Consumer complaint received 2017-09-10
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: NV
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Credit monitoring or identity theft protection services
Sub-issue: Problem with product or service terms changing

Complaint:
To Who it may concern, On X/X/2017, I learned from Media Sources that one of Big Three Credit Bureaus had been hacked and that the Personal Information of over a 100 Million Americans could have their information  compromised. 

After researching the situation, I was able to run a 'Free XXXX XXXX Scan ' with one of the Major Credit Bureaus ( Equifax ) to see if My Information had been compromised and it ( My Spouses ) had. 

I was offered a free credit monitoring service for my troubles to which I felt no more secure of my Credit with its offering. 

I soon found out the next morning after reading through media sources that the credit monitoring service I had opted for from Equifax, came with a contingency, that I would be unable to sue them should I become defrauded from their Security breach in lieu of me utilizing the free credit monitoring service? 

Today, I felt my best option was to 'Freeze ' my Credit with the Credit Bureaus and I learned that I could n't 'Freeze ' my credit with all Three credit Bureaus at the same time and that I had to 'Freeze ' or 'Lock ' my Credit with them individually. 

I researched a bit and found something that stated that the Big Credit Reporting Bureaus ' were unable to 'Freeze ' accounts across the three agencies at the same time, because of some undisclosed constraints. 

What, I would like to know is, If the Reporting Agencies are able to share all of our information with each other, being credit scores, credit approvals and the like, Why ca n't they 'Freeze ' or 'Lock ' a consumers Personal Information across the board from just one of their Reporting Agencies avoiding the American Consumers Payment to all Three Reporting Agencies for this action? 

Another problem I see with this process and the bureaus is, That if you do n't choose to do their 'online ' registration to utilize the 'Credit Freeze ' feature, you have to write a letter, send multiple documents, pay for postage, pay fee 's and in some cases such as mine with a 'XXXX XXXX Mother In Law ', have a Letter Notarized and such and will take a bit more, in this type of instance, valuable time to process. 

Today, I started the process of Freezing my Credit. I  Started with 'XXXX ' and found out I had to pay a {$5.00} Fee to Lock and Unlock my Credit from the freeze and would have to pay a Fee each time I wanted my Credit altered in this way. 

Soon after, I began the process of 'Locking ' my Credit with 'XXXX ' and found out that when I clicked the link to 'Lock ' my Credit it took me to the 'sign up ' screen and gave little or confusing information on what it would actually cost. 

From what I could decipher from the information on the screen, it appeared, 'XXXX XXXX would help me 'Lock ' my credit for as little {$19.00} a month and include 'Free ', Credit Reports, Scores and Monitoring services. 

In closing, I am really annoyed by this Data Breach. 

I feel, It 's crime to have to pay anyone of these Big Three Credit Reporting Bureaus anything, so, I can have My Credit, Frozen, Locked, Unlocked, Monitored, when for years, they have been sharing and benefiting from My information, whilst leaving me with little or no choice of an opt out from their Credit Reporting process. 

I like many other Americans, did nothing wrong to deserve the negative impact of this Information Breach and I have, like many other Americans, Spent several hours trying to understand and negate any of the Cyber threats that may be relative this data breach and my own situation.
In My opinion, The Three Credit Reporting Bureaus should be ashamed for how they let down the American Consumer as well as for continuing to benefit prosperously from this type of Information Breach.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation