topic Re: Equifax Dispute in General Credit Topics

Equifax Dispute

Medic981 — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 15:03:16 GMT

On July 16 I sent a letter to Equifax to dispute a former address on my credit report for which, "I have never resided at this address, received mail at this address or applied for credit using this address".

On July 31 I received a letter from Equifax which stated, "We have reviewed the former address. The results are: The disputed address has been deleted. 0000 Street Name, City, State, Zip Residence Since: 09/2013 MIXED

Today, I ran my free Equifax credit report through TrustedID as I am involved in last years Equifax data breach. The ***bleep*** address is again on my credit report. Other than disputing this error again, does the knowledgeable and experienced myFICO family have any ideas to resolve this issue?

As always, Thank You in Advance!!!

Re: Equifax Dispute

iv — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 16:28:22 GMT

The address showing back up means that one of the tradelines that is actively reporting is including that address in their monthly report.

You'll need to ID the source of the data (which lender) and then fix the address directly with them, otherwise it will keep re-appearing.

Is the address completely unfamilar? Or do you at least recognize it as one that you (or someone you had a joint or AU account with) at one point were connected to?

Is it ONLY appearing on Equifax? I ask because it's much easier with Experian to determine which tradeline the address is connected to. (Although with recent changes, you may need to pull the paper version of the report for that.)

Re: Equifax Dispute

Medic981 — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 16:53:20 GMT

All of the tradelines on Equifax are mine and none were opened with this address. Equifax is the only bureau that this address has shown up on. I have no connection to this address. This address started to report in 2013 when I had none of my current tradelines. The only possible explanation for the address connection might be a cousin who I am estranged, has the same name as I do as we are both named after our grandfather. My last name is fairly unique and for the most part, if someone else shares it, we are related.

Re: Equifax Dispute

iv — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 17:01:42 GMT

Have you recently pulled your reports from the "other" CRAs (LexisNexis/Innovis/Sagestream/etc)?

Might be worth checking there as well, and if the address is there as well, it might provide an additional way to match it to a lender.

https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/201604_cfpb_list-of-consumer-reporting-companies.pdf

Re: Equifax Dispute

FireMedic1 — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 17:14:26 GMT

Did you do this from the online dispute? If so. It's the leaset effective way. Mail in certified any proof of your past address if you have resided at the same place and time. I hade a simular situation. I sent in past cell reciepts, electric statements, copy of DL (blacked out pic and DL#) It was gone in a few days. Even had my middle initial as J, it's S. They changed it all. Addresses that went back 20 years that were not tied to any open or close accounts were proof also. Poof, gone.

Re: Equifax Dispute

Medic981 — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 17:17:22 GMT

@iv wrote:
Have you recently pulled your reports from the "other" CRAs (LexisNexis/Innovis/Sagestream/etc)?

Might be worth checking there as well, and if the address is there as well, it might provide an additional way to match it to a lender.

https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/201604_cfpb_list-of-consumer-reporting-companies.pdf

I have Innovis and rechecked my report on which everything is correctly reported. I sent for my LexisNexis several weeks ago and have yet to receive it. I sent for my SageStream Friday. Shouldn't Equifax be able to determine the source of the address and who is reporting it?

I am wondering if I have a partially merged file with my cousin as we also live in the same state. I am beginning to become frustrated.

Re: Equifax Dispute

Medic981 — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 17:23:50 GMT

@FireMedic1 wrote:
Did you do this from the online dispute? If so. It's the leaset effective way. Mail in certified any proof of your past address if you have resided at the same place and time. I hade a simular situation. I sent in past cell reciepts, electric statements, copy of DL (blacked out pic and DL#) It was gone in a few days. Even had my middle initial as J, it's S. They changed it all. Addresses that went back 20 years that were not tied to any open or close accounts were proof also. Poof, gone.

I always dispute via Certified US mail. I have addresses listed going back 35 years when I first applied for credit. I did not know you could have old address deleted as well?

