Consumer complaint received 2022-05-27
Company: TRANSUNION INTERMEDIATE HOLDINGS, INC.
State: DC
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:
XXXX XXXX Complaint against TransUnion Illegal Practices I am a retired college professor, age XXXX in XXXX. 
My credit has been misrepresented by TransUnion, XXXX, and XXXX to the extent that I am seriously impeded in getting a credit union account, renting an apartment, and paying rent. I want these companies to erase erroneous data that compromises my credit history, and to remove verification data based on the misinformation. 

On my second trip from California to XXXX to find an apartment in XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX  was told by TransUnion that my credit history was suspect because a person, XXXX XXXX of XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, New Jersey XXXX, had used my Social Security number XX/XX/XXXX. I did not know XXXX XXXX and I had never lived at XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, New Jersey. In the XXXX office, I phoned TransUnion to understand what happened. After 4 phone calls, I was told that it would take TransUnion a year to sort it out. 

XXXX XXXX agreed to allow me to rent the apartment but I had to pay a double security deposit. TransUnion, XXXX, and XXXX were contacted shortly, and I submitted to them forms filled out with correct information about my finances. I received credit assessments from these agencies. None of these agencies ever tried to figure out who XXXX XXXX was, nor did they remove the record on my credit history. After several years, I put a freeze on my credit history with these agencies. Because the agencies slandered my credit history, I cancelled my credit cards. I never had a problem with my credit history before. I never wanted to deal with fraudulent credit companies again. 

Over a three-year period, I found other irregularities. I was unable to open credit union accounts or get credit ( for example, XXXX, would have allowed me to put money into an account, but not to take money out ). These companies claimed that TransUnion reported that I had zero credit. TransUnion should have reported that I froze my credit reporting due to the companies misrepresenting my credit history. 

In addition, I was unable to verify myself to financial institutions. They asked me to say which of three addresses identified where I had previously lived. All three were wrong. One of the three was the fraudulent XXXX XXXX address in New Jersey. I could not be verified because TransUnion identified the fraudulent address as being mine ; and I could not verify the fraudulent address. I asked the three credit agencies to remove the fraudulent address. Only XXXX replied to my request. XXXX refused, claiming that the New Jersey address was part of my credit history. I never lived at that address. If there ever was a XXXX XXXX, he probably typed his Social Security number incorrectly once. TransUnion used his action to ruin my credit history forever. 

In XX/XX/XXXX, I applied for an apartment in Washington XXXX DC. I was told that they checked TransUnion, who reported that I had no credit history. ( The TransUnion credit report of XX/XX/XXXX shows XX/XX/XXXX XX/XX/XXXX all ok. ) TransUnion should have reported that I froze my credit reporting due to the credit companies misrepresenting my credit history. Freezing my credit history was not enough. I checked TransUnion online and saw that TransUnion claimed that I could reapply to freeze my credit history for 7 years. Since freezing the credit history the first time did nothing, and TransUnion did nothing to clear up discrepancies, I put the 7-year freeze on the backburner to complete after my move. 

I rented an apartment at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, Washington XXXX DC XXXX from XXXX XXXX. They insisted that I use their new system, XXXX, online to pay for security deposit, pet fee, and rental costs. XXXX uses XXXX to verify my credit history with TransUnion ; who refused to verify me. I was locked out of using XXXX, but XXXX XXXX refused to accept payment any other way. They delayed responding until my first payments were almost late. Finally, a part-owner of XXXX XXXX asked staff to provide me with a voucher to take CASH to a remote check-cashing place in PA for delivery to XXXX. This practice has continued in DC, with me begging XXXX XXXX staff to spend hours getting a voucher to email to me. I print a voucher and get money from my bank to take to a remote check-cashing place to send cash to XXXX XXXX XXXX This company refuses to accept a debit account check, but insists that I spend 2 days begging for assistance, and 3-4 hours a month taking metro trains to distant check-cashing places with CASH to deposit. This is harassment of seniors to demand many hours of effort carrying CASH to pay the rent. XXXX XXXX also refuses to allow me to pay by debit card or in person at their office ( which is often not staffed ). 

For a money order, the Post Office will accept debit cards or cash, but will not accept credit cards. Money exists in the debit accounts. Why is it that financial institutions only accept credit cards, but not debit cards? They assume TransUnion only penalizes those who are not credit-worthy. Financial institutions should instead question the credit cards, which only loan the money to customers. 

The XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) has begun warning seniors not to trust the credit agencies. This should have been done in XXXX, a decade ago. There is no reason to trust the credit agencies, ever. 

Available : Credit reports from the 3 credit card agencies in XXXX, letters to the credit agencies, to XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX ; vouchers, payment verifications.

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