Have You Freezed/Unfreezed Your Credit Yet?

[jazz4cash]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunset I never heard of that, all they have to do is cash the check, if it bounces that will happen with good or bad credit. Did you read that somewhere else, or was it the car dealer that claimed that ??

Yeah I read it someplace as I was preparing to raise hell with the dealer.

[beowulf]

Car dealers want as much info on you that they can get. It wouldn't surprise me if they sell it. I still get e-mails from a dealer that sold me a car over 25 years ago. I have never taken a loan from a car dealer - it's either cash or the credit union. I wonder what they would do if I brought in a baggie of $100 bills. Probably wouldn't as they have to report that to the feds in case it's money laundering. I'd love if i could charge a car - lots and lots of airline points. But the most I could ever charge was $5K. Better than nothing.

[FIREd]

The last time that I wanted to temporarily lift the freeze on my credit, I ran into some issues with Equifax. I could not unfreeze my credit online or on the phone and I had to send them a letter by snail mail to get the freeze lifted! It took almost a week.

[Sunset]

Seems like Equifud has found a solution to being hacked. Turn off their database servers

[sengsational]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sengsational I called Equifax and said I was unable to log on to the freeze/thaw account I had created. The rep said she saw the account, and that there was an error on their end. She said the problem was escalated to the technical support department and I should expect to get an email when the problem is solved. I'll believe THAT when I see it!

Of course I never got an email. I tried to get a credit card by unfreezing two of the three, but just got a letter saying they couldn't check those bozos at Equifax. The letter from the credit card company had a phone number to unfreeze at Equifax, which worked (after some struggling):

Quote:

1-800-685-1111, option 3

Equifax really sucks. The online web thaw never lets me log on. The phone thaw took me 8 minutes because it kept ignoring the date I was entering to end the thaw. It's an automated system where you put in your social security number, the digits of your house number, and the pin code they assigned during the freeze process. Then if you want the thaw to start today, it understands that well enough, but it took me a dozen tries to get the end date in there. But it's done now. Finally. Tomorrow I'll call the credit card company and say it's ready to try again.

[audreyh1]

Finally did for the first time to change a credit card. Experian - was straightforward online.

Actually- I wonder if I really needed to thaw since it was with a financial institution I had an ongoing relationship with, but the CSR seemed to think I had to.

[jldavid47]

I froze my credit with all 3 agencies because a couple of years ago one of the breaches (probably State Farm) resulted in someone trying to open credit cards in my name. I had been putting on the 3-month blocks, but when I found out I could freeze my credit I jumped at it. Transunion and Experian were a breeze and easily done online. Equifax was an entirely different matter. I started the process online and at some point a box popped up saying I had an Equifax login and had to log into my account to continue. I have no idea what my password was so I hit "Forgot password" and waited for a password reset email. And waited. And waited. It never came. I tried 3 more times. Same thing. I finally did it over the phone which was easy, but Equifax clearly has problems with their online processes that they don't seem to give a damn about.


I have not tried even a temporary unfreezing yet. If that day comes I hope I don't run into more issues.

[sengsational]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sengsational The idea of going through a thaw on all 3 agencies has kept me from upgrading credit cards...

Referenced this post again.


It's weird. If I saved a note for myself on my own system, I could never find it, but if I post something here to help "everybody", it turns out I'm included in the "everybody" , and I can find it again!



Again, Equifax sucked. Unable to thaw, but went ahead and submitted the Amex CC application, and it passed. Only 25,000 ($250), but ain't nothing to sneeze at. No annual fee, so no urgency to close 11 months from now like the $500 bonus cards.


Nemo2...I'm on the return TA for November 9 (final payment on 8/4, about $1000/per for 14 days). Do to the powers that be conclude you're healthy enough to make the voyage? I'll be paramotoring before departure where the closest hospital is Málaga. I hope I don't end up there , but I know you gave it good reviews.

[Nemo2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sengsational Nemo2...I'm on the return TA for November 9 (final payment on 8/4, about $1000/per for 14 days). Do to the powers that be conclude you're healthy enough to make the voyage? I'll be paramotoring before departure where the closest hospital is Málaga. I hope I don't end up there , but I know you gave it good reviews.

Have placed deposits on two back-to-backs on the Horizon leaving Trieste Oct 25/20 and arriving Athens Nov 12/20....nothing for this year.

