Need some help please with obtaining my credit reports

[dohclude]

For the last several years I have not been able to gain access to my credit reports through the 3 main bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, & Equifax.) I have attempted numerous times to use the free annualcreditreport.com site to gain access to my reports, but I am always presented with security questions relating to accounts (mortgages, car loans, etc) that I have never opened. When I select "None of the Above" on the questions that don't partain to be I am always given an error page that tells me that my report could no be accessed. It's always the same for all three bureaus. Even when calling them over the phone I can only ever get a recording and they ask the same questions and I get the same result, no access to my reports.

Last year I was fortunately able to guess correctly for TransUnion and gained access to my report. There were several accounts on there that were not mine and when I disputed them, I was able to get them removed no problem. So my TransUnion is now clean. The other two have proven much trickier however. I attempted to use the Identity Guard service to see if they could get me copies of my credit reports, in which case they asked for multiple forms of identification including driver's license, bank statement, utility bill, etc. I provided them all of that stuff and a few days later after calling and calling I reached someone who said that my account could not be verified due to insufficiant proof of identity. I signed up for the free trial here on my Fico and got a similar response when attempting to view my score for free ( and now I can't seem to cancel my free trial either unfortunately).

I then attempted to do it the hard way. I printed out the request forms to mail to the bureaus directly, and included all of the needed items as before such as driver's license, utility bill, and bank statement. Well a month and a half went by and I get a letter back saying the same as before: insufficient proof of identity.

This is getting a little bit rediculous and I suspect foul play and or identity theft on my credit history, but there isn't anything I can do about it and nobody will help me. Anytime I call the bureaus by phone I can't get a human voice, only recordings. Can anybody help me gain access to my credit reports so that I can begin the dispute process on any fraudulent activity that might be hiding in there? I just want to begin building my credit so that I don't have to live in a one bedroom apartment the rest of my life.

Thanks in advance!

[llecs]

If those accounts are not yours and you suspect fraud, have you had a police report filed yet?

[dohclude]

Can't file a police report without copies of my credit reports, which is what I can't access in the first place... sooo...

[Krizno]

I have the same problem with my eq and ex what I did was call the annual credit report 800 number. I'm still waiting to see if mine show up. But it didn't ask me questions. All the questions they ask me doesn't pertain to me either.

[llecs]

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@dohclude wrote:

Can't file a police report without copies of my credit reports, which is what I can't access in the first place... sooo...

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You could use the TU report that showed the bad info.

[dohclude]

That stuff was disputed and removed almost a year ago on my TU report. I just need to find a way to access my own current credit reports with Equifax and Experian. I need to speak with a live real person there, but cannot because they are all recordings. Is there no way to get a real person on the phone at these places?

[kroberts67]

I was having problems with getting thru also and was given an email addy to...   EX? I think?  I will see if I have my notes with me and PM you.

[llecs]

The reason I'm pressing the TU and police report because under the law, as a victim of ID theft, you are entitled to free reports. There's no mess with paying for them. So if you had a copy of the police report off the TU report alone then with that report in hand you can request via mail copies of your other reports. They are saying you had insufficient information, but if you had detailed within the police report each account, name variation, address variation, etc. that isn't yours then that might push you beyond their stict barrier to pull your report. Right now they don't believe you are who you say you are. But a little bit of municipal flex might sway them otherwise. Nobody in their right mind will file for a police report for ID theft on a profile that isn't theirs (lest they go to jail). See what I'm saying?

Police report aside just keep calling. I only had to call once ever and that was for a fraud alert on Equifax. I randomly picked a number off their website and called it and hooked up with someone local on the first try. Grant it that was 6 yrs ago and I'm sure things have changed since then considerably. I'd keep calling and when you do connect explain the problem, listen, and then if they ask for it via mail, ask for everything they would possibly need and mail it to them. When you mail, be sure to mail it CMRRR.

Certainly the CRAs aren't innocent in the process. I just read a case where someone tried to get their CRs fixed with all 3. After several tries and multiples of letters she sued and won big. They get hundreds, if not thousands, of requests for info per day and they tend to brush off most. Keep at them.

[cazz]

You can always go to each credit bureaus website individually and click on the dispute tab it only asks for your social and your name etc. No funny questions needed. That way you can dispute the inaccurate info as well as obtain a free credit report...good luck

[dohclude]

@cazz: I attempted what you suggested and tried to use the dispute options on each of the bureaus websites, but I was presented with the very same security questions as I got when requesting my free credit reports. I ended up calling the business line at Experian and was able to actual speak to a living breathing human. After about 20 minutes of refusing the services he was trying to sell me, I was able to get a phone number out of him that I could call to request my free reports by phone. After answering many many questions on the automated system I will "supposedly" be receiving my credit reports from all three bureaus by mail within 15 days, but we'll see about that I guess. This number is probably already known around here, but just in case I thought I would share: 1-877-322-8228

Thanks for the tips guys, and good luck to everyone else out there in the same predicament as me!