Consumer complaint received 2023-03-23
Company: TRANSUNION INTERMEDIATE HOLDINGS, INC.
State: IN
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem
Sub-issue: Their investigation did not fix an error on your report

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX, I paid off two credit card accounts. The first was with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX for {$120.00}. The second account paid off was XXXX in the amount of {$2100.00}. Both of these credit accounts remain open ; they were not closed ; therefore, in theory, my credit score should have increased. Since paying off both credit cards, no other credit activity has changed ; the last new account opened on my credit file was in XX/XX/XXXX. I monitor my credit and credit scores daily via my credit union and XXXX XXXX accounts. TransUnion XXXX provided both financial institutions credit information. This XXXX has different reporting guidelines and does not align with the standard XXXX score reporting guidelines. The XXXX reporting guidelines and algorithms put US consumers at a disadvantage. 

On Sunday, XX/XX/XXXX, when I checked my credit score via my credit union, my score was XXXX before paying off both credit cards. However, on Monday, XX/XX/XXXX, I accessed my score via my credit union, and the TransUnion XXXX data indicates my score went down XXXX points. However, my score went from XXXX to XXXX, actually XXXX points after I paid off my two credit cards. 

I contacted TransUnion via XXXX messenger to find out what was going on. The agent responding informed me that my credit score could not be disputed and that they could not or would not provide specific data on why my credit score dropped XXXX points. At the time of my conversation, I didnt realize the XXXX decline indicated on my credit file via my credit union was inaccurate data ; the actual drop was XXXX points from XXXX to XXXX. 

On this same day, Monday, XX/XX/XXXX, AND Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX, I logged into my XXXX XXXX account, which also uses TransUnion XXXX XXXX, and my score remained at XXXX after I paid off both credit cards. Additionally, on Monday, XX/XX/XXXX, while communicating with the TransUnion representative, I checked all three credit agencies data, and my credit score with XXXX was XXXX. So, there is a massive XXXX disparity between what TransUnion is reporting. Additionally, via my credit union TransUnion credit data, my credit usage went from 30.88 % to 23.94 %, so please explain why my score went down XXXX points! Not to mention TransUnion And XXXX charge US Consumers to access their credit scores ; this is unacceptable because TransUnion and XXXX are taking advantage of the US consumers by charging to access our public credit data! 

On Wednesday, XX/XX/XXXX, I logged into my XXXX XXXX account to check my credit score, and suddenly, after my conversation with the TransUnion representative, I could not access my credit file information. After they could not or would not explain why my credit score declined or the disparities between the two systems ( credit union and XXXX XXXX XXXX ) had different data, my credit information was locked. I can not check my credit information via XXXX XXXX ; I now get an error message indicating that my account is locked. As a result, I contacted the XXXX number listed on the error message, and the TransUnion representative who answers informs me that my account has my married and maiden names, which I have had on my file for over 30+ years! I divorced over 26 years, and nothing on my credit files uses my married name! Again, this data has been in my credit files under the other names categories for thirty-plus years. On my TransUnion credit report ( File # XXXX ), My name under the Personal Credit Report is listed as XXXX XXXX XXXX and my name listed under the Personal Information section is listed as XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX absolutely nothing has changed! I informed the agent of this, so to correct some made-up alleged error, she needed to verify me as such ; she proceeded to verify me and ask system-generated questions. The first question was irrelevant to me, meaning the question and the responses had no relation to me, and I told her this. She proceeded to the second question, which was again unrelated to me! This is the second time this has happened with the TransUnion verification process, where their computer-generated questions are irrelevant to the consumer ; thus, the alleged error and account lock can not be resolved! I asked to escalate to a supervisor and expected someone calls me back within 24 hours. She tells me its impossible and the turnaround time is three days! I am still locked out of my TransUnion credit file via XXXX XXXX, which is the portal reporting my credit score as XXXX, which is TransUnion XXXX data. This is suspicious, as AFTER informing your agent, I would escalate this issue and file multiple complaints. The agent provided me the link to file the complaint with the CFPB, and now my account is locked ; what? 

The TransUnion organization and all credit agencies are responsible for millions of Americans credit data, and they are paid to ensure this data is accurate and current. If there are inconsistencies and insufficient data, each credit agency should be able to articulate clearly to US consumers why credit scores changed! Additionally, if there are discrepancies, research the issues to understand why there are discrepancies in the TransUnion data and across agencies. The TransUnion organization doesnt get to tell the consumers that scores can not be disputed! The TransUnion organization doesnt get to lock US consumers out of their accounts because of your internal systemic issues! Not to mention, I can still access my data using your data via my credit union, so obviously, its not an issue with my alleged married and maiden names in your database! 
Additionally, I would be unable to access my TransUnion account and retrieve my credit file if there were errors with my name. I can access this data as of this complaint ; therefore, the alleged errors with my credit file dont exist! From my perspective, I am locked out of the XXXX XXXX information because the TransUnion XXXX still reflects a XXXX score, and TransUnion can not clearly articulate why my score went down XXXX points and why there is a XXXX disparity between TransUnion Data and XXXX data. TransUnion data is reporting different data depending on where the US consumer accesses their data!

The US consumers credit data is used for everything, and when the credit agencies data is inaccurate and inconsistent, it could potentially cost US consumers employment, missed opportunities to acquire new credit accounts or cost the US. Consumers thousands of dollars in interest payments because the data is not correct!

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 explanation