DW is (still) hoping for Ukraine in the Spring of 2020, but if we make it it'll likely be a fly in - fly out.

(If something untoward happens when you're paramotoring you may not need hospitalization. )

[athena53]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aggie76 Came back few minutes later and said that they needed me to unfreeze. Again...NO... not using credit and my credit info in none of their business and I'm already mad as hell cause he LIED and used my SS# for a credit check...

This happens a lot according to the posts I used to red on creditboards.dot.com. Many of the posters have services that monitor all activity with the credit bureaus and they've had car salesmen lie and say they won't check their credit and then they find a "hard pull" (not just screening, which doesn't affect your score, but processing it as if you were applying, which can lower it).

Back to the OT- I froze with all 3 after the Equifax breach. I applied for a credit card last year, got a snail-mail letter saying I had to unlock my credit with one bureau (I forget which). Unlocked it easily, called the number they gave me, was instantly approved, and locked it again with no problems. I'm planning on applying for another next month and hope it's that simple and that I don't need to deal with Equifax.

[sengsational]

Thawing for a new card:

• Transunion: quick and easy online
• Experian: quick and easy online
• Equifax: online failed and phone failed!

Whenever I try to logon to Equifax, I get authenticated, but then it says I need to call (can't do thaw online). So today I call. The first thing they do is ask for your cell phone number, with no option to say "I don't have one". This is the same company that gave everyone's personal data to hackers. Ah, no, I'm not giving you my cell phone number. You don't need it, you're not getting it. So I fumble around for 5 minutes getting to a representative. Then the representative says he can't process my thaw at this time and to "call back in a couple of hours". What? A couple of hours would be after they close for the day. Equifax sucks dumpster juice!

[Crewer]

We thought about refinancing our mortgage even though the benefit was pretty low since our present rate is below 2.7% but the thought of having to unfreeze, especially Equifax, nixed it. Ditto for switching to a credit card affiliated with DH's alumni association. I was thinking we may never finance anything again because of the hassle to unfreeze. Works for us.

[easysurfer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sengsational Thawing for a new card: Transunion: quick and easy online Experian: quick and easy online Equifax: online failed and phone failed! Whenever I try to logon to Equifax, I get authenticated, but then it says I need to call (can't do thaw online). So today I call. The first thing they do is ask for your cell phone number, with no option to say "I don't have one". This is the same company that gave everyone's personal data to hackers. Ah, no, I'm not giving you my cell phone number. You don't need it, you're not getting it. So I fumble around for 5 minutes getting to a representative. Then the representative says he can't process my thaw at this time and to "call back in a couple of hours". What? A couple of hours would be after they close for the day. Equifax sucks dumpster juice!

I can never get anything thing with Equifax so I just give up with them.

I tried in the past to have an online ID set up and they stonewall like crazy. So, I sent in proof of myself through snail mail and they still stonewall and give a letter back saying to send in proof of identification, despite me having just done that.

Now I just hope that I never have to have anything business needing my information from them as I'm not confident I'd ever succeed.

You are too polite saying "Equifax sucks dumpster juice!" .

[Golden sunsets]

I've never had a problem with un freezing credit online with equifax.

[athena53]

An update since my last reply: I bought a car a year ago and paid cash. They actually took a check. No BS about providing SSN.

A few years ago I tried to unlock my credit with all 3 bureaus. I'd kept scrupulous notes about PINs, etc. One, I forget which, wanted me to prove my identity by snail-mailing a copy of my driver's license. Nope. I don't switch credit cards very often but I will even less often now and if they require a check on a bureau that gives me a hard time, I won't get the card and I'll tell them why.

[Aerides]

I locked once, then unlocked, and will probably never bother again. Too much of a PITA when I need it open. I just monitor now instead, and have alerts when stuff happens. Yes I know that means I'm taking more risk, but I'll deal.

[beowulf]

There is no question that Equifax is the worst of the 3. I keep my credit files locked at all 3 major bureaus. I have no problem with the other two when I want to unlock for a new CC or large purchase. Equifax is pure hell in every respect. On line won’t work and doing it on the phone takes hours. Same with relocking. I’ve contacted people, including the CEOs office and they always say they will take care of it. They never do. But there is no way around them if you need them to give a lender info.

