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Locking TU and EQ via CK? Better way?

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Anonymous
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Locking TU and EQ via CK? Better way?

So myself and others have recently gotten an email from CK stating that they will now offer the ability to lock and unlock your TU and EQ credit reports instantly with a switch just like Experian does for Experian credit reports. I don’t think this is live yet, they were trying to get us on a waiting list for the new feature.
Whats the consensus here on the best way to lock and unlock your credit reports quickly? I do the Experian credit works and that allows me to lock and unlock my Experian report. I have been debating the best way to lock and unlock my TU and EQ reports....comments, distinguished members?
Message 1 of 14
13 REPLIES 13
Anonymous
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Re: Locking TU and EQ via CK? Better way?

The email makes it seem like it’s Transunion only and you can already do that yourself with the myTransUnion app only the myTransUnion app is an actual security freeze. 

 

People should not be relying on locks, however, whether directly from the CRA or from a third party. Locks are not legally the same as freezes and if a lock can’t be removed, you’re going to be forced into arbitration as your maximum legal recourse. There have already been examples of Equifax reports getting locked to the point Equifax can’t even get them and if the online system is down that you used to lock your report, your report is stuck whereas a freeze can be removed over the phone with your PIN. 

 

I would do the method that is mandated and regulated and that is the security freeze and before anyone says that the chances of a site being down are slim, I had to go through this with Transunion already when trying to remove my security freeze earlier this month when I ordered myFICO. Their login website was down and I ended up having to call them and use my PIN to get my freeze off. 

Message 2 of 14
Anonymous
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Re: Locking TU and EQ via CK? Better way?

TU - Truidenty

 

EQ - Lock&Alert

Message 3 of 14
Anonymous
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Re: Locking TU and EQ via CK? Better way?

Saeren you wrote well some concerns and an actual life situation. Thanks for the insight! Smiley Happy

Message 4 of 14
Anonymous
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Re: Locking TU and EQ via CK? Better way?


@Anonymous wrote:

Saeren you wrote well some concerns and an actual life situation. Thanks for the insight! Smiley Happy


No problem!

 

I was extremely annoyed with the whole ordeal with TransUnion so I now have myTransUnion on my phone. It works when the website doesn’t and it’s the actual security freeze. 

 

Theres nothing like signing up for a credit monitoring product and then getting flagged for fraud, calling and answering their questions just to get a system error and remember that your reports are frozen, have the rep be patient enough to all you a few minutes to unfreeze your reports just to get through two and not be able to unfreeze the other. I had to call TU then call myFICO back and answer a whole new set of security questions. 

 

But as annoying as that was, knowing that I could actually get locked out of my file altogether with a lock? Forget about it. Takes me 5 minutes to fill the form out on Experian, open the myTransUnion app on my phone and tap the button to unfreeze, and log into Equifax to lift that one and that’s worth the peace of mind of knowing that if something goes wrong, I have a PIN I can call the automated system for each bureau with. 

Message 5 of 14
Anonymous
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Re: Locking TU and EQ via CK? Better way?

@Saeren: thank you for your excellent answer. I intend to download the app and freeze my TU report ASAP. Now, you say there’s a form to fill out with Experian to freeze their report? And how is it set up with Equifax? I am glad to hear about the PIN, because I have heard horror stories about people being permanently locked out of the Equifax reports. This would actually be an excellent guide for someone with the knowledge to create.
Why did signing up for my MF require you to unfreeze your reports? If I may ask ... or do I misunderstand?
Message 6 of 14
Anonymous
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Re: Locking TU and EQ via CK? Better way?


@Anonymous wrote:
@Saeren: thank you for your excellent answer. I intend to download the app and freeze my TU report ASAP. Now, you say there’s a form to fill out with Experian to freeze their report? And how is it set up with Equifax? I am glad to hear about the PIN, because I have heard horror stories about people being permanently locked out of the Equifax reports. This would actually be an excellent guide for someone with the knowledge to create.
Why did signing up for my MF require you to unfreeze your reports? If I may ask ... or do I misunderstand?

You can freeze each report by following the instructions here

 

Equifax - 

https://help.equifax.com/s/article/How-do-I-place-temporarily-lift-or-permanently-remove-a-security-freeze just create a myEquifax account. 

 

TransUnion - 

https://www.transunion.com/credit-freeze just follow the instructions for freeze my credit. Then you can get the myTransUnion app to manage it. 

 

Experian - 

https://www.experian.com/ncaconline/freeze just fill out that form. 

 

Both TU and EX will let you pick a PIN, EQ generates a PIN for you so save it somewhere. 

 

When your credit is frozen, nobody can pull your reports unless they have an existing credit relationship with you (and I have found that this doesn’t always work either - for example in order to get my TU score from Sync I had to unlock the first time, same with Disco score card (the free one from Experian, not the one that comes with your card)).Basically the freeze prevents third parties from pulling your credit, even for monitoring, but the need to lift is only the first time. I put my freezes back on after getting myFICO setup and I’ve been getting alerts just fine. 

Message 7 of 14
Anonymous
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Re: Locking TU and EQ via CK? Better way?

@Saeren: awesome information, thank you! I succeeded with Equifax. Trans Union, I made the account, but it seems to be off-line, the service at the moment.

I unlocked my Experian via app and then when I attempted to freeze the Experian, it told me it was unable to verify me and I had to send information in. I did it a second time, again answering all the verification answers correctly, and it again told me I had to mail in information to verify myself. What’s up with this? I am a Creditworks member and have never had an issue authenticating with Experian. I can lock it via my app but even though I successfully answer the authentication questions, it says it can’t verify me. They want me to mail in a copy of my ID. (The form also included included a place for information about a police report. It seems like they’re trying to discourage a freeze.)
Message 8 of 14
Anonymous
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Re: Locking TU and EQ via CK? Better way?

Sounds like the verification issue caused by incorrect info on third party reports. Get a copy of your LexisNexis report and make sure that everything is correct. There’s another one and the name is escaping me but I believe the security questions usually come from LexisNexis IIRC. 

Message 9 of 14
Anonymous
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Re: Locking TU and EQ via CK? Better way?

@Saeren: I have never had an authentication problem with Experian before and I’ve authenticated many many times. The only one that ever gave me an issue was Equifax and I know why.
This had me wondering if they were purposely making it difficult to freeze because they prefer we lock it, especially since the locking service is included as part of my creditworks subscription and they don’t offer it free like EQ and TU.
The authentication questions were just like always, seemed to come straight from my credit file and I answered them correctly, so that’s why it throws me off, especially since I’ve authenticated with Experian so many times before and NEVER failed. Both times I attempted, they did throw in the random question to which the correct answer is none of the above.
They told me to mail in identification paperwork and a police report but I wonder if I should just call them? They give the implication its only to be used when you’re a victim of identity theft and therefore have a police report. I believe they wanna discourage the free use of the freeze in favor of the paid use of their lock. Think I’ll try again.
I’ve also got to go back and check and see if TransUnion is online yet again… which causes me to wonder, how often do they go off-line like that where you cannot freeze and unfreeze your report online or with the app? But you did say I can call and unfreeze it or freeze it even if the online portal and app do not work, right?
Yes I’m working my way through everything I’m going to pull LEXIS-NEXIS and everything else, that’s on my to do list.
I will update this.
Message 10 of 14
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