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TechnoDestructo
December 1, 2009 8:19 PM
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How is it that someone with power like this remains anonymous in the system?

Easy, they're lying to you.

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jvanbrecht
December 1, 2009 8:51 PM
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Yep...

The lady that said they have no knowledge of who access the profile is blatantly lying, as I, an industry security professional, would stake my career on the fact that every person who has touched a profile is noted, including the time, date, what terminal was used, what changes where made and probably a dozen other requirements.

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friday3
December 1, 2009 8:20 PM
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I sympathize with her, but Experian is in a rock in a hard place. You want things off, that are not yours, but the things that are to be on there. I know the OP is honest and would never lie, but I am guessing Experian and any other intelligent business needs to verify everything. This is not a 24 hour turnaround time. You are a victim of identity fraud. I would peruse the woman who used your SS#. I have no love for any credit bureau and think they all should be banned, but in this case they were not bad in what they did.

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jvanbrecht
December 1, 2009 8:49 PM
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They most certainly did screw up, if you don't think that the financial institutions do not log the Who, What, When, Where and Why for every transaction submitted to the Credit Reporting entities, your kidding yourself there.

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aficionado
December 1, 2009 8:20 PM
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Hardly surprising. I wish I could add helpful information.

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H3ion
December 1, 2009 8:37 PM
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As long as the OP is competent and lucid (not under large doses of mind-numbing drugs) she should be able to sign anything from the recovery bed and have it upheld. Most hospitals have a notary available somewhere on site, probably in billing, so that won't be a problem either if required. Finally, a power of attorney may work but most banks don't like them very much. If one is used, it should be limited by time and powers. The OP should definitely have a durable power of attorney and a living will, especially if there's a small child involved. State-specific forms are available online.

If the OP is married, a spouse would be the logical person to hold the power. If not, any one the OP trusts implicitly.

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floraposte
December 2, 2009 3:46 PM
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If it's one of the simpler spine surgeries, like disc fusion (and for Monique's sake I hope it is), she's got a good chance of being well enough to sign stuff the next day.

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Daemon Xar
December 2, 2009 12:35 PM
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I agree with H3ion. At least in the two states where I practice, she should be able to sign binding contracts unless she's under the influence of pretty powerful painkillers (and even then, the bank would probably have to figure out that she was in order to object). Otherwise, a short-term power of attorney isn't a bad idea, particularly if assigned to an actual attorney with malpractice insurance coverage and legal/ethical duties.

Depending on her income, she might be able to get civil legal services to help (though with current state budgets, most legal aid programs are being cut too, at exactly the wrong time).

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Anathema777
December 1, 2009 8:47 PM
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Hmm. Which story did this comment migrate from?

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Winter White
December 1, 2009 9:27 PM
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Chris (the author of the actual post) asked questions about power of attorney and signing off on the loan while recovering from major surgery.

As far as this goes, I had my identity stolen twice and each took a minimum of four MONTHS to clean up. The fact that she got anything removed in a matter of DAYS is astounding to me. But if her Experian report is bad, then it's likely the other two are too, and she won't be getting this loan anytime soon until she gets not just the debt taken off her credit report, but until she deals with the actual creditors to prove the debt being racked up on her social isn't hers.

It's not enough to just remove it from the credit report...you need to also stop technically owing money for someone else.

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wickedpixel
December 1, 2009 9:23 PM
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this one.

Also, do any readers know about the legal issues around signing for a loan from a recovery bed? Can Monique talk to the bank and arrange for a Power of Attorney agreement or something in order to move ahead with the loan as soon as Experian has corrected its mistake?
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PølάrβǽЯ
December 1, 2009 8:39 PM
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Now how do we get them do completely erase our credit reports when we want them to?

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chiieddy
December 1, 2009 9:51 PM
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Don't forget to clear the errors out of the other reporting agencies prior to letting the bank pull the reports.

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ReverendBrown
December 1, 2009 9:51 PM
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Allen, TX? That's just south of me. No wonder I get this feeling of dread and despair anytime I drive through there. At least I can knock on their doors if I ever have issue with them. I'll get me coat.

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Microxot
January 13, 2010 9:15 PM
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You can forget about walking up to the building. The only place they have that ability is in Costa Mesa. All you will get at Experian is a Guard telling you to pick up a business card and to call the number listed or send a letter to the address listed.

Besides, half that building is pretty empty after all the layoffs Experian has had over the past year.

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AstroPig7
December 2, 2009 11:32 PM
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I just got married in Allen. Our marriage will be cursed!

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supersat
December 1, 2009 9:57 PM
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There's an alternate \"agent for service of process\" address that might get their attention if the Costa Mesa address doesn't work out, especially if you send it certified:

http://kepler.sos.ca.gov/corpdata/ShowAllList?QueryCorpNumber=C2218743

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Baxterjones
December 1, 2009 11:31 PM
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Wowee... I bow to supersat's superior research skills!

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sayahh
December 1, 2009 11:26 PM
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I wonder if the OP's SSN starts with a zero. I remember reading that the social security numbers in American Samoa (or another US territory) only use eight numbers instead of nine (XXX-XX-XXXX), and that some banks or computers automatically tacked on a zero in the front, and Experian did not (could not) distinguish between these two individuals. People with SSN that start with the number zero usually live on the east coast. Unbeknownst to them, credit (and debt) info from those people in the territories are now showing up and their report, for better or worse, but definitely confusing and messy.

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Blueskylaw
December 1, 2009 11:55 PM
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Dear Consumerist:

Pray tell, how do you pick just the right photos/pictures to go with the story?
The one posted with this story actually made me chuckle out loud.

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FDCPAGuy
December 1, 2009 11:59 PM
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It's not likely she now has NO XPN (experian) file at all. Her bank should have someone run an XPN social search to make sure they are pulling using the best data possible. Sometimes when credit is mixed and then fixed via a standardization it can be too aggressive leading to credit coming back only if it's pulled with exactly the same (best) data the bureau has.

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sarahq
December 2, 2009 12:33 AM
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Note that credit bureaus deliberately hide, remove, or change addresses...

I find this the most egregious part of this story: that these incredibly powerful entities are able to hide (a portion of) their contact info, preventing customers from using certified mail, from maintaining a complete record of all correspondence, etc.

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LESSTHANKIND
December 2, 2009 11:00 AM
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The bank can pull a report from Equifax or Transunion instead, especially given the circumstances. If they're not a subscriber of either (unlikely, but possible), they may accept a report you pull right in front of them.

With regard to the \"missing\" information, nothing is ever actually deleted by credit bureaus, but \"suppressed.\" The information is still there somewhere, albeit on a different system. There will be no rekeying necessary. Just like you're routinely told it will take 90 days before an item can be corrected on your reports. Hogwash. They just like to make you wait, because as a consumer, you're not their customer, and therefore not their priority. Their subscribers--your creditors--are.

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DoctorMD
December 2, 2009 11:56 AM
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These companies are libel bureaus, with immunity. They should be 100% liable for any inaccuracy on any report. Wasted time, higher interest rates etc.

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savvyshopper
December 2, 2009 4:58 PM
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Heads up Chris, and OP \"Monique\".... If Experian is reporting the fraud, the other bureaus might be too (especially if SSN is involved), so that is probably not a viable quick solution, if the bank is amenable to approving/denying based on another credit report. Also - chances are you will have to go through the dispute process with them as well.

No fun for a person with nothing going on - and even worse for a person with a 4 year old and spinal surgery to worry about. Good luck.

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diddy0071
December 2, 2009 9:28 PM
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well my credit is very screwed. I wish they would delete my history! Clean Slate!

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Microxot
January 13, 2010 9:11 PM
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FYI, If you send a letter to Allen, Tx, it gets scanned into a database that is then transmitted to people in Santiago, Chile.

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Celesta
July 29, 2010 12:18 PM
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Dear Consumerist... This is to inform you that at the moment you are my fourth most loved person in the world (after my husband and parents).

I agonized for two months to find a way to contact Experian, because my bank refused me a mortgage until Experian would correct a mistake in my records (they also reported two different SSNs on my loans, but in my case it was not an identity theft, rather they mistakenly reported my student ID as an alternative SSN). I could not find a way to get through Experian's automated phone lines, because they only deal with you if you have bought a report. I could not buy a report, because they would say they could not verify my identity! And the bank would say it was my issue. I even contacted Federal Trade Commission, who told me it would take 30-45 days to sort out a dispute after I send my papers to Experian by snail mail. In the meantime it is 3 days before my house purchase agreement expires.
It was a vicious cycle until I came across your blog posting. I called the 714- number you listed and I got through to \"escalation\", which was very helpful and immediately agreed to correct my account details. I keep my fingers crossed that by the end of day tomorrow bank will be able to verify my identity (please, don't ever go to Chase... These guys did not accept my SSN card or verification of my identity from social security administration and my employer). If it will be ok, I can witness that you saved my mortgage. xxx

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