Quote:
Originally Posted by craigster59
As I said in a previous post, as long as you freeze with one you are good. When I applied for a car loan recently they would not approve because my credit was frozen. Called Experian, lifted the freeze for 24 hrs, and called the dealer to rerun my credit. Same when I just purchased my home.
It's a PITA at times but I don't have to worry about I.D. theft anymore.
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I have not found that to be true (bold). Every source I've checked, including Equifax itself,
states that you must contact each agency separately and request a freeze. Asking for a
Fraud Alert, on the other hand, only requires that you apply at one agency. The alert will then be forwarded on to the other two. I don't doubt your experience, but it's possible the company you were dealing with only used Experian as their credit verification source so you were covered.
From the Transunion website:
"You will need to place a security freeze separately with each of the three major credit reporting companies if you want the freeze on all of your credit files." https://www.transunion.com/credit-freeze/place-credit-freeze
Financial help website:
"*When you do a credit freeze, it is imperative that you freeze your credit with all three bureaus.*" http://clark.com/personal-finance-credit/credit-freeze-and-thaw-guide/
From the FTC website:
"
How do I place a freeze on my credit reports?
Contact each of the nationwide credit reporting companies:
Equifax — 1-800-349-9960
Experian — 1‑888‑397‑3742
TransUnion — 1-888-909-8872"
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0497-credit-freeze-faqs#place
Unless you can supply a
verifiable source that states asking for a freeze on your credit from one agency will automatically transfer to the other two, the claim should be held in serious doubt. Perhaps it is a regulation in your particular state. If so, it does not apply everywhere, certainly not in California.