Consumer complaint received 2021-10-22
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem — Difficulty submitting a dispute or getting information about a dispute over the phone
Company: EQUIFAX, INC. (FL)

I have been attempting to have my name and address changed with Equifax since XXXX. 
After extensive amounts of time on the phone with their XXXX XXXX XXXX Department, I was given this exact information to file a dispute. 
Fax # XXXX I was to fax a copy of the court order for my name change, a copy of my updated Social Security Card, and a copy of my updated drivers license. 
I faxed this information, along with a detailed cover letter that included my old and new names, my current address that is noted on my current drivers license and my email address and phone number. I also stated in the cover letter, if you have any further questions, please contact me. 
All of this was faxed on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX EST, at a cost of {$9.00} and I received a confirmation print out that the fax went through successfully. 
After not getting any communication regarding my dispute request by mail, email or phone, I called back on XX/XX/XXXX - the appropriate 30 days to have this change completed. It should be noted that somewhere during this 30 days I began receiving sales emails from Equifax. When I called I was sent to the Equifax Customer Care Team at XXXX. I spoke to XXXX. After a lot of digging he told me that my credit dispute information was updated with my new name and gave me the confirmation # XXXX referencing this call. It was already concerning me that it took him so long to find my updated information that should have been readily available under my social security number. 
On XX/XX/XXXX I pulled a copy of my credit report with Equifax. My new name is on a credit report with only 6 months of history. I am XXXX years old and have at least XXXX  years of credit history under my old name. Additionally, under Personal Information on the credit report, it has nothing noted in their Formerly Known As section. Meaning my previous legal name is not listed in the file and my previous credit history is not attached to my new name. 
I called Equifax again on XX/XX/XXXX and spoke to an agent, XXXX, Agent ID XXXX. After a long time searching and digging she said she found my original credit history, with my old name, under the address that I last lived at 4.5 years ago. She said she also found the paperwork that I faxed on XX/XX/XXXX, but none of my dispute was updated. She said at this time they could not use the documentation I had sent in XXXX and could not/would not say why. She said I would need to resend the documents. I questioned why we needed to resend the documents ( again at my cost ) if they already had the documents. She didnt know, she guessed that maybe it was the size of the drivers license. Which you should note, was already blown up to 1/3 of the size of the page. She could not or would not explain why 1. They did not contact us as per the cover letter to question or inform us of the issue, or 2. Why they would have all the other information and not enter it into the system. I then verified the fax number I had sent to previously, and she said it was correct. Then, I read to her the entire cover letter that was sent with my documentation. She said the letter was perfect and included everything needed to have the dispute completed. I then asked for a direct phone number of who I could contact to verify that my paperwork was received after faxing it again. I was given the number XXXX. I was told it would not go to a direct person, they didnt have direct numbers, but whoever answered that number could verify the receipt of my paperwork ( again ). At this point XXXX volunteered the timeframe stating that my name change and address would be added to my social security number and my long-standing credit history within 24 hours of receipt of the fax. I specifically said, so I can call back after 24 hours and it would be completed. She said yes. I repeated this information back to her and questioned her three times for each element to verify that what I was sending and where I was sending it was correct, and that my information would be received and updated within 24 hours. And she again agreed and said yes, I could call back and get confirmation 24 hours after sending my fax.

Following the phone call, my wife and I pulled together all of the previous information required, including increasing the size of the drivers license and social security card to at least half the size of an 8 by 10 page each. I then faxed an updated cover letter dated XX/XX/XXXX and noted XXXX name and agent ID number in the letter. I faxed all of the required information at XXXX EST. Again, at a cost of {$9.00}.

Please note, at this point, based on what we can see and what we are being told - records associated with my social security number include record 1. Attributed to my previous legal name, the address listed from 4.5 years ago and my full credit history. At the same time, we have seen record 2, whereby my current legal name is somehow attached to the same social security number with a 6 month credit history, but not combined.

