Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

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msimon
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Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by msimon »

Has anyone been able to actually obtain a copy of their Equifax credit report online?

Every time I go to the free annual credit report web site and try to obtain my Equifax credit report I get to a web page that says:
Online Delivery Unavailable

We are not able to deliver your free Equifax Annual Credit Report online.
I am then told to fill out a form and mail it in together with two forms of identification.

I think sending such materials in the mail to an address that is known to be used for requesting credit reports might not be very secure. I would feel more comfortable providing such materials via fax.

I have already enrolled in Equifax's free credit monitoring service. The credit report information provided there does not seem complete compared to the reports I got via the free annual credit report site.
Rupert
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by Rupert »

Equifax.com is experiencing technical difficulties due to the volume of traffic on their webpage. Give it a few days. I believe that even annualcreditreport.com is nonfunctional at the moment.
Small Law Survivor
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by Small Law Survivor »

Yes, as I mentioned on another thread earlier today, annualcreditreport.com is nonfunctional on Equifax. Seems like Equifax has had a complete and total meltdown ....
72 yrs. mostly-retired lawyer. Boglehead since day 1 (and M* Diehard long before that) under various names
simmias
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by simmias »

I've gotten a similar message from Experian ever since news of the hack.
mouses
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by mouses »

I got all three free credit reports a few days ago. Using annualcreditreport.com was horrid. Maybe it was Firefox, but the top 7/8 of the screen was immovable banners.

So I downloaded the reports. Experian didn't seem to have a download button and their phone person said that was on purpose "for security reasons." ? However print to file produced a pdf.
sowhatsnext
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by sowhatsnext »

Was able to go online 2 days ago and access my credit reports from Transunion and Experian via annualcreditreport.com without any problem. But Equifax did NOT offer an online option, rather instead like the OP stated they required you to mail in your request.
DiggleRex
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Can't get Equifax report from Annual Credit Report site

Post by DiggleRex »

I tried to pull my free Equifax credit report from annualcreditreport.com a couple of weeks ago. It asked 4 security questions that had nothing to do with me or my credit history, past or present. I answered “none of the above” to all. Then, it would not provide my online report & wanted me to mail in driver’s license copy, SS card copy etc. I tried multiple times, and each time it asked me four garbage questions. I ignored the request to mail in more documents and went through the automatic phone system instead. I got my report by mail (shockingly), and there was nothing in it of concern. I tried no less than 5 times to get it online, and each time, the questions had nothing to do with me. I had this identical problem last year too, and only with Equifax. I generally can get my TU and Experian one no problem. I left multiple “Comments” about this through annualcreditreport.com and contacted Equifax as well (no response). Has anyone who has had this same problem had any luck resolving it for future pulls? Being that it has happened with Equifax a minimum of 2 years in a row, I have no reason to believe that it’s magically going to work next time I try. If I were to file a complaint through the CFPB, would the complaint be about Equifax or annualcreditreport.com? I’m thinking Equifax.

I’m perplexed as to how/why all questions would read something like “Your credit file indicates that you have a loan…” when in reality, your credit file does NOT indicate that nor has it ever, since you’ve never had a loan. And if you are asked 4 irrelevant questions, to which the only correct answer in such a scenario is “none of the above”, why would you then be denied your online report if you answered them all correctly? Thank you in advance for any insight.

Update: I just spoke to someone from equifax about this issue. Other than telling me he has heard this complaint before, he had zero explanation/answers as to why it happens or how it can be addressed going forward.
DiggleRex
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by DiggleRex »

I have not been able to get equifax through annual credit report. It asked me 4 bogus questions (none of above for all) then denied me my report. I can't even say this is due to the breach because I had identical problem a year ago. It's always equifax. I tried 5 times in past two weeks. Each time, a set of four invalid questions. This seems like it'll continue to be a problem in the future and I have no idea how to resolve it. For those who have tried and failed, were you asked legit questions at least?
DiggleRex
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Re: AnnualCreditReport Equifax

Post by DiggleRex »

