Don Richman

Yes he is very good representative for TU, he doesn't mess around. He will delete on the spot plus he does verify data too.

 

Kiyi, Does Richman let you dispute inquiries? Charlie

 

http://creditaccuracy.com/correspondence.htm#permissible

Richman gained access to my credit file without my permission. What do you think is wrong with him?

 

You know, I never asked him that about investigating inquiries. As for Mr. Richman looking at your credit report I think if he is trying to help you its ok plus is doesn't place an inquiry on it.

 

Greg, what conclusions do you draw from Mr. Richman looking at your file?

Doc

 

That he did so without a permissible purpose (http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fcra.htm#604)-- a violation punishable by imprisonment (http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fcra.htm#620).

Without my permission, Don Richman obtained my Social Security number, my address, names of my creditors, account balances, and all the other highly personal pieces of information contained in their credit file about me-- but I don't have any of his. Perhaps I should ask him for it.

Trans Union is no stranger to the disclosure argument, having just denied an audience with the Supreme Court. They just want to play fast and loose with personal information of American consumers, but as they were informed, once again-- after foolishly fighting about it for a decade-- it is illegal.

They wield a huge amount of influence over 190 million consumers, but lack the common sense and scruples the public expects of the stewards of that information and power.

http://www.smartmoney.com/bn/ON/index.cfm?story=ON-20020610-000382-1155

Here's another doozy that's been over-the-top obvious for a long time, but what do they do about it?: Deny, deny, deny.

http://creditaccuracy.com/0002.htm

What clowns.

 

Greg, a couple more questions if you're willing to entertain them:

I've read your excellent site (CreditScoring.com), but it's been awhile. I believe your complaints that at least partly contributed to your creation of CreditScoring.com had to do with the fact that CRAs kept such scores secret. When Don Richman pulled your file, do you think it's possible that he thought -- as a steward of such files for Trans Union -- that he might get a clearer handle on your complaint if he took a look at what they were reporting about you? Perhaps he wasn't entirely clear regarding what gave rise to your complaint and reasonably guessed that he might cut to the chase if he read through what you were reading. Would this be an unreasonable thing for a Trans Union employee to do? Even though your