Equifax posts an email address on their site for 'customer' relations. I have sent many emails to this address requesting information about how to secure my identity. I have NOT received one response.

Equifax also has a 'free' service where you phone their toll free number, type in the numeric portion of your home address, and some credit card numbers, and they'll ship you your credit report. I have tried this service twice, and have NOT received anything via mail.

If they do not respond to email, and do not provide a number where you can talk to a human, how can someone communicate to a live person for inquiries?

With my experience so far, I would conclude that Equifax is not interested in resolving any issues. They are intent on creating them, and purposely frustrating people so they can propose better ways to service your needs in the future for $14.95 as opposed to FREE.

Remember, this is YOUR information. YOU own in, not Equifax. They should be paying us $14.95 each time a bank, credit card company, or automotive dealership wants to sell us something.
 

I have also been battling Equifax for several years to repair my credit report. I have learned a few things regarding their "services":

first of all - its not your information - in Canada you cannot stop them from "selling" your information to whomever they like, you can't even get it pulled while they "investigiate" it.

Secondly, I have requested 5 "free" credit reports - and not recieved even one - and Transunion is no better... spend the $15 you will feel alot better, and you get a 1-800 number to call with someone at the other end.

Thirdly, They don't sell good news - most canadians have credit reports that are wrong - information on them that is incorrect, outdated, and just plain wrong! The problem is - they don't fix it unless one of their members tells them too. You can't even change you address with these guys.

Finally, Equifax regularly ignores / breaks the law, and no one seems to mind. The various common law provinces all have strict restrictions on what can be reported, when it comes off, how to dispute, and who gets to look at your file.

However, since no one is enforcing any of the rules, its up to them to do whatever they want. If you try to fix your report, you will quickly find that there is basically no evidence that you can provide that disagrees with creditors/collection agencies that will change your file. Judgements, letters, reciepts, promises, ontracts - if it doesn't come from the creditor, it must be a fake!

We all had pretty high hopes with the Privacy Act and PIPEDA that this shady business would get reformed, but if anything, they've gotten worse over the last 6 years.

In my case Ive gone to court, complained to the Registrar, and have now had to sue them - its pretty sad that we have a justice systems that spends a huge portion of our time and money collecting debts for these guys, but can't even enforce some basic rules.

As far as im concerned, these guys are in bed with the collection agencies, banks, etc. and their main interest is to punish any poor slob who runs afoul of them - if that means unemployment, homelessness, even death - thats fine by them! You should never look at your banker the same way again.
 

Scarier still, as I am writing this I see Equifax and TransUnion ads on this very page.