Consumer complaint received 2023-03-02
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes — 
Company: TRANSUNION INTERMEDIATE HOLDINGS, INC. (CA)

I am writing to report the frustrating experience I had while attempting to place a credit freeze with TransUnion earlier today ( XX/XX/23 ). 

After I was notified by XXXX that my Social Security Number, name and contact information had been found in the 'Dark Web ' I wanted to place a credit freeze with all 3 credit reporting agencies. I have an account with XXXX and placing a credit lock was almost instantaneous. I had to create and account with XXXX, and once this was done, their automated system enabled my to apply a credit freeze in less than 5-minutes. 

With TransUnion however, it was a totally different experience. I started the process ( creating an account ) at around XXXX XXXX, P.S.T and it took nearly 2-hours to complete. When I submitted the required information to create an account I received a response that verification of my identity had failed because of a 'Failed Safety Check '. I was advised to call the Website Access Support team. I did so and the automated system instead of routing me to a representative repeatedly directed me to their chat service. After 3 attempts with the same result, I clicked on the link that I was sent & after a XXXX wait ( at XXXX XXXX ) was connected to XXXX '. Without reading the information provided, XXXX advised me to create a free account & offered to sell me my credit score for {$0.00}! When I reminded her that I was unable to successfully create an account because of the failed verification, and my attempts to call the provided telephone number, she told me that it was not possible to place a credit freeze via the chat service ( which I later learnt is incorrect ). She provided me with a different telephone number for the online department. I called this number and on the 4th attempt ( the previous 3 resulted in the automated system telling me to call back later ) reached XXXX ' ( at XXXX XXXX ) who told me that he could not help and gave me a different number to call. Attempts to call this number only resulted in the automated system telling me to call again later. 

The chat window was still open and I submitted a request for help once again. I was connected to XXXX XXXX  at XXXX XXXX. In total contrast to the response I had received from XXXX, XXXX told me that she could, via chat, apply a credit freeze. After a validation process that took nearly an hour a TransUnion credit freeze was applied at XXXX XXXX In the course of my communication with XXXX, I learnt that the most likely reason for the failed safety check was that TransUnion 's systems incorrectly had my land line number listed as my mobile number! The first representative ( XXXX ) was singularly unhelpful and incorrectly told me that a credit freeze could not be placed via chat. 

TransUnion needs to validate the data it uses and educate their representatives. Their automated telephone response system is woeful. When it works, it appears to be designed to channel callers to chat session rather than a conversation with a representative. I am submitting this complaint in the hope that others will not have to go through the frustration I experienced. If not for my concern that my stolen SSN could create problems that might take more time and effort to fix, I would have given up much sooner!