Consumer complaint received 2022-05-21
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: CA
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: Difficulty submitting a dispute or getting information about a dispute over the phone

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX I initiated a credit freeze with all the credit bureaus due to a plumbing company taking out a credit card in my name and the sheriff 's department told me to take action. Ever since then, whenever I lifted the freeze to make a purchase it was denied by Equifax. I was never given a reason by the merchant- just to call Equifax XXXX Then when Equifax was called, they said the merchant was supposed to confirm my identity by calling my phone number. Well, they never did. Fast forward fall of XXXX, I tried refinancing my house with XXXX bank and here Equifax had NO file on me! How can XXXX and XXXX have a file on me but not Equifax? Equifax wanted my to send sensitive documents including the title to my house to them! I complained to the XXXX and suddenly my credit file was back, but missing recent information and reporting XXXX and XXXX information? I complained again, and removed the extended credit alert after XX/XX/XXXX. 
I was still experiencing problems and calling Equifax multiple times and agents telling me that there is no freeze and no fraud alert. I am looking at credit report copies from XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX and none of them have a fraud alert. Each one varies with the addresses and info. Still reporting XXXX and XXXX accounts, besides current accounts. Only the XXXX XXXX report lists a phone number for me, and it is my current phone number. I am still having trouble with merchants/banks because Equifax still has an alert on my account. I just found out yesterday it is because Equifax wants them to call an old XXXX mobile phone number of mine- not my current phone number, the one I have had since XXXX. So for the last 4.5 years and currently they have, and continue to obstruct me from my credit. They skrewed up my credit report/lost data/rearranged it and will not fix it without me providing sensitive documents that I don't even have to show the banks or the IRS. Everytime I call in and give all my information-the system won't verify me. But, when I am talking to the Equifax agent, they send a text for the verification link to my current and correct mobile number and I am thanked for validating the Equifax link, but then they say they can not help me with the internal block because they can't verify me? All this because one person put in an Internal block/fraud file indicator and put it to a secondary old phone number on my file. Funny, when I moved and called them to change my address-they did that with no problem. No documents required there! Absolutely frustrating beyond belief. I have no issues with XXXX or XXXX. How can 2 other bureaus be reporting accurate information and Equifax can't? Equifax is the only company that has destroyed my life for the last 4.5 years, and for how much longer?

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation