that the letter in the mail would be sent back to the address on my driver 's license. Obviously, that meant that I would not have received the letter in the mail because my driver 's license has my XXXX  home of record address, but I live in XXXX  ( because I'm in the XXXX ). I was told to send in the same documents again, but this time to include a utility bill in my name and a new cover letter explicitly outlining these new details. So, I purchased an XXXX account and faxed the documents the same day ( XXXX XX/XX/XXXX ). I resumed my daily calls because it is assumed that a fax is instantaneous and therefore, they would be able to " receive '' the documents the same day, verify my identity, and finally unfreeze my credit. 

3. On XXXX XXXX, during my daily call, an Equifax specialist with a completely different response came on the line. He told me, " I can not verify your identity, but I will say : you don't have any open lines of credit, and therefore, there is nothing to freeze. I suggest you reach back out to the loan team and them this because your credit file isn't frozen. It simply doesn't exist. '' 4. On XXXX XXXX, I received a document in the mail from Equifax stating that they were unable to locate my credit file. 

5. I am unsure why Equifax would say that I do not have any open lines of credit when I currently have a mortgage on my house in XXXX. I decided to open a line of credit exclusively in my name. I reached out to XXXX XXXX and opened a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX card with a {$500.00} credit limit. A beginner card, if approved, would prove that my credit file was not frozen. I was immediately approved and it shipped from XXXX XXXX on XXXX XXXX. 

6. I called XXXX and told them the extent of my efforts in " unfreezing '' my credit, and I was told to write a letter of explanation detailing the journey I experienced to only be told my Equifax employees that my credit was not frozen, but nonexistent. 

Conclusion : 1. I have a credit report with the two other credit bureaus but not with Equifax. XXXX loan services reports lines of credit to all three credit bureaus, however, Equifax is not allowing me to unfreeze my credit report in order for me to purchase another house in XXXX XXXX 

2. The attempts to retrieve and unfreeze my Equifax credit report are not fraudulent. I have been unable to close on my new house in XXXX XXXX because of Equifax not allowing me and/or XXXX to access my credit report.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation