Like many of you, I had an incredibly frustrating experience with a credit agency today. It was TransUnion but I’ve had equally frustrating experiences with Equifax and others since locking down our credit information in the wake of the Equifax data breach last fall.
What is particularly galling about this place we all find ourselves in is that none of us chose to be customers of these credit bureaus. They simply collected the info on us from third parties, built up credit info on us, which they sell to banks and other lenders, and now, because they are unable to protect our data, we need to be customers of their lock and lift services.
TransUnion charged me $5 today to put a temporary lift on my credit report lock. It’s not really the money that bugs me, it’s the entire absurdity of how we got here that galls me.
And, of course, the UI on the online service was so poor that I ended up talking to a customer service agent who struggled to communicate with me in my native language.
Why was I even dealing with this nonsense? Because I want to lease a car instead of purchase one and, even though I’m willing to pay the entire lease upfront, someone still needs to check my credit.
And I’ve got it good. Good credit. The means to avoid this nonsense most of the time. Etc. Etc.
But think about so many of us that need access to these basic financial services and are hostage to these terrible companies! It is a mess.
And an opportunity for entrepreneurs. I’m rooting for all of you.