[sengsational]

Quote:

Originally Posted by beowulf But there is no way around them if you need them to give a lender info.

I'm sure the inbox is full of Equifax complaints at https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/ because there really IS no way around them!

I called Equifax two times today at 15 or 20 minutes per call, only to find out they could not process temporary lifts of security freezes. They claimed the system was down. I called Equifax a third time, this time took even longer and STILL got nowhere! After getting through the VRU, they put me on hold for 5 or so minutes, then they spent 5 minutes asking me questions about my credit file. I had the file open on my desk in front of me, and it wasn't clear what I should be reading off to the guy. After all that, he says I can't process the lift! I need to fax my drivers license, social security card, and include a cover letter with the dates for the temporary lift of the freeze. Then the acknowledgement is via snail mail! When I challenged that, he said I could call back and see if the fax had been received, and if the thaw was processed. I'm going straight to the fax from now on (if it works this time).

Here's my complaint:

Quote:

Every time I've tried to use Equifax web service to lift a security freeze, it says that I need to call 888-836-6351. I have valid credentials for "MyEquifax", but as soon as I click "Manage a Freeze", it tells me I need to call. This same thing has been happening for three years. When it first happened, I pursued getting my web account fixed. I was assured my web account would work next time I tried, but it didn't work. I gave up trying Equifax web site and resigned myself to wasting time on the phone with them. Today (8/4/2021) I called 888-836-6351 3 times spending over 60 minutes on the phone. The first call, after spending 15 or 20 minutes, I was told they system was down and they could not lift security freezes and to call back in a couple of hours. In a few hours, I wasted another 15 or 20 minutes only to find out the system was still down and to call back in a couple of hours. In another few hours, I called a third time and wasted 30 minutes. This call included answering questions from my credit report, which I had open on the desk in front of me. I answered all the questions, reading things directly off the credit report that Equifax had printed out a few months earlier. The result: I was told they could not process the temporary lift of the security freeze, and I would need to fax a letter or use snail mail. Equifax should have a web site that allows lifting of security freezes that actually works. I have no problem with Transunion or Experian. Why can they make it work, but Equifax can't? If they are so incompetent as to not have their web site work, they should have a telephone process that works. The questions they ask should be solidly answerable if the person is reading their credit report. For instance, he asked me about a credit card that was active, I asked "any credit card on my credit report?" The representative repeated the original question, word-for-word, as if I hadn't asked a question. Then he asked me the "monthly payment" on the credit card. But first of all, on the report, there's no column "monthly payment". There is a "Scheduled Payment Amount", but it differs every month in many cases. When I asked for which month, the representative repeated the original question, word-for-word, as if I didn't just ask "for which month". It went on like this for 10 minutes before he finally said the system couldn't validate me.

[easysurfer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sengsational I'm sure the inbox is full of Equifax complaints at https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/ because there really IS no way around them! I called Equifax two times today at 15 or 20 minutes per call, only to find out they could not process temporary lifts of security freezes. They claimed the system was down. I called Equifax a third time, this time took even longer and STILL got nowhere! After getting through the VRU, they put me on hold for 5 or so minutes, then they spent 5 minutes asking me questions about my credit file. I had the file open on my desk in front of me, and it wasn't clear what I should be reading off to the guy. After all that, he says I can't process the lift! I need to fax my drivers license, social security card, and include a cover letter with the dates for the temporary lift of the freeze. Then the acknowledgement is via snail mail! When I challenged that, he said I could call back and see if the fax had been received, and if the thaw was processed. I'm going straight to the fax from now on (if it works this time).

Good luck. You will need it.

I did the send copy of DL and CC info to prove who I am. All I got back was a rejected letter saying I need to send prove of ID (I just did!) .

My only hope for anything done with Equifax is hope they go bankrupt or taken over.

I expect if folks have a working account, then fine. But if ever needing a login reset, good luck.

[mrfeh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by easysurfer You are too polite saying "Equifax sucks dumpster juice!" .

+1000

They are inept, and corrupt. Remember their massive data breach in 2017? They used that screwup as a way to grift new customers.

I recently had to interact with them again (Ally gave a free subscription after they had their own data issues), and without going into details, are clearly an extremely poorly run organization.

To think that they are one of the primary credit reporting bureaus is alarming.