FactualFran wrote: Fri Jul 21, 2017 1:28 pm I recently had an experience similar to the one described in the opening post. A few days ago, I tried to get an Equifax credit report through annualcreditreport.com portal. The first web page from Equifax had a number of questions to confirm my identity. However, the question were about accounts that I never had. I answered all of the question: none of the above. The Equifax web site did not like my replies.
Identical problem for me. Had this problem last year with equifax only. This year (actually this month), I've tried 5 times, and each times it's 4 invalid questions (none of the above for all, then denied report). I've been researching this for weeks trying to find out why this happens and how to prevent it from happening every time, and I've gotten nowhere. I even called equifax and the agent told me it's a consumer complaint he hears, but he could not tell me why or how it happens and how to resolve it. It's maddening .
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LadyGeek
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by LadyGeek »

DiggleRex, Welcome! I moved 3 of your posts into here, which is a similar discussion.
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cas
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Re: Can't get Equifax report from Annual Credit Report site

Post by cas »

DiggleRex wrote: Fri Sep 29, 2017 9:12 am I ignored the request to mail in more documents and went through the automatic phone system instead. I got my report by mail (shockingly)
(bold added by me)

I'm probably being blind, but I looked at annualcreditreport.com and the free credit report page of ftc.gov, and I'm not seeing a relevant phone number to call. Any advice on where it is?

(I'm loath to mail documents to Equifax at this time.)
DiggleRex
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Re: Can't get Equifax report from Annual Credit Report site

Post by DiggleRex »

cas wrote: Fri Sep 29, 2017 5:15 pm I'm probably being blind, but I looked at annualcreditreport.com and the free credit report page of ftc.gov, and I'm not seeing a relevant phone number to call. Any advice on where it is?

(I'm loath to mail documents to Equifax at this time.)
I don't blame you. I wouldn't want to mail those documents to anyone though. I'm really not comfortable with that much sensitive data in the mail (I feel like that's more than a tax return in a sense). Plus, what would they do with the documents? Scan them? File them? Shred them? Who knows. The number is 1-877-322-8228. You can find it by going to the "All About Credit Reports" tab on annualcreditreport.com and then on the left, "Getting your Credit reports." Scroll down and you'll see that phone number. It's automated, it took me about 8 mins to go through when I did it. I didn't think it would work considering they asked for more documents when I was denied my online report.
cas
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Re: Can't get Equifax report from Annual Credit Report site

Post by cas »

DiggleRex wrote: Fri Sep 29, 2017 5:22 pm The number is 1-877-322-8228. You can find it by going to the "All About Credit Reports" tab on annualcreditreport.com and then on the left, "Getting your Credit reports."
Thanks! The phone call process seems to have worked and claims that there should be 15 days processing time, and the report should arrive in 2 to 3 weeks. We'll see. I'll try to remember to update here if it works.

(Note: I tried the phone method *after* (on the same day) as getting the nonsense questions via the online annualcreditreport.com method and being told by the Equifax computer that I had to mail in sensitive documents. I read online that supposedly the phone method wouldn't work once you had been rejected by the online method ... but unless Equifax replies with a mail version of "you must send in sensitive documents" maybe that isn't accurate.)
DiggleRex wrote: Fri Sep 29, 2017 5:22 pm I don't blame you. I wouldn't want to mail those documents to anyone though. I'm really not comfortable with that much sensitive data in the mail (I feel like that's more than a tax return in a sense). Plus, what would they do with the documents? Scan them? File them? Shred them? Who knows.
Exactly. I have a small ($40ish) amount listed on my state unclaimed funds site. I once even gathered all the necessary sensitive documents required to claim it, had the copies all ready to go in the envelope, looked at it, thought "The risk just isn't worth $40" and shredded them.

I'm not overly thrilled about my credit report arriving via US mail at some vague time in the future either. But, given the particular circumstances surrounding Equifax, I really want that credit report, so I took the risk. (Not to mention that it took me 6 attempts over a couple of weeks to get my Equifax credit freeze done, and I just want to be done dealing with them.)
Last edited by cas on Fri Sep 29, 2017 6:35 pm, edited 3 times in total.
hiddensee
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by hiddensee »

The standard email system worked for me but took several days to a week without any confirmation that anything was going on.
DiggleRex
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Re: Can't get Equifax report from Annual Credit Report site

Post by DiggleRex »

cas wrote: Fri Sep 29, 2017 6:29 pm
(Note: I tried the phone method *after* (on the same day) as getting the nonsense questions via the online annualcreditreport.com method and being told by the Equifax computer that I had to mail in sensitive documents. I read online that supposedly the phone method wouldn't work once you had been rejected by the online method ... but unless Equifax replies with a mail version of "you must send in sensitive documents" maybe that isn't accurate
So were your questions bogus as well (none of the 4 had anything to do with you?)? I did the phone method after multiple failed attempts online; each time it requested more documents by mail. I would also strongly suggest using the "contact us" tab on annual credit report.com, and complaining. You won't get a response but I complained twice about it even after doing the phone report. Also, even today I tried again the online system out of curiosity. It asked 4 bogus questions. I put none of the above for all, then it told me my report could not be delivered online. Interestingly, it did not tell me that I couldn't order a report due to just receiving one.
DiggleRex
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Re: Can't get Equifax report from Annual Credit Report site

Post by DiggleRex »

cas wrote: Fri Sep 29, 2017 6:29 pm
I'm not overly thrilled about my credit report arriving via US mail at some vague time in the future either. But, given the particular circumstances surrounding Equifax, I really want that credit report, so I took the risk. (Not to mention that it took me 6 attempts over a couple of weeks to get my Equifax credit freeze done, and I just want to be done dealing with them.)
Yes, I hear you. And the paper equifax version for me was much harder to read/interpret compared to the online versions of transunion and Experian. I just have this sense that I'll have this problem with equifax every year because even they couldn't tell me why they're asking questions that have nothing to do with me. Interestingly enough, I signed up for a credit karma account very recently, and during the registration, they asked me 3 bogus questions--the same exact type as equifax. But miraculously, even after answering none of the above to all of them, it created my account.
cas
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by cas »

This isn't the first time I've gotten the nothing-to-do-with-me questions (and refusal to deliver credit report online) from Equifax. It has been going on at least 2 years for me. Searching the bogleheads forums, it has been going on for lots and lots for people for quite a few years ... so the current computer logjam can't be entirely to blame.

And I may have not been quite clear ... it wasn't anything during the annualcreditreport/Equifax process that told me I couldn't use the phone method after being rejected online. After being rejected online I was googling around trying to figure out if there was some sort of reset time I needed to wait between attempts. And I found an article out there (of who knows what quality) that said the phone method didn't work after being rejected online (and didn't mention if there was some sort of reset time where it would start working again.)

I mention the reset time because 4 months ago ... the last time I was due to get a credit report ... both TransUnion and Equifax wanted more documentation. Experian gave me the online credit report. I don't remember if TransUnion gave me nonsense questions or not. Both TransUnion and Equifax did the same thing for my husband 4 months ago (wanted documentation by mail.) But he was able to get his TransUnion report online just now, so maybe there a reset at some time interval. Speculation on my part, though.
DetroitRick
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by DetroitRick »

Yes. For both wife and me, on 9/26 and today (9/29). But I'm going in through the TrustedID service at Equifax, versus the annualcreditreport.com site. And that TrustedID Equifax website is plagued off and on with issues. At various times over the last week - website down, website slowed to crawl, and website up but reports not appearing in the proper page area. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
DiggleRex
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by DiggleRex »

cas wrote: Fri Sep 29, 2017 7:09 pm This isn't the first time I've gotten the nothing-to-do-with-me questions (and refusal to deliver credit report online) from Equifax. It has been going on at least 2 years for me. Searching the bogleheads forums, it has been going on for lots and lots for people for quite a few years ... so the current computer logjam can't be entirely to blame.
Just curious, were all four of your questions nothing to do with you? I saw in old threads, some people said they were asked like 1 or 2 bogus ones but the rest had real answers. In my case, every time I tried, every question was bogus. Similarly, I had this identical problem with Equifax last year (but pulled transunion and experian without a problem), so I agree that it can't be explained simply by the breach/logjam. While I haven't tried every single year, my records show the first and last time I was able to get Equifax online was 2011.

As far as some type of reset period, I just don't know. I've tried Equifax many times, spaced various amounts of time apart. All three of my reports have virtually identical info, so I don't know why Equifax chooses to ask nonsense questions each year, while the other two actually ask legit ones.
cas
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by cas »

DiggleRex wrote: Sat Sep 30, 2017 6:40 am Just curious, were all four of your questions nothing to do with you? I saw in old threads, some people said they were asked like 1 or 2 bogus ones but the rest had real answers. In my case, every time I tried, every question was bogus.
Yes, all the questions were about loans I don't have. I got the same four months ago. Same with my husband both times.

