Equifax knows that you have the right under The Fair Credit Reporting Act to view the information contained in your credit file. They also know that you have the right to a FREE copy from the consumer reporting agency if you request it no later than 60 days after receiving notice that you have been denied credit for any reason due to said report. Yet, they provide no place on their web site to do so without having to pay a fee. FEE and FREE are two different things, by far. Their fees start at $9 and they instruct you to have your credit card information ready!
When you call their 800 number, you get a recorded voice on an automated voice system (aka press 1, press 2, etc) that is so loud, you have to hold the phone a foot away from your face to reach a normal volume. They ask for your social security number, date of birth, and the numeric portion of your address. Then, even after confirmed, they tell you that they cannot process your request via the phone, so you will have to send them photocopies of your driver's license, ss card, current paystubs, W2 forms, current utility bills and bills from any major creditor, name, address, a phone number of your current employer, former and current addresses, your telephone number and online contact info., full married name, maiden name, any nicknames, suffixes such as Jr, Sr, etc, credit card information, etc and mail it all to: Equifax at PO box 105252 Atlanta, Georgia 30348-5252—which is nowhere near the address they give you on the credit reports or denial info.
Now, if you have a reference number at the top of the page, what do you need to send them all that stuff for? If they just did a credit report on you, they have all this information already—albeit selectively falsified and otherwise unattainable by the person it is written about. Can we say SCAM?
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