Consumer complaint received 2020-06-17
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: GA
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Unable to get your credit report or credit score
Sub-issue: Other problem getting your report or credit score

Complaint:
We are trying to unfreeze and obtain our credit reports for a loan for a new home purchase. We have had absolutely no problems with XXXX  or XXXX XXXX. These two agencies accomplished our needs excellently online. Equifax, however has been a total nightmare. 

Starting early XX/XX/2020 we tried to unfreeze our Equifax accounts online. We were unable to do so and advised to contact Equifax customer care. The customer care representative told us to send Equifax a explanation letter with a copies of our driver 's licenses, Social Security cards, and a bill to verify our identities and addresses to Equifax Information Services, LLC, XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, GA XXXX. The process would take approximately five to ten business days. 

The letters with all attachments were sent on XX/XX/2020 at XXXX XXXX  via US Postal Service certified mail and delivered onXX/XX/2020at XXXX XXXX. 

We waited more than the appropriate time and received no response from Equifax. So we called again ... many, many times. 

We are always told they have not received our information. Yet we know they received the letters as it was delivered via certified mail. 

A couple representatives verified us over the phone and said the accounts have been unfrozen ( throughXX/XX/2020 ) and provided us with confirmation numbers. However, the accounts were NOT unfrozen ; the  loan companies with our applications still can not access the Equifax credit reports. When we called Equifax with the confirmation numbers, we were told the accounts were indeed still frozen. 

Most said the information we provided over the phone was incorrect and does not match their information so the accounts could not be opened. ( Aside : The information we provided was 100 % correct. ) We were told to reference our Equifax credit report. When asked how we can obtain our Equifax credit report, we were told to give them correct information that matches their information. ( Infinite loop, Catch-22, the Twilight Zone? ) So basically whether via US Postal Service, online, or over the phone, they will not supply us with our credit report or unfreeze our accounts. 

There is an Equifax office somewhat near our home. When we asked can we just go to their office and verify ourselves there, we were told they do not allow people to verify themselves in person. ( So, we can go anywhere in the world with our passport as ID and other documentation but Equifax won't accept it. ) Today, after going around and around with a representative I asked to speak to a supervisor. The representative, XXXX, hung up on me. 

So as it stands we can not buy a new house because the loan originators can not access our Equifax credit report because Equifax either has wrong information or is incompetent and won't unfreeze our accounts. If Equifax has wrong information we can not correct the information on the credit report because Equifax will not let me see the credit report. 

Aw we stated at the beginning, we have had no problem with XX/XX/XXXX or XXXX XXXX verifying our information to unfreeze our accounts. It is only Equifax.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation