Equifax Disputes

When I called Equifax's 866-349-5191 phone number, I was connected with the customer care automated recording. After selecting the language that I wanted to be served in, I listened to my options. The menu was logical and mentioned many of the common reasons a customer calls Equifax.

If you call after hours, you'll be directed to call back between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays or 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends. I wasn't presented with the option to call back or leave a message for an agent.

I was given the option to add a statement to my credit report about the financial impact of COVID-19. I was encouraged to visit Equifax's website if I wanted to view my credit score or get a copy of my credit report for free. I was also given the option to get more information about filing a settlement claim for the 2017 data breach. I was then notified that my call would be recorded for quality assurance purposes; then, I was asked to say a few words about the type of services I was looking for.

After saying that I wanted to access my credit report, I was reminded again that I could access it online at myequifax.com. I was also given the option to get a report from annualcreditreport.com. I stayed on the line and was given information about how to order my credit report through the mail. In order for Equifax to send my personal credit report in the mail, I was told I'd need to submit a few pieces of information to prove my identity. These included a copy of a piece of government-issued identification, such as a driver's license, birth certificate or Social Security card. The recording then gave me the address to which to send these details.

All of the information given to me was on a recorded message. At no point was I offered the option to speak with a live agent. However, the recording was easy to understand and the voice recognition system was accurate in picking up my questions.

When I called back to dispute a credit item, I was again notified about the option to file the dispute online. I stayed on the line and was given the choice between filing a credit dispute or checking the status of an existing case. Again, I was connected with a self-service menu that allowed me to place, remove or lift a credit freeze over the phone. After entering some personal verification information such as my phone number, I was again given instructions about how to send proof of my identity by mail to Equifax. Ultimately, I was unable to get through to a human agent with this number.