Knowing the CRA’s, you probably won’t get this fixed as quick as you would like.

One tip for dealing with the apartment managers is that if they pull, or want to pull, from TU ask them if they will be so nice as to pull from EQ or EX instead. Explain that TU has messed up your credit file, for reasons unknown to you, and you are currently trying to correct “their” problem.

One of the first things you should do, if you haven’t already, is to request a hard copy of your report to be mailed to you from TU. Do not request an online report or go to a tri-merge service.

It’s possible that you have a fraud alert on your report and the apartment manager could not access your file. It’s also possible that if “you” had not initiated the fraud alert, that TU took it upon themselves to do it without probable cause and without informing you. So check for that.

Another possibility is that you have a split file. The front line CSR’s are normally ignorant about split files. Split files happen more often than the general public realizes it does.

A little overview of split files .. when a persons credit file splits, that one file will become two (or more) files. Sometimes one file (usually the main file) will be blank and the other (the secondary report) will have all of the info on it. Usually a creditor, or whoever, that tries to access the report will run into the blank file and will be unable to pull it because it is blank.
Other times a split file will show “some” trades on one of the reports and the rest on the other report.

There may be some other unknown reason.

If it was a fraud alert that you had placed, you might consider either removing it or following the guidelines for allowing the apartment manager to check your credit.

If you had not placed a fraud alert, then what you can try to do to correct the situation….remember, “be polite but firm” to everyone you speak with, and keep detailed notes:
I’m sure you’re tired of banging your head against the wall from your past conversations with TU, but call back. More than likely you will still get the same responses. If/when that happens ask to speak to a supervisor. Again, more than likely you will still get the same responses. If/when that happens ask to speak to “special handling”!!

Be sure to bring up that it’s possible that you have a TU placed fraud alert, a split file or that it may be from something else that you are unaware of.

Hopefully, if you do get transferred to special handling they will be able to help you. The people in special handling “know” how to deal with these problems over the idiots on the front lines.

If they refuse to transfer you to SH and for some reason the problem still exists, then file complaints with the BBB, the FTC and with your Attorney General. Be sure to list “everything” in your complaints that you had done up to the point of filing complaints. Dates of your calls, names of who you spoke to, results of your calls, etc. Also, when filing your complaint with the BBB, be sure to include that you had already filed a complaint with your AG and the FTC. (AG & FTC will not do anything on a personal level, but TU will probably bend over backwards to help so they can prove to the AG and FTC that they are handling the problem)

Then try to deal with them through the BBB, be sure to request that you want thing so be resolve “through” the BBB instead of allowing TU to deal with you directly and simply report back to the BBB.

I’m sorry you are going through this, it is a major headache. But while you are trying to deal with TU, if you are trying to get an apartment then, as I mentioned above, be sure to ask them to pull another CRA.