Consumer complaint received 2016-07-30
Product: Credit reporting — 
Issue: Unable to get credit report/credit score — Problem getting report or credit score
Company: EQUIFAX, INC. (PA)

I have a complaint about Equifax 's terrible website. When you contact them, they will probably tell you it was a one-off problem or some other total lie ( see second-to-last paragraph below. I am complaining because what went on today should not have ever happened. If they do n't immediately fix the mess their computer made when I finally manage to get a human on the phone, I will be back to file a separate complaint about that. 

Background : In XXXX 2015, I froze all my credit reports because my information was on the computer systems of XXXX companies that had been hacked, but only XXXX had offered me credit monitoring. Being a senior citizen, freezes were free, and {$10.00} for a temporary lift would be cheap peace of mind if ever I needed a credit check. Generally, I did not foresee opening new credit accounts. 

But today, a Saturday, I wanted to change my home security-monitoring company, and that requires an Equifax credit score. I was on my phone with the new security company 's agent, which was OK because I did not want to use the Equifax automated telephone method. I knew I 'd have to give my SSN to unfreeze my report, and I was n't keying THAT into a cordless VOIP telephone! So I went online, just as I had done to establish the freeze, while the security-company agent waited very nicely on the phone. 

When I came to Step 2 of the Equifax process, there was text on the screen telling me to pick a date range for the temporary lift and provide my personal information, then press Submit. BUT, there were no boxes or blanks on that screen into which to enter the information! I clicked all over that screen for about 4 minutes, until suddenly a whole new screen appeared with the needed boxes. I filled out the boxes and pressed Submit. The Equifax system seemed to freeze again for about a minute or more ( you get that icon of a circling arrow that tells you the site 's computer is not going very fast ) and then it resolved. 

HOWEVER, the agent who was waiting on the phone was still denied access to my Equifax credit score. AND, when I looked at my email to see if the {$10.00} charge to my XXXX XXXX had been processed by Equifax , I had XXXX XXXX alert messages about online purchases made to my card -- all by Equifax , each for {$10.00}, and with time stamps of XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX. XXXX will work with me on this. 

I found a customer service phone number for Equifax that would reach a human 7 days a week from XXXX. to XXXX. ET ( XXXX ) -- it reached XXXX. After telling " XXXX '' that her English was basically useless, she tried harder. She apologized but could not tell me if my credit report was successfully unfrozen and she could n't help me with billing issues either -- for that I would need to call XXXX. I asked her what the hours of operation at that number are -- answer : M-F, XXXX.-XXXX. So I am in limbo for two days now. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE to wait until Monday!! 

Also, this is not an isolated incidence of computer idiocy and malfunction at Equifax. I order my free Equifax credit report every XX/XX/XXXX ; it is always a battle with the Equifax computer to find the dialog that will let me download a PDF of my report ( unlike the XXXX and XXXX websites, where the downloads are easy to do ). Also, when I did the credit report freeze last year, the Equifax process was bumpy and full of frozen screens that took a lot of trust and perseverance to wait out ( but XXXX and XXXX processes went well ). Free credit reports, credit report freezes, and credit report unfreezes are all mandated consumer services. I think Equifax is using a creaky computer system to make things as hard as possible for consumers who want to exercise their rights. If that 's not their goal, then they just do n't want to spend the money to make their web interface useable -- reduces profits!