Re: Equifax Dispute

Jnbmom — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 17:21:46 GMT

Eq doesn't let you dispute your address online. I sent a dispute 3 darn times because they have an address in salt lake city, which I have never even been too. After third dispute they removed it only to have it pop back on.

Re: Equifax Dispute

FireMedic1 — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 17:25:43 GMT

@Medic981 wrote:
@FireMedic1 wrote:
Did you do this from the online dispute? If so. It's the leaset effective way. Mail in certified any proof of your past address if you have resided at the same place and time. I hade a simular situation. I sent in past cell reciepts, electric statements, copy of DL (blacked out pic and DL#) It was gone in a few days. Even had my middle initial as J, it's S. They changed it all. Addresses that went back 20 years that were not tied to any open or close accounts were proof also. Poof, gone.
I always dispute via US mail. I have addresses listed going back 35 years when I first applied for credit. I did not know you could have old address deleted as well?

I had addresses deleted going back to the eraly 80's last year. No hassle. Kept the past 3 yrs then for app question when I started the rebuild. Which most app ask for.

Re: Equifax Dispute

Medic981 — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 17:26:02 GMT

@FireMedic1 wrote:
@Medic981 wrote:
@FireMedic1 wrote:
Did you do this from the online dispute? If so. It's the leaset effective way. Mail in certified any proof of your past address if you have resided at the same place and time. I hade a simular situation. I sent in past cell reciepts, electric statements, copy of DL (blacked out pic and DL#) It was gone in a few days. Even had my middle initial as J, it's S. They changed it all. Addresses that went back 20 years that were not tied to any open or close accounts were proof also. Poof, gone.
I always dispute via Certified US mail. I have addresses listed going back 35 years when I first applied for credit. I did not know you could have old address deleted as well?
I had addresses deleted going back to the eraly 80's last year. No hassle

Don't the CRA like to use the old addresses for identity verification?

Re: Equifax Dispute

FireMedic1 — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 18:11:05 GMT

As you have seen. They usually ask have you lived at " time at address" for 3 to 5 years. Anything after that I had deleted. My mail is delivered at a friends house for stability of residence just for that topic of a stable address when I started to rebuild. Also Florida State Statue 119.071 FireMedic's are exempt from public records search. Took time but name is no longer on those data sites when I'm googled.

Edit: My old address was all over these data broker sites. Until that cleared up recently. So keeping the old address was 2 fold.

Re: Equifax Dispute

iv — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 17:44:47 GMT

@Medic981 wrote:
Shouldn't Equifax be able to determine the source of the address and who is reporting it?

Yes. But the trick is talking to someone actually helpful... And the general online/mail/fax process, or calling the "normal" call center... isn't helpful.

The last time I had to fix an address issue with Equifax, I ran in circles a few times (they removed the real address, and sent a confirmation letter to the wrong address...)

Then I called Atlanta directly, instead of the toll-free numbers, and got a very quick fix (and an apology!)

Call 404-885-8300, and explain you are following up on an incorrect address that was not updated correctly by the call center, and that you would like to verify which tradeline is reporting it. (They can probably mark the address for suppression regardless, but it'd be good to know which of your lenders has bad data, too.)

@Medic981 wrote:
I am wondering if I have a partially merged file with my cousin as we also live in the same state.

Maybe? But then I'd expect you'd see at least one of their accounts listed on your report, as well.

Are you an AU on someone else's account (where the lender may have matched up the wrong "you" for the AU card in their database)?

@Medic981 wrote:
I am beginning to become frustrated.

That's pretty normal when trying to fix reporting errors! Try the Atlanta HQ number, and hopefully it'll get resolved quicker.

Re: Equifax Dispute

Medic981 — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 17:51:10 GMT

@iv wrote:
@Medic981 wrote:
Shouldn't Equifax be able to determine the source of the address and who is reporting it?
Yes. But the trick is talking to someone actually helpful... And the general online/mail/fax process, or calling the "normal" call center... isn't helpful.

