Consumer complaint received 2020-06-09
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: NJ
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Sub-issue: Information belongs to someone else

Complaint:
XX/XX/20 Attempted to lift credit freezes previously placed with bureaus, due to pending mortgage application. Was able to complete with all except Equifax. Attempts to log in to website led to a series of unanswerable security questions, clearly due to mixing of my account with my ( recently deceased ) father. 

Mixed credit files had been previously seen with other agencies via XXXX ; however, since Equifax does not participate in this service, I have not had the chance to rectify similar problems with their service. 

As I answered the security questions as 'none of these ' for every choice, I was subsequently locked out of accessing my account completely. 


XX/XX/20 Attempted to call Equifax, but their automated system asked the same fraudulent security questions, despite identifying myself via SSN, address, etc. No agents were available outside of business hours. 

Attempted to apply for verification by mail. Rather than ask for a mailing address, the site immediately defaulted to confirming possible PII sent to address in the system. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, I had  been forced to vacate this address. 


XX/XX/20 After days of calling, in which I was told to send PII through the mail, opening a further venue for fraud, I was told that my only other option was fax. Due to COVID-19, I had no access to a fax, and therefore had to sign up for XXXX ( $ XXXX ), so as to use a credible company for transmission of PII. Using a free service is yet another invitation for fraud. 

XXXX subsequently sent a confirmation email that the transmission was sent to fax address. Equifax, however, supplied no confirmation, leaving me to hope that my PII was sent to the proper channel. 


XX/XX/20 Called to confirm as to the status of my account. Was subsequently hung up during the first attempt, when asking for confirmation that a fax was received on their end. After numerous attempts, I was told that it is impossible for the agent to let me know if an email was received. I was also told that there would be no verification sent to me when they finish validating my PII. I was further told that no contact would be made with me as the continuing status. 

I was also told that, despite no indication that this was the case at the time of transmission, that the only means of receiving any verification was by mail. Not knowing this, I had supplied, on the cover letter they insisted upon, that I wish to be contacted by email, thereafter including the desired address. 

I was also told, by a manager, that Equifax is a private business, and are not required to disclose how any of the processing of remediation of their own failures are to take place. I was told, at varying points in the conversation, that I would receive confirmation by mail, and that I would receive nothing by mail. 

I was told that NO attempt at contact would be made on their part, and it is entirely up to me to call back constantly. The manager was either unwilling or incapable of answering basic questions about any step in the entire process.

Finally, they were unwilling or incapable of even updating the mailing address in their system, so as to give me any indication as to whether the verification, which may or may not be sent, could possibly reach my current address. 

This is a massive failure, both on the micro and macro level. Any business that operated in such a fashion would have been shuttered in a sane world.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation