Please change the title to something along the lines of "Equifax customer service is ineffective"
Sure thing, we've updated the title to a representative phrase from the article.
Reported difficulties getting help on Equifax's phone lines
81–90 of 125 posts
Re: Reported difficulties getting help on Equifax's phone lines
#82If we "as the product" actually want to do something about Equifax we should call our banks and demand that they cancel any contracts they have with Equifax. If enough people do that to make it a national issue, Equifax will at a minimum notice, and possibly go out of business (because no bank will work with them) sending a very strong message to everyone who deals with private data. Anyone know how to start Viral Ac…
Are you actually prepared to leave your bank if they don't give in to your demands?
That's what it would take for that to have any impact.
Re: Reported difficulties getting help on Equifax's phone lines
#83If Equifax takes your Social Security Number and a Phone Number to require you to setup any new credit, couldn't the hackers call Equifax and give a stolen Social Security Number of a high profile peerson and hold their credit ransom?
Re: Reported difficulties getting help on Equifax's phone lines
#84Earlier quoted context omitted.
The credit agencies already attempt to verify you when you request a credit report ("did you ever live on Main Street", etc.) or put a credit freeze on so it's not a new problem for them.
But this leak presumably leaked all of that information as well. The problem is using not-secret information as an authenticator.
For sure, I'm not saying this solves everything. I just think it would be a pareto improvement from where we are now.
Re: Reported difficulties getting help on Equifax's phone lines
#85Let me save you a click: Different agents on different hotlines bounced him around. After 30+ minutes, an automated system took his SSN and signed him for a trial. Sort of. Because they kept getting disconnected from the system, they aren't sure if it actually worked. Seems Equifax is using the "plug fingers in ears and scream la la la la la" method.
Thank you! Not sure why you're getting downvoted here.
Hey, thank you too!!
I have no idea either. Luckily it wasn't much, but maybe my tone was off.
It couldn't possibly be my assessment of the story- everyone else commented the same thing!
Maybe the site wants those sweet sweet clicks and time on page metrics :)
Re: Reported difficulties getting help on Equifax's phone lines
#86TL;DR: Equifax phone lines unhelpful for anything. Suggestion, from https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/comments/6yv4gb/off... If you do nothing else, place an initial 90 day fraud alert on your file. This is free and will require lenders to contact you if someone (including yourself) tries to apply for credit. Government info. You only have to do this with one bureau in order for the alert to be placed on all t…
So ... what happens if I list myself as Active Duty? They also have a 7 year extended plan. http://www.equifax.com/credit/fraud-alerts/& 3 Main Types of Alerts and Length of Effectiveness: Initial Fraud Alert: 90 days Active Duty Alert: 1 year Extended Fraud Alert: 7 years Extended Fraud Alert Request Form To place an extended fraud alert on your credit file please send to Equifax – via Fax or US Mail - a valid polic…
IANAL: Claiming active duty when not maybe subject to prosecution under the Stolen Valor Act and/or various types of fraud.
Re: Reported difficulties getting help on Equifax's phone lines
#87What is the best way for the American public to start to "escalate" this to the government? It's clearly not even worth getting frustrated trying to deal with Equifax directly, they obviously aren't required to have any accountability to anyone.
One of my senators wrote a respectful note to the FTC asking for an investigation, so I'd assume we are all set (https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/peters... ).
Less sarcastically, we need a political reformation focused on effective, pro citizen government, instead of politics focused on holding or reversing the status quo on divisive issues. So good luck.
Re: Reported difficulties getting help on Equifax's phone lines
#88Earlier quoted context omitted.
For what it's worth, the Equifax link is now working and I was able to place the alert. Experian still is displaying the grey "Loading" page.
Equifax link isn't working for me.. After filling in the form and hitting submit, I am presented with a very convenient (for them: Our system is currently unavailable We are currently unable to add initial 90 day fraud alert or active duty alert to credit file online. Please try again later or click here to print a request form. If you need to install Adobe Acrobat click here
plot twist: active breach investigation on going with all 3 majors
Re: Reported difficulties getting help on Equifax's phone lines
#89I have spent a very large amount of time over the past few years attempting to correct Equifax's record of my information (all to the now-apparent end of reducing noise in the hacker's data). They somehow had my SSN associated with someone else, leading to a few rejected credit applications. Equifax customer service reps are very poorly trained. The singular goal of all Equifax employees with whom I interacted was to…
Obligatory link to patio11's extremely helpful blog post on how to deal with these kinds of issues: http://www.kalzumeus.com/2017/09/09/identity-theft-credit-re... Rule #1 is never try to fix things over the phone. Do it in writing and keep a record of everything you send and receive.
Yes, I very much wish this post existed during my time dealing with Equifax.
Re: Reported difficulties getting help on Equifax's phone lines
#90I have spent a very large amount of time over the past few years attempting to correct Equifax's record of my information (all to the now-apparent end of reducing noise in the hacker's data). They somehow had my SSN associated with someone else, leading to a few rejected credit applications. Equifax customer service reps are very poorly trained. The singular goal of all Equifax employees with whom I interacted was to…
That's what most large call centers are like. When I worked in one the factors in your evaluation were: 1) "handle time" (i.e., time on the phone per customer) 2) callbacks within a set time period 3) customer surveys 4) spot checks of recordings for adherence to company policy. So naturally, if you have a difficult case the most logical thing to do is find some within-the-rules way to transfer the customer to someon…
This is just not always true.
I sometimes have a bad time with a call center but often I call a call center and get prompt and efficient service. If you tar them all with one brush, you are giving the bad ones a pass.