Did you see this thread? viewtopic.php?t=120578 "Tried to get credit report - security questions don't match."

A variety of problems with the questions are discussed there, but the "All 4 questions have nothing to do with me" seems to be a common one. Given the experiences on that thread, plus the fact that my other credit reports show no problems, I'm not too worried that there are actually fraudulent loans on my Equifax report that I don't know about. I'll work at getting my Equifax report to make sure, but I doubt there will turn out to be any issue.
DiggleRex
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by DiggleRex »

cas wrote: Sat Sep 30, 2017 11:43 am A variety of problems with the questions are discussed there, but the "All 4 questions have nothing to do with me" seems to be a common one. Given the experiences on that thread, plus the fact that my other credit reports show no problems, I'm not too worried that there are actually fraudulent loans on my Equifax report that I don't know about. I'll work at getting my Equifax report to make sure, but I doubt there will turn out to be any issue.
Thanks for sharing. It's crazy to me that this has been a problem for years, surely Equifax and others (maybe CFPB, BBB, FTC etc.) have heard complaints about this, and yet it continues to be a problem. I was looking recently on Equifax's website to see if they sold just a credit report, but I cannot find that anywhere on their site. I see they sell various combos of a credit report + score, ranging from 15.95 to 39.95. I read that it's the law that the bureaus can't charge more than $12 for the report only, but it seems they don't want you to find or know about this option.
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hoghead
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by hoghead »

I’m not convinced the Equifax online unavailable problem is due to recent overload.
06/05/2016 was able to get free Equifax report online.
06/11/2017 online report unavailable (was able to get Transunion)
09/30/2017 online report unavailable
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hoghead
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by hoghead »

I tried today again with same results.
Posted the following to AnnualCreditReport.com via "contact us" form.
I don't expect a reply.

RE: Online Delivery Unavailable Equifax

On 06/05/2016 was the last date I WAS able to view / download my free annual credit report from Equifax.
This year, 2017, I am able to pass the security questions but get the above message, " Online Delivery Unavailable".
Why am I not able to view / download my free free annual credit report from Equifax online?
I do not want to put sensitive security documents in the mail nor do I want to receive security related documents in the mail as I feel the mail is not secure.
Has your policy changed?
DiggleRex
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by DiggleRex »

hoghead wrote: Sun Oct 01, 2017 5:00 pm I tried today again with same results.
Posted the following to AnnualCreditReport.com via "contact us" form.
I don't expect a reply.
You won't receive a reply. On the last page of the contact form, it says this: "Having your information helps us solve problems better.
But remember, AnnualCreditReport.com will not send you email, even in response to your feedback. If you get email that looks like it is from AnnualCreditReport.com, it is really spam."

Your comment might be read by someone, but what they do with that information is anyone's guess.
cas
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by cas »

hoghead wrote: Sun Oct 01, 2017 5:00 pm I don't expect a reply.
Nice, concise feedback you gave to them.

There are several reports on other threads on this topic on bogleheads where people filled out the annualcreditreport comment form complaining about the behavior, and a credit report appeared in the mail (unasked for) several weeks later. (Which doesn't solve the security problem of receiving sensitive documents in the mail, but does solve the problem of getting to look at the credit report.)
cas
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Re: Can't get Equifax report from Annual Credit Report site

Post by cas »

cas wrote: Fri Sep 29, 2017 6:29 pm
DiggleRex wrote: Fri Sep 29, 2017 5:22 pm The number is 1-877-322-8228. You can find it by going to the "All About Credit Reports" tab on annualcreditreport.com and then on the left, "Getting your Credit reports."
Thanks! The phone call process seems to have worked and claims that there should be 15 days processing time, and the report should arrive in 2 to 3 weeks. We'll see. I'll try to remember to update here if it works.

(Note: I tried the phone method *after* (on the same day) as getting the nonsense questions via the online annualcreditreport.com method and being told by the Equifax computer that I had to mail in sensitive documents. I read online that supposedly the phone method wouldn't work once you had been rejected by the online method ... but unless Equifax replies with a mail version of "you must send in sensitive documents" maybe that isn't accurate.)
Update: I received my Equifax credit report in the mail today. So ... the phone method worked, even after the online method told me I had to mail in sensitive documents in order to get my credit report.