How is this legally possible? How has two separate people with the same SSN not raised flags? And what are they doing with the records being sent to them as per their required process, where 1. someone was able to begin adjusting the account, 2. XXXX told us she found the paperwork, but apologized that no one completed the process, but 3. as you are about to read, resulted in 2 people now no longer able to locate the first nor second set of dispute paperwork sent per their process. 
On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX EST I called back the number given by XXXX XXXX XXXX. The person who answered said they could not answer my dispute questions at that number and transferred me XXXX at XXXX. We explained that the 800 number was given to us by XXXX and that anyone answering at this number would be able to help and find our faxed disputed information. He did literally did not care and transferred me. We next spoke to XXXX. I once again provided background on the entire situation to this point, including the guy who just transferred me. XXXX said she was going to look for my documentation and put me on hold. XXXX came back and said she could not find any of my paperwork- not from XX/XX/XXXX or from XX/XX/XXXX. At this point I asked to speak to her manager. I was on hold, she checked in with me after 15 mins, and told me her manager was wrapping up a call and would be with me soon. I spent a total of more than 45 mins waiting for him to pick up my call when XXXX finally answered at XXXX EST on XX/XX/XXXX. By this point I was furious. 
I proceeded to explain this entire situation from beginning to his 45 min wait ; even indicating to him that it was a wait time long enough for us to begin filing this complaint. At this point he went to look for the paper, and once again informed us that they could not find either the paperwork from XXXX, which only two days ago XXXX was able to find. Nor, could he find the paperwork sent on XX/XX/XXXX. During the ensuing conversation, XXXX informed us 1. He does not even know where the fax machines are located nor who is responsible for the data entry, 2. That all they can do is look for the files in my records rather than any hard copies, 3. That despite the fact that XXXX found the paperwork on XX/XX/XXXX, that he and his underling XXXX were incapable of finding the same files, 4. Began to suggest again that we send the paperwork a third time, at my expense. At which point I wanted to speak to HIS manager. At this point he offered to let me speak to someone in another department. Neither my wife or I caught the name of the department. It sounded something like consumer protection. He then suddenly backtracked, and started questioning the timeline of events. At this point, we again repeated the events, having already given him the timeline of events, that we spoke with XXXX two days ago. On Wednesday, at which time she volunteered and we confirmed multiple times, that from receipt of the fax it would take 24 hours to be entered into the system, and I could call after the 24 hour period to confirm. We sent the fax that evening on Wednesday, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX EST, therefore we gave it until Friday afternoon to follow up. 
Now XXXX suddenly says, we actually have to wait 3-5 days *please note he never said business days*, just 3-5 days, which, at this point angered us even more. As XXXX had not only volunteered the 24 hour time frame, we confirmed it multiple times. Now somebody else, having already been told the 24 hour timeframe, is now changing that to 3-5 days.

This is by no means the first, and we fear not the last, time in this process that employees of Equifax ( as well as XXXX and XXXX ) have told us and provided different and or conflicting information. 
At this point we 1. Indicated that we would be filing this complaint, 2. We said we would wait 5 more days ( a week ) to follow up again, and concluded the conversation.

Our plan, as of this writing will be to 1. Wait until Thursday, XX/XX/XXXX or Friday, XX/XX/XXXX, which places us at ( business ) days 6 and 7. 2. If this problem continues, we will re-file this complaint. 3. We will be contacting our state representative to request that she investigate all three credit bureaus policy and procedures around name changes. 4. And pursuing with our rep and other interested parties a requirement and oversight that all credit reporting agencies are to update and provide a central company-based name change form, including allowing digital records, to streamline and create a better and more efficient and modern day process. It is irresponsible and as this experience has shown us, a waste of time, money and effort, that these companies require fax or US Postal Service delivery of such sensitive materials throughout the name change process. During COVID it was one thing, out of necessity, to send such documents through the mail, which at other times are provided in person. But when arguably trillions of dollars in commerce is conducted online via secure websites, worldwide, daily ; these three reporting agencies require individuals to send sensitive, life altering documents via the mail, or to an unknown, unmanned fax machine that personal experience now demonstrates, easily loses said documents. Its time they begin to invest in secure digital transmission for the protection of individuals and expediency in the process. 
Not only should these companies be updated by the social security administration, but if they are going to require citizens to do this on their own, they should be required to provide a simple, straightforward and confirmable process by which to make these changes. What my wife and I have discovered throughout this process, is that it is apparently easier for someone to steal another persons identity than it is for an individual to maintain and oversee their own identity. I have no idea why these three companies were deemed the gatekeepers of citizens financial identity ( personhood ) but if this is to continue, they MUST be held to a higher standard than they are providing the American public. This can not be allowed to continue.