Consumer complaint received 2021-01-21
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: CO
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes

Complaint:
ISSUE : I Temporarily lifted freeze from myequifax account, on XXXX for 1 day. So, after 1 day ie. on XXXX XXXX, the report should have been on frozen again automatically but as of today it still has the temporary freeze on and MORE IMPORTANTLY, it is no longer allowing me to manage my freeze online ( ie. does not allow temporarily lift/freeze ). See the attached Images - after the 3rd image, XXXX - on the next page if I proceed to choose temporary lift for current dates, it does not work and gives an error and shows the 800 number to call custsomer service. 

DETAILS : When I logged in to myequifax account on XXXX XXXX, because I temporarily wanted to lift FREEZE again for a day, I noticed that on the sidebar ( see images ) it said that " You have temporarily lifted your Equifax Credit freeze UNTIL XX/XX/2020 ''. I tried to " Manage Freeze '' and it would not work and asked me to call the 888 number. On the following day, I still tried about 3-4 times to tempoarily lift freeze for a day and it would not work - after I selected the dates and temporary lift option and submitted, it would not worka and showed the 1-800 number to call for support. I called the phone number and tried to see if I can use their phone system ( which I had used a couple of years ago to manage freeze ) but the phone system also had the same issue and would not work. I then called their support center and after several hoops through the automated phone system where it will ask security questions after personal info, I answered and it put me on hold and a few minutes later I got disconnected. I subsequently tried again twice and both times it asked me " irrelevant security questions '' ie. nothing that pertains to my credit profile ( this happens quite often with their system even while doing online applications ) and it would not approve and then after the third time it said I would have to write. I still tried again and called one more time to see if I can talk/explain the issue to an agent ( call Refrence # XXXX - XXXX XXXX EST ) but since I did not answer the security questions correctly during automated call she said that my only option is to write or fax them. 

Since it was the end of the year/weekend/holidays I thought may be they will update their systems ( obviously it is a software glitch ) when within the first working week or so when they get back to work but here we are today the XX/XX/XXXX, I logged in and it still shows the same message and I tried once again to temporarily lift freeze for a day and as explained above the same thing still happens and asks me to call the 800 number. I want to mention that this exact issue happened almost 2 years ago Complaint # XXXX also at the end of the year, when I was managing freeze by telephone ( in the response they wrote it is better online ) and later they fixed the issue a few days in to the new year but now it has been over 1 month in to the new year already and over 1 month since my last temporary lift.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation