Consumer complaint received 2017-02-09
Company: TRANSUNION INTERMEDIATE HOLDINGS, INC.
State: NC
Product: Credit reporting
Issue: Unable to get credit report/credit score
Sub-issue: Problem getting my free annual report

Complaint:
I recently paid off an auto loan and expecting a small lift of my credit score due to the payoff. I get my XXXX score based on my Trans Union credit file as a free service through my credit card company. On XXXX XXXX, I received an email from my CC company stating my credit score has changed. To my surprise, my score dropped XXXX points ( from XXXX to XXXX ). In response, I attempted to get my credit report online. 

I can only assume that in response to case # XXXX where I complained that Trans Union improperly sent a disclosure that I ordered to an attorney who opened it herself. 
Trans Union has since placed an undisclosed " fraud flag '' on my credit file. This flag was not disclosed on my credit file directly from Trans Union and they have refused to remove this flag from my file by giving me the run around when I contact them by phone to have it removed. 

They literally sent me from one number to another eventually ending up calling the first number again to start the runaround over again. 

That flag apparently means the following : 1. If I attempt to get my credit report from Trans Union through AnnualCreditReport.com, Trans Union will not attempt to authenticate my identity using their identity verification process. Instead, they display a message stating : We are unable to complete your request What happened : Unfortunately, your request can not be fulfilled online at this time, based upon the data provided. 

2. When I login to my Trans Union account and try to get my credit report through that route, it 's the same. Trans Union will not attempt to authenticate my identity using their identity verification process. Instead, they display a message stating : We are unable to complete your request What happened : Unfortunately, your request can not be fulfilled online at this time, based upon the data provided. 

3. When I called their toll free # XXXX in an attempt to remove whatever was being used to block all of my attempts to get my credit report online, I was told my file is handled by a priority department and transferred. When I got to that that person, I was passed to another @ XXXX. When I spoke to a representative there, I was given another @ XXXX. 
At no time would anyone tell me why I could n't get my credit report through AnnualCreditReport.com or TransUnion.com. I ended up getting transferred or provided the initial number of XXXX again and transferred once again. Finally, I was transferred to an unknown number and asked to leave a voicemail which I did. I did n't expect a callback and have n't recevied a call back so far. 

4. I also attempt to see if I could manage my security freeze online through Trans Union. I get an error there too. 

5. Since I was n't able to get my credit report online through AnnualCreditReports.com or TransUnion.com, I went to XXXX to see if I could get my Trans Union report there. I did n't expect it to succeed since ( 1 ) there are not identify verification questions presented and ( 2 ) it 's through a third party. But I was able to get a report through XXXX and this is where I confirmed the score had dropped XXXX points and multiple accounts where deleted which I suspect was the reson for the score drop of XXXX points. This is also where I see the following related to a " fraud flag '' : Your credit report has a " fraud flag '' Most likely, this is because you contacted TransUnion with a suspicion that your credit report was being used fraudulently. When a credit report has a fraud flag, lenders follow extra precautions when granting credit based on the information in that credit report. 


So Trans Union makes no money when they must supply a free credit report so they block all of my attempts to get the report online. Yet they have no problem providing a report via XXXX where they profit from the transaction.

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