The last time I had to fix an address issue with Equifax, I ran in circles a few times (they removed the real address, and sent a confirmation letter to the wrong address...)

Then I called Atlanta directly, instead of the toll-free numbers, and got a very quick fix (and an apology!)

Call 404-885-8300, and explain you are following up on an incorrect address that was not updated correctly by the call center, and that you would like to verify which tradeline is reporting it. (They can probably mark the address for suppression regardless, but it'd be good to know which of your lenders has bad data, too.)

@Medic981 wrote:
I am wondering if I have a partially merged file with my cousin as we also live in the same state.
Maybe? But then I'd expect you'd see at least one of their accounts listed on your report, as well.

Are you an AU on someone else's account (where the lender may have matched up the wrong "you" for the AU card in their database)?

@Medic981 wrote:
I am beginning to become frustrated.
That's pretty normal when trying to fix reporting errors! Try the Atlanta HQ number, and hopefully it'll get resolved quicker.

Thanks for the intel. I have no joint accounts and I am not an AU on anyone's account and vice-versa. I will give them a call on the direct number and as I have a confirmation number of the "delete" I hope that will expedite the removal. As I requested my LexisNexis and SageStream reports earlier, this might give me some insight if Equifax is unable.

Re: Equifax Dispute

Medic981 — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 18:00:18 GMT

Grrrrrr... 404-885-8300 goes straight to a busy signal when called. Tried three times. Do you suppose it is because it is a Sunday?

Re: Equifax Dispute

iv — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 18:14:26 GMT

@Medic981 wrote:
Grrrrrr... 404-885-8300 goes straight to a busy signal when called. Tried three times. Do you suppose it is because it is a Sunday?

I'm surprised they don't have an auto-message on the line outside of business hours, but yeah, expect 9-5 Eastern Time for that number - it goes directly to their offices, not a call center, so it's not a 24/7 deal. (Their main publicly listed number, 404-885-8000, is also current busy, so it's probably just a weekend thing.)

Re: Equifax Dispute

Medic981 — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 18:18:55 GMT

Thanks,

I will give them a call bright and early 9 am tomorrow morning!

Re: Equifax Dispute

Medic981 — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 15:20:03 GMT

I just realized that it has taken me one month to call Equifax at 404-885-8300 to fix my former address issue.

I pulled my EQ report this morning and saw that the address in dispute was STILL on my credit report. So I called EQ and spoke with a CSR who obviously was either from India or spoke English as a second language. After explaining the situation and giving him two confirmation numbers he stated that the address had been removed from my account. I informed him I just pulled my credit report from EQ's Trusted ID website not 30 minutes prior and it is still present. This mental giant just kept repeating that the address had been deleted when I stated if it has been deleted then why is it on my freshly acquired credit report? Again frustrated, I asked to speak with a supervisor.

The supervisor was again either Indian or spoke English as a second language. She was helpful and after 20 minutes she stated that she removed all of my past reported address (there were quite a few), removed all of the quirky or incorrect spellings of my name, updated my employment and gave me a confirmation number and a hotline number to follow up if I needed to. She told me that it could take up to 30 days for my file to be updated.

I will keep the forum updated as to what happens.

Re: Equifax Dispute

Medic981 — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 16:33:22 GMT

I was reading through my old posts to get my facts straight and realized I never updated this thread.

I had to file a complaint with the CFPB to resolve this issue. Click the link to see the end result.

Re: Equifax Dispute

FireMedic1 — Sat, 24 Aug 2019 09:06:31 GMT

@Medic981 wrote:
All of the tradelines on Equifax are mine and none were opened with this address. Equifax is the only bureau that this address has shown up on. I have no connection to this address. This address started to report in 2013 when I had none of my current tradelines. The only possible explanation for the address connection might be a cousin who I am estranged, has the same name as I do as we are both named after our grandfather. My last name is fairly unique and for the most part, if someone else shares it, we are related.

You may have found the problem already hidden:

This might be the reason. Red above. Mixed in results.