And there was absolutely nothing amiss on the credit report, so it was definitely entirely Equifax's problem that they asked me security questions that were 100% about loans that aren't mine, have never been mine, and that I know nothing about.

My (recently implemented) security freeze was noted on the credit report.

Timeline:

Sept 29 - Requested credit report online. Not successful - got screen that said I had to mail in documents in order to receive credit report.

Sept 29 - Called automated line and requested credit report. Said it was successful and credit report would arrive in 2 to 3 weeks.

Sept 30 - date that the credit report printout from Equifax has on it.

Oct 10 - received credit report in US mail.
DiggleRex
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Re: Can't get Equifax report from Annual Credit Report site

Post by DiggleRex »

cas wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 1:37 pm And there was absolutely nothing amiss on the credit report, so it was definitely entirely Equifax's problem that they asked me security questions that were 100% about loans that aren't mine, have never been mine, and that I know nothing about.
I'm glad to hear that you received your report and that there was nothing suspicious. It makes it even more mind-boggling that they ask nonsense questions (same here) when they're clearly not getting those questions from the report itself.
DiggleRex
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Re: Can't get Equifax report from Annual Credit Report site

Post by DiggleRex »

cas wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 1:37 pm My (recently implemented) security freeze was noted on the credit report.
Was your freeze in place prior to trying the automated phone method for ordering your free report?
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flamesabers
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Re: Can't get Equifax report from Annual Credit Report site

Post by flamesabers »

DiggleRex wrote: Thu Oct 12, 2017 8:43 am
cas wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 1:37 pm My (recently implemented) security freeze was noted on the credit report.
Was your freeze in place prior to trying the automated phone method for ordering your free report?
I thought freezes don't negate your ability to request your credit report. :confused
A credit freeze also does not:[1]

affect your credit score.
prevent you from getting your free annual credit report.
keep you from opening a new account, applying for a job, renting an apartment, or buying insurance. But if you’re doing any of these, you’ll need to lift the freeze temporarily, either for a specific time or for a specific party, say, a potential landlord or employer. The cost and lead times to lift a freeze vary, so it’s best to check with the credit reporting company in advance.
prevent a thief from making charges to your existing accounts. You still need to monitor all bank, credit card and insurance statements for fraudulent transactions.
stop prescreened credit offers.
https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Credit_ ... _companies
cas
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Re: Can't get Equifax report from Annual Credit Report site

Post by cas »

DiggleRex wrote: Thu Oct 12, 2017 8:43 am
cas wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 1:37 pm My (recently implemented) security freeze was noted on the credit report.
Was your freeze in place prior to trying the automated phone method for ordering your free report?
Yes, the freeze was in place before I got the (annualcreditreport.com phone method) Equifax report. It was also in place for my husband before he got his (annualcreditreport.com online method) TransUnion report.

The existence of the freeze was noted on both reports.
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hoghead
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by hoghead »

cas wrote: Sun Oct 01, 2017 6:56 pm
hoghead wrote: Sun Oct 01, 2017 5:00 pm I don't expect a reply.
Nice, concise feedback you gave to them.

There are several reports on other threads on this topic on bogleheads where people filled out the annualcreditreport comment form complaining about the behavior, and a credit report appeared in the mail (unasked for) several weeks later. (Which doesn't solve the security problem of receiving sensitive documents in the mail, but does solve the problem of getting to look at the credit report.)
Update:
10/17/2017, I received a credit report in the mail, had no clue it was coming.
I did not have to submit any sensitive information by mail.
The report was accurate. It also showed that I have a credit freeze in place.
The freeze was already in place when I attempted to get my free report online 09/30/2017.
It appears there are two ways to actually get your free annual report, from Equifax, without having to send your sensitive information in the mail.
1) complain to annualcreditreports.com in their comment section.
2) call some automated phone number.
It looks that in either method you won't know if it will work until you receive, or not, your report in the mail.
Not the best way of doing business, but then again, it is Equifax.
tidelandp
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Re: Can't get Equifax report from Annual Credit Report site

Post by tidelandp »

