We have been in the process of applying to refinance the mortgage on our residence since October, 2020. We were required to get our credit reports unfrozen. Within an hour on November 22, I was able to unfreeze Experian and Transunion, but when it came to Equifax, it was another matter. Here’s what we experienced that you might experience too. Don’t get caught in any of these traps. Find out what finally worked and avoid these headaches.
I have no difficulty logging onto the Equifax site and over the ensuing three months – around 100 times – was greeted with this message.
So I called this number. The telephone is an automated attendant that does not provide a menu option for reaching a human attendant. It takes over five minutes to listen to the menus. The information given is garbage – useless and incorrect.
Because I have a phone that records a transcript of calls, I have a record of what I heard on this number.
Among the false information are email addresses that are returned as undeliverable: online@myechofax.com or online@mycarfax.com. Here is one of the kind of returns:
“This message was created automatically by mail delivery software.
A message that you sent has not yet been delivered to one or more of its recipients after more than 48 hours on the queue on se22.mailspamprotection.com.
The message identifier is: 1kuLw9-000H0E-HG
The subject of the message is: Temporarily release credit reports
The date of the message is: Tue, 29 Dec 2020 12:49:32 -0800
The address to which the message has not yet been delivered is:
No action is required on your part. Delivery attempts will continue for some time, and this warning may be repeated at intervals if the message remains undelivered. Eventually the mail delivery software will give up, and when that happens, the message will be returned to you.
This message was created automatically by mail delivery software.
A message that you sent could not be delivered to one or more of its recipients. This is a permanent error. The following address(es) failed:
Unrouteable address “
I found this on the web:
“You can email us at complaints@equifax.com. Please include your Equifax Credit Report Reference Number and any existing case numbers you’re aware of in your email. Investigation and resolution of your complaint may be delayed if this information is not included.”
The answer I received from this email was
Dear Paul,
Thanks for getting in touch. We’ve raised your query under case number 201231-1020071. Please quote this reference number in any future contact about your query.
If you’re a registered user of our Equifax Online Help service under this email address you’ll be able to see your case in the My Cases section. If you’re not a registered user you can create an account by going to www.equifax.co.uk/ask/. Equifax Online Help enables you to raise and keep track of any queries that you have with us.
If there’s anything else that you need help with, we hope you’ll find the answer on our FAQ page. If you have any additional queries please update this case or create a new case through your Equifax Online Help account.
Equifax remains open for business and we are here to provide support and deal with any queries you may have. However, due to Covid-19 (the Coronavirus) you may find yourself having to wait longer than normal to have your call answered.
Answers to most questions can be found in our FAQ’s or you can raise a query via our Online Help service. If your call is urgent we are open between 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday on 0800 014 2955, calls are free from UK landlines and UK mobiles.
If you’re a customer of any of our partners and have raised your query through them, you’ll need to get back in touch with them to raise further queries.
Kind regards,
Equifax Consumer Support
I filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau and the Consumer Fraud Protection Bureau.
- Edward Livous replied on the Better Business Bureau site: Paul & Sarah Edwards, Case #27789351 Dear G. Edward Livous:Thank you for submitting Paul & Sarah Edwards’s complaint on 1/8/2021 through the BBB Complaint Portal. In their complaint, they indicated that they are unable to unfreeze their credit files.The identification information the consumer provided does not match our records. In order to properly assist them, we will need additional information in order to verify their identification and current address. Please provide a legible photocopy of a valid document that shows your name, current address and complete social security number. Listed below are examples of documents that may be provided as verification of their identification and current address: Current pay stub or W2 with complete U.S. social security number, valid social security card, Driver’s license, rental/lease agreement/house deed, mortgage, or bank statement, a utility bill for gas, cable or residential telephone bill.If they have any additional questions, they may call (888) 836-6351
Note: This acknowledges receipt of information I had both faxed and sent by certified mail.
Our identity information has not changed in over two years when we moved to home four blocks from our former residence but kept our phone number. More importantly, we had gotten a credit freeze processed in November by Equifax. I have a postcard acknowledgement of this.
Finally, I received a call on January 14 from someone identifying himself as being with Equifax. The number he called from was 888-298-0045. He asked me if I had sent a certified letter, which I had, and I gave him the date. The caller gave me another phone number to call 857-210 3425.
This number told me the information I provided does not match their records. I tried calling back the 888-298-0045 and was told this number dealt with CLASS ACTIONS. I got another number 833 759 8982 which turns out to be a Kia dealership. Another site I was given on the phone was online@myfax.com. This company is not owned by Equifax and there appears.
Another number I got was 888-829-8005. I spoke to a Linda Matt
Aquafax is a marine wholesale company, selling to the trade only.
I again faxed the information Mr. Livous specified using this fax number 888-298-0045 sent on January 14. I had previously faxed information on December 22, 2020 to this number.
I found the following on Google:
When you log in at myEquifax.com, there is a tile on the upper right of the dashboard that indicates your freeze status. If you don’t have an account, or simply would rather use the phone, call 800-349-9960 and follow the prompts to verify your identity. If your credit report is not frozen, you will only hear options for freezing it.
There is no such tile in the upper right of the Equifax site.
My request is simple: Unfreeze my wife and my credit reports.
The most recent developments are: (1) I finally got responses from Equifax which told me to submit the same information I had faxed four times and sent by email. This is a company obviously dedicated to not serving the public.
Finally, a person in the credit business gave the information I needed:
Call 888 548-7878 Stay on the line until you can press option 3. From here, you can get a live person on the line to talk with. Expect to spend at least half an hour while they drag out information from years ago in the name of verifying your identity.
Doing this, we finally our credit report unfrozen.
This is not the end of the story. I needed to get our credit reports unfrozen again. I called this number again about two months later. You are asked for your cell phone number. Then Equifax send you a text message to go online and find
It only gets worse. I faxed Equifax the information they require. Two weeks later I get via snail mail, a letter saying to send the information by snail mail I had already sent. By that time, the creditor became satisfied with the Experian and TransUnion reports.
Today is May 22 and I am needing to get our credit reports unfrozen. Here’s the message I get on two browsers:
We can’t connect to the server at www.freeze.equifax.com.
This is the same old problem we have been having with Equifax.
Once again in 2021, we are needing to get our credit reports open and as before, there was no problem with Transunion or Experian. Four weeks after I sent in our information to Equifax, I got a reply saying it was insufficient to find our records. I am resending the exact same information and supporting documents with only a slight change in formatting. Why doesn’t the Equifax website work and why does it take them a month to respond? The message displayed above has been up for months in four different browsers.
Once again, Equifax has failed to respond to a snail mail I sent. I called the number 888-685-1111. The message provided a fax number and I faxed our information once again. Then, I sent snail mail again this week by certified mail. The signed receipt should be returned next week.
Today is November 15. It has taken two weeks to get a return receipt by certified mail from Equifax. So I went to the website, clicked on Manage a Freeze, and once again got this message:
Please give us a call
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