CRA Websites - HORRIBLE!

[titans1987]

Just need to vent because the Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian websites are absolutely terrible. 

 

First off - trying to get my free annual report from any of them resulted in only getting TransUnion.  However, both the Equifax and Experian sites claim they gave me information even though they never did so now I either need to pay for one from them or wait a year!  Absolutely terrible.

 

Then there is no way to contact them about this issue, that I have found at least - I'm looking for an email form as I hate talking on the phone.

 

Next I tried to submit an online dispute - Experian is out because they require you to have the report, which I never received  - see above, or you need to purchase one from them.

 

Next I tried Equifax and things were going well but every time I tried to submit the dispute it says you can only use letters, numbers, and like ? and -.  I did not have any special characters or anything but the dispute would not submit, then it basically just closed out the form.  So I try to go back in and it tells me I can't be validated and I need to fax my information into them.

 

Lastly is Transunion, trying to submit there but I need to log in.  I enter User ID/PW and they're wrong - of course.  So I try to reset my password, follow all the steps, then continually receive a message that the PW must be at least 8 characters and contain numbers and letters.  Which I verified every flipping time I tried to set a new PW that it met that criteria. 

 

And of course there is virtually no way to get a hold of anyone there it seems unless you pay them monthly for service. 

 

These sites are just terrible - if they are going to report and effect aspects of my life it should be guaranteed that I can interact with them when I need to to try and get something accomplished.  It is almost like they make their sites trash on purpose. 

 

Just so frustrated!

[shellieh98]

I agree, but disputing online is worthless anyway. They all come back verified because they only have to click a button. Always do a written dispute, and send it to them certified. Online reports are incomplete anyway, you should still be able to write them requesting your report.

[admin]

I agree, but disputing online is worthless anyway. They all come back verified because they only have to click a button. Always do a written dispute, and send it to them certified. Online reports are incomplete anyway, you should still be able to write them requesting your report.

Someone posted good success with online disputes a little while ago, but I still am in the camp that you need to dispute in writing.  

[gwheelock915]

If all else fails, call one and place a fraud alert on your CR. That entitles you to a free one from each of them. Also, go on their sites and initiate a dispute and you can also view it (and dispute it for free).

 

As far as disputing, like all other thing individual results may vary. 

 

My score hasn't changed, and I've been unable to remove items with online disputing. My wife, on the other hand, had her FICO go up by over 120 points in about a month and is sitting at almost 770. Because of that, we just qualified for a used car loan at 2.49% and an auto refinance loan at 5%, which is great since our existing auto loan is sitting at 23.9%!

[CallMeTheBreeze]

I tried to get my Transunion from online.

Something happened to my stupid printer so it didn't get the whole thing printed.

I requested it again, only to be told I had already gotten one.

I called the number from the letter telling me "I already had one" and told a very nice guy what had happened.

He asked if I had been denied credit in past 60 days, I lied and said "yes" . (LOL)

 

  So he said ok, I'm sending another one! 

[admin]

@gwheelock915

 

If all else fails, call one and place a fraud alert on your CR. That entitles you to a free one from each of them. Also, go on their sites and initiate a dispute and you can also view it (and dispute it for free).

 

As far as disputing, like all other thing individual results may vary. 

 

My score hasn't changed, and I've been unable to remove items with online disputing. My wife, on the other hand, had her FICO go up by over 120 points in about a month and is sitting at almost 770. Because of that, we just qualified for a used car loan at 2.49% and an auto refinance loan at 5%, which is great since our existing auto loan is sitting at 23.9%!

Fraud alerts cost money and they are a pain in the ass to remove.  I don't recommend this approach. 

[syulinoire]

_{Well not sure if this question applies but, earlier today while "ATTEMPTING" to get my free annual report, more specifically with Equifax, the validation questions they asked were totally off target for any information that I have in my file? So assuming this was just randomized question to prove I am who I say I am I of course answered none of the above to all of them. When I hit submit I was denied access and asked to call in to get a copy of my CR? More ironic was that my baby sister went through the same thing and can't get hers either?}

 

_{So I decided to call Equifax to see if the questions were actually random, or if the questions they used to verify my identity actually were sourced from my CR, I couldn't get a straight answer due to them wanting me to pay 6 bucks to prove or disprove my theory?}

 

_{But does anyone know anything about this?}

[TomnTex]

Could also be ID theft and that is why they aren't letting you in. You may have to look at it from this approach too. Just a thought.

[doctorofcredit]

 

 

First off - trying to get my free annual report from any of them resulted in only getting TransUnion.  However, both the Equifax and Experian sites claim they gave me information even though they never did so now I either need to pay for one from them or wait a year!  Absolutely terrible.

 

 

This is incorrect, Quizzle will give you two Experian reports for free per year (no CC necessary). 

 

Also why didn't you try to pull your credit reports from annualcreditreport.com instead of the individual sites? 

[titans1987]

I did go through annualcreditreport.com  - when you go through there it will eventually lead you to the site of the agency you want to use before you get the report.  That is where it failed at.

