Consumer complaint received 2022-08-23
Company: Experian Information Solutions Inc.
State: NY
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: Investigation took more than 30 days

Complaint:
As part of a XXXX XXXX from XXXX to XXXX, I legally changed my name by New York court order in the summer of XXXX. I reported this name change to all of my current credit accounts ( e.g. university, bank, credit card company, utility company ), but the three credit bureaus did not update my credit files to reflect my new legal name. 

On XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, I collected documents confirming the legality of my name change ( the court order, my New York driver 's license, my passport, and a bank statement ) and mailed them with a cover letter to Experian 's disputes department, as an Experian representative had instructed me to do. 

It took Experian longer than 30 days ( and countless hours on the phone ) to process my name change. When Experian finally DID process the change, it resulted in a split credit file : one half of my file has my old name and all of my credit history ; the other half of my file has my current ( legal ) name and no credit history at all : its like Experian has wiped out the past 13-14 years of my credit history, which prior to this was stellar : credit scores consistently above 720, with a record of nothing but on-time payments and loans paid off in a timely way. 

The fact that my credit report with Experian is split makes it look like I ( under my current name ) don't exist or, at best, like I do exist but have absolutely no credit to speak of. This is making it impossible for me to take on new credit, to open a bank account, to sign a lease, etc. I have relocated on a XXXX  to the XXXX XXXX and am absolutely hamstrung in my day-to-day life because I am unable to do any of these basic things. Currency exchange charges are piling up because I have no way of accessing a XXXX bank account, and I am unable to rent with anyone but families who take lodgers under the table. 

This is untenable. 

I have called Experian countless times in the past two months and have been bounced around between their membership team, their disputes team, their split records team, and their supervisors. They have done nothing. 

I write this as I sit on hold with a member of Experian 's dispute team on XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. On my previous call to Experian, a representative called XXXX told me that she was filing an investigation form to merge the two sides of my credit file. She told me that this is possible because my Social Security Number has not changed : that is, that Experian can use my SSN to join my credit history ( most of which is under my old name ) to the credit report in my new name. She told me that it would take 3-5 business days to process the form and that I would be notified when my file was fixed. 

I have not heard a thing from anyone at Experian. The representative speaking to me on today 's phone call confirms that nothing has been done and that there is no record under my current legal name. 

I am completely at a loss. I am not normally litigious, but this mistreatment and neglect from Experian is aversely affecting my financial life, my housing situation, my mental health, and my day-to-day dealings with any kind of creditor. If Experian does not resolve this issue posthaste, I will be seeking legal counsel.

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