DiggleRex wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 2:11 pm
cas wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 1:37 pm And there was absolutely nothing amiss on the credit report, so it was definitely entirely Equifax's problem that they asked me security questions that were 100% about loans that aren't mine, have never been mine, and that I know nothing about.
I'm glad to hear that you received your report and that there was nothing suspicious. It makes it even more mind-boggling that they ask nonsense questions (same here) when they're clearly not getting those questions from the report itself.
The same thing just happened to me with Equifax, only during authentication process for enrollment in complimentary TrustedID. All bogus questions to which I answered "none of the above" across the board, and was directed to call customer service ("We are unable to activate you online ..."). Rep answering my call at prescribed number could find no record of my attempt to create an account. Trying a 2nd number, I got a rep who did find me in the system. He proceeded to authenticate me "on the fly" by asking ambiguous, open-ended questions as he was apparently perusing my credit report. He also could not explain earlier rejection: "Maybe system didn't like one of your answers." And, as with the two of you, once I got on the site and checked report, there was no basis for any of the questions. Very strange and troubling, not at all confidence inspiring. Also very scary that this organization has custody of our vital information.
RudyS
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by RudyS »

Those "nonsense" questions can be tricky. One of mine asked, "Which of the following people live in or own a home in Kansas: Bill Jones, John White, Mary Johnson, Peter Wright, none of the above?" Here's the hard part: my son, John White (all names made up) DID, 15 years ago, own an home in Kansas. But no longer. So, what should I answer? Seems they knew "something." Well, I decided to say "no" and that was correct, I got my report. A really tricky question!
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by lstone19 »

I just tried Equifax and got bogus questions. Then I tried TransUnion and three of the four questions were bogus or out-of-date (in one instance, listed a place I lived but not in the listed year; another referenced my a combination of my wife's first name (she uses her maiden name) and my last name). I tried TransUnion twice and more concerning is that in both a name I've never heard of came up in the questions (e.g. First Last owns property in what county?). That's obviously a concern but since I can't pull a report on-line, I had to request it by phone and that takes a couple of weeks.

It seems like these verification questions are getting more obscure - particularly when you get questions about an account opened 10 years ago that might have been a store credit card and you probably don't even know who the servicer is. And recently, for something else (can't remember what), I had a question with two correct answers. I picked one and must have picked right.
tidelandp
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by tidelandp »

I’ve had those obscure or tricky questions as well. In my latest experience, all questions referenced loans and credit I never obtained, e.g., “In September 2017, you got a new loan. Who was the creditor or what was loan amount?” Until I saw the report, I was afraid I had fallen victim to identity theft as a result of one of Equifax’s data breaches. Thankfully, no new loans or credit appeared. Unless questions were intended for another individual, the correct answers were indeed "none of the above." For me, they were definitely bogus.
smartgroup
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by smartgroup »

msimon wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 2:28 pm Has anyone been able to actually obtain a copy of their Equifax credit report online?

Every time I go to the free annual credit report web site and try to obtain my Equifax credit report I get to a web page that says:
Online Delivery Unavailable

We are not able to deliver your free Equifax Annual Credit Report online.
This is still a problem for me today just to keep everyone posted.
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chasingbutterflies
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by chasingbutterflies »

FYI I had this problem a few years ago before the breach with equifax. I requested the report online but I must have failed some of the questions. After that I was not able to get the report despite multiple requests by both phone and web. I had to send the request snail mail (as securely as I knew how). When I got my report everything was fine but some of the listed phone numbers were my siblings and my addresses were in the wrong order. I think your report was flagged like mine and you will probably have to send in the request by mail. Annoying I agree. I also hate the absolute inability to talk to a human being at these places.
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dollar_elbow
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by dollar_elbow »

Anecdotally, I was able to my Equifax report online two days ago, so it seems hit or miss whether it works.

Credit Karma gives you almost complete access to your Equifax and TransUnion reports for free as a good alternative. It does not give you soft inquiries, but all the hard pulls that affect your credit score will be listed and it updates in near real time. It depends what you want the full report for.
hallpass
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by hallpass »

They (Equifax) still do this and claim for security reason you must send in different forms of ID, However this cant be true, because if you are willing to pay the fee to obtain it on there website its made available to you instantly, and you DONT even need to pay using a card that has your name. So there pretty much just refusing most free reports.
Lobata
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by Lobata »

To add another data point of their service being down, after answering their credit history questions, I too received the message:

Online Delivery Unavailable
We are not able to deliver your free Equifax Annual Credit Report online.