 

I'll check out Quizzle - I've never heard of that.  

[willingtocope]

@titans1987 read the "Terms and Conditions" BEFORE signing up to quizzle.  Pay particular attention to the "Consumer Disclosures" section where it starts with:

 

The Fair Credit Reporting Act allows you to obtain a disclosure from every credit reporting agency of the nature and substance of all information in your file at the time of the request. Full disclosure of information in your file at Experian must be obtained directly from Experian by logging on to www.experian.com/consumer. The credit report you are requesting from Quizzle is not intended to constitute the disclosure of Experian information required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act or similar state laws.

 

 

...which basically says quizzle is somehow associated with Experian, but doesn't guarantee that even the EX reports you might see are complete or up-to-date. 

 

The EX report may be free, but it also isn't accurate.  And, you do need to sign up and pay a fee for "other services".

 

In other words...just another "Do you know what your credit score is?" scam.

[doctorofcredit]

@titans1987 read the "Terms and Conditions" BEFORE signing up to quizzle.  Pay particular attention to the "Consumer Disclosures" section where it starts with:

 

...which basically says quizzle is somehow associated with Experian, but doesn't guarantee that even the EX reports you might see are complete or up-to-date. 

 

The EX report may be free, but it also isn't accurate.  And, you do need to sign up and pay a fee for "other services".

 

In other words...just another "Do you know what your credit score is?" scam.

Pull a report from annualcreditreport.com and Quizzle at the same time. I've never seen a difference between the two. All that statement says is that Quizzle is not Experian's outlet for their obligations under FACTA. 

[CGreene]

_{Well not sure if this question applies but, earlier today while "ATTEMPTING" to get my free annual report, more specifically with Equifax, the validation questions they asked were totally off target for any information that I have in my file? So assuming this was just randomized question to prove I am who I say I am I of course answered none of the above to all of them. When I hit submit I was denied access and asked to call in to get a copy of my CR? More ironic was that my baby sister went through the same thing and can't get hers either?}

 

_{So I decided to call Equifax to see if the questions were actually random, or if the questions they used to verify my identity actually were sourced from my CR, I couldn't get a straight answer due to them wanting me to pay 6 bucks to prove or disprove my theory?}

 

_{But does anyone know anything about this?}

 

 

YES! Same exact issue I recently had with Equifax.  Something is bogus there...

 

 

After trying about two months ago to go through annualcredit report.com to get the three free reports, I managed to get one of them, from Transunion.  (That report showed the one item I expected to find there:  a recently charged-off cc. ) 

 

Just as you and your sister experienced, in order to simply validate my identity to even view the free report for Equifax, I was asked to confirm details of a mortgage that I don't even have! 

 

From the saved screen shot:

 

"Now we just need to make sure that you are really you.  These questions are based on information in your file, and only you should know the answers to them.

 

"Your credit file indicates you may have a mortgage loan, opened in or around August 2011.  Who is the credit reporter for this account?"   (Choices:  Citibank, Investors Financial, JP Morgan Chase, Patriot Federal Bank, or None of the Above)

 

"What is the total monthly payment for the above referenced account?"

(Choices:  $2,600-2,699, $2,700-2,799, $2,800-$2,899, $2,900-2,999, or None of the Above)

 

...Also was asked to answer questions about a car loan I don't have!

 

"Your credit file indicates you may have an auto loan/lease, opened in or around Sept. 2007. Who is the credit provider for this account?" ...

 

Answering "None of the Above" to those questions led nowhere.  They stated they were unable to verify my identity.  Unreal!  

 

Of interest, though, is that around those times (in 2011, 2007) I was indeed looking into purchasing a house, and a car, respectively.  However, I did NOT purchase either of those things!  No mortage! No car loan!  There were credit inquiries, I'm sure, at those times, but certainly no mortage or car loan was taken out.

 

 

Then, yesterday, I attempted to simply buy a package of the three reports, which I found offered at the Experian site for $29.95 or something.  And AGAIN, almost identical questions came up!  I did not save the screen shot, but I recall it was again about a non-existent mortgage, this time it said "on or around July," intead of August, however.  So, again I was given the message that they could not confirm my identity.

 

Finally, I tried to buy a $10.50 report, for only Equifax, from the same site (Equifax).   Lo and behold, that one took, ...with none of the bogus questions required!  ...And wonder of wonders, the report showed only that one cc account I expected to see (that concurred with the Transunion report) --- NO mortgage or car loans!  Then why were they asking me about such things?!

 

(Oh--I also then tried to order a single report from the Experian website, for $14.95.  They asked me normal identity questions and were still unable to verify my identity, so I couldn't order.  ...Sigh.)

 

WHAT is going on here?  If it was simply a bait and switch, trying to get you to PAY for reports, by making the free ones difficult to obtain, I would have expected to NOT have the bogus questions show up, when I actually tried to BUY the three-agency combo package.   ...What could be the point of this?