Laws In Maryland, Massachusetts, And Georgia)?

Q: Has anyone had problems getting a "free" credit report from Equifax (either because you were denied credit, or you can get free reports under state law, such as the laws in Maryland, Massachusetts, and Georgia)? I live in Georgia (two free reports per year per credit reporting agency, per state law) and have requested my free copies from Equifax, but never receive them. I've used their phone order system, and sent written requests (with copies of drivers license and electric bill to prove residency, which should be unnecessary given I've lived in GA for _23 years_) About two weeks ago I sent the SEVENTH request in the past seven months -- and, as usual, have heard nothing. I don't think I'm having mail lost or stolen, either. OTOH, Experian and Trans Union both complied quickly with requests to each. I'm going to complain to GA Consumer Affairs; this has become ridiculous. Just wondering if anyone else has had the same problem.

A: -I had the opposite experience. I was denied credit and Experian took ten days. I had to threaten them with my lawyer. The merged another person into my credit report despite a different name, address, phone numbers etc. Totally screwed up system. I requested a report also from Equifax over the phone and it was sent in7 days. Theirs was a more accurate report. BTW, your congressmen/women have made it virtually impossible to sue these reporting companies. -I was denied credit when living in Georgia, and called the automated Equifax number with the code that came with the credit denial. It's in Atlanta, I think, and I was surprised that I got the credit report in the mail a day and a half later. This was about two years ago. However, they weren't exactly helpful when I reported that half of the entries on my report were incorrect. After that experience, I spent the money and got a credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus. They didn't all have the same information, and accounts that were (correctly) removed from one system were still in another one even after a year. -I was under the impression (I thought I heard it somewhere) that Equifax was no more. Either absorbed, (bought up or otherwise aquired) by one of the other credit reporting agencies or changed names. -I think you may be confused. Equifax is still Equifax. One of the "big three" credit reporting bureaus, TRW, is now known as Experian. I don't know if it's still really TRW or a different company, however, just that the credit reporting company formally known as TRW is now known as Experian. -I've never had a problem getting my free reports, but the only time I've requested them was when I had been turned down for credit (not that I have bad credit, but it's happened a couple of times for other reasons). I just sent them a letter saying that I had "recently been denied credit due to information based solely or in part on a credit report provided by their company" or words to that effect. They are legally obligated to furnish this information to you if you have been denied credit. I don't know if they are as compelled to furnish it in cases where you just want to look at it even though they are supposed to.

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