Guess I will try back later as I am no longer comfortable requesting the credit report through the mail.
acljump
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by acljump »

I tried obtaining my free annual credit report from Equifax through the AnnualCreditReport.com website and it gave me an "Online Delivery Unavailable" error message. Equifax didn't even display the page that asks the verification questions based on my financial records. It just sent me straight to the error message.

I then tried requesting the Equifax report by phone at 877-322-8228 but nothing showed up in the mail. I don't know if there is some sort of error in Equifax's system or if they are just not mailing paper credit reports during the COVID-19 crisis.

I'd rather not request my credit report by mailing sensitive documentation through the postal service where it could get lost.

Is Equifax not allowing credit reports to be obtained online anymore because of the data breach?

(Note: I'm able to obtain my credit report online from the other two credit reporting bureaus, Transunion and Experian.)

What other recourse do I have to get my credit report from Equifax?
kaneohe
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by kaneohe »

acljump wrote: Fri May 01, 2020 10:33 am .......................................................
I then tried requesting the Equifax report by phone at 877-322-8228 but nothing showed up in the mail. I don't know if there is some sort of error in Equifax's system or if they are just not mailing paper credit reports during the COVID-19 crisis.

...............................................
I requested DW's Equifax report by telephone in mid Feb. using that number and it arrived uneventfully 1-2 wks later as it always has. Hope nothing has changed since I just ordered mine today.
Eno Deb
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by Eno Deb »

If you make a free account at my.equifax.com, you can view the Equifax credit report online up to 6 times per year. The account can also be used to manage the security freeze. Just make sure to dodge any attempts by them to get you to sign up for a paid service when you make the account.
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beyou
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by beyou »

hallpass wrote: Sat May 18, 2019 10:34 am They (Equifax) still do this and claim for security reason you must send in different forms of ID, However this cant be true, because if you are willing to pay the fee to obtain it on there website its made available to you instantly, and you DONT even need to pay using a card that has your name. So there pretty much just refusing most free reports.
They are criminally misleading or incompetent.
Send request with proper ID via CERTIFIED return receipt mail asking for a copy of credit report and online access to same. I sent without delivery confirmation twice and request was “never received”. Send certified/return receipt and surprise....got access. USPS is not so bad that they lost my mail twice...I refuse to believe that.
acljump
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by acljump »

kaneohe wrote: Fri May 01, 2020 9:26 pm I requested DW's Equifax report by telephone in mid Feb. using that number and it arrived uneventfully 1-2 wks later as it always has. Hope nothing has changed since I just ordered mine today.
Its possible that requesting the credit report by telephone does work but my paper report may have been lost in the mail. I have been getting less mail delivered by USPS since the pandemic started. I don't know for sure what happened. All I know is that nothing ever arrived.
Eno Deb wrote: Fri May 01, 2020 9:37 pm If you make a free account at my.equifax.com, you can view the Equifax credit report online up to 6 times per year. The account can also be used to manage the security freeze. Just make sure to dodge any attempts by them to get you to sign up for a paid service when you make the account.
I also heard that if you submit a complaint through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Equifax might fix the problem going forward.
KeepingEyesOpen
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by KeepingEyesOpen »

acljump wrote: Fri May 01, 2020 10:33 am I tried obtaining my free annual credit report from Equifax through the AnnualCreditReport.com website and it gave me an "Online Delivery Unavailable" error message. ...

...I'd rather not request my credit report by mailing sensitive documentation through the postal service where it could get lost.

Is Equifax not allowing credit reports to be obtained online anymore because of the data breach?

(Note: I'm able to obtain my credit report online from the other two credit reporting bureaus, Transunion and Experian.) ...
acljump wrote: Sat May 02, 2020 9:08 am
kaneohe wrote: Fri May 01, 2020 9:26 pm I requested DW's Equifax report by telephone in mid Feb. using that number and it arrived uneventfully 1-2 wks later as it always has. Hope nothing has changed since I just ordered mine today.
Its possible that requesting the credit report by telephone does work but my paper report may have been lost in the mail. I have been getting less mail delivered by USPS since the pandemic started. I don't know for sure what happened. All I know is that nothing ever arrived.
Eno Deb wrote: Fri May 01, 2020 9:37 pm If you make a free account at my.equifax.com, you can view the Equifax credit report online up to 6 times per year. The account can also be used to manage the security freeze. Just make sure to dodge any attempts by them to get you to sign up for a paid service when you make the account.
I also heard that if you submit a complaint through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Equifax might fix the problem going forward.
My experience was similar to that of @acljump - the Equifax report could not be accessed through the annualcreditreport.com portal. The denial was worded "We are temporarily unable to grant this request. Please try again later." Experian and Transunion worked fine through the annualcreditreport.com portal.

I went to the trouble (and risk) of creating a MyEquifax account online and was immediately granted access to the credit report. However, this MyEquifax report was not presented as a single continuous report. Instead, you must click on each of several different sections - Revolving accounts, Mortgage Accounts, Installment Accounts, Other Accounts, Consumer Statements, Personal Information, Inquiries, Public Records, Collections ,etc. Then each of these must downloaded (or "print", then save as PDF) as separate files. Very awkward. The Equifax account access displays information stating that credit reports are available six times per year. There was no mention of the weekly reports supposedly offered through annualcreditreport.com.

I dislike the requirement to create an Equifax "account" for three reasons:
1. I am required to provide Equifax with additional information (e.g., cell phone number, email, etc.) that is now permanently linked to all of my other information in Equifax's database. And now available to hackers worldwide, plus any organization to whom Equifax wishes to sell the data.
2. I am now subject to additional communications from Equifax with various sales pitches that must be carefully handled to avoid inadvertent purchases or subscriptions. Good luck trying to cancel subscriptions or get refunds from Equifax.
3. I must carefully navigate and tread lightly through the MyEquifax website to avoid inadvertent purchases for paid services or subscriptions.

So - Equifax does not "play nice" with the annualcreditreport.com portal, requires consumers to create a direct online account with Equifax in order to obtain an online credit report, provides an awkwardly-formatted report through the MyEquifax account access, and frequently requires consumers to mail in sensitive data to obtain a report that should be available online through the annualcredireport.com portal. All of this from the company that was hacked, with release of sensitive data for hundreds of millions of customers.

How is it possible that this (in my opinion) criminally-negligent enterprise, masquerading as a legitimate business, allowed to stay in business?
RudyS
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by RudyS »

Same problem for me - no online report. But the my.equifax.com site did give me that multipart "report." Just don't like Equifax.
acljump
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by acljump »

KeepingEyesOpen wrote: Sat May 02, 2020 4:45 pm How is it possible that this (in my opinion) criminally-negligent enterprise, masquerading as a legitimate business, allowed to stay in business?
Not to get too political but the government allows them to exist. Experian and Transunion are just as scummy as Equifax. These companies should all be run out of business.

Credit reporting should be placed in the hands of a semi-public or heavily regulated non-profit organization where the goal isn't to leech data off of consumers but actual accurate reporting with transparent operating practices.
Eno Deb
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by Eno Deb »

KeepingEyesOpen wrote: Sat May 02, 2020 4:45 pm I dislike the requirement to create an Equifax "account" for three reasons:
1. I am required to provide Equifax with additional information (e.g., cell phone number, email, etc.) that is now permanently linked to all of my other information in Equifax's database. And now available to hackers worldwide, plus any organization to whom Equifax wishes to sell the data.
Don't disagree here in general, but they already have your phone number (since the banks report it to them along with your address, DOB etc.). I use a separate email alias for potentially spammy companies. But so far I haven't received any spam from Equifax. I mainly created the account because it makes temporarily lifting the security freeze simple though (and they may even require it now).
Eno Deb
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Re: Problems obtaining a free annual Equifax credit report online

Post by Eno Deb »

acljump wrote: Sat May 02, 2020 11:02 pm
KeepingEyesOpen wrote: Sat May 02, 2020 4:45 pm How is it possible that this (in my opinion) criminally-negligent enterprise, masquerading as a legitimate business, allowed to stay in business?
Not to get too political but the government allows them to exist. Experian and Transunion are just as scummy as Equifax. These companies should all be run out of business.

Credit reporting should be placed in the hands of a semi-public or heavily regulated non-profit organization where the goal isn't to leech data off of consumers but actual accurate reporting with transparent operating practices.
Agree. And the credit bureaus are really just the tip of the iceberg. There are tons of data brokers out that you have never even heard about, which are collecting and selling your personal information without any real oversight. And even voter registration records are being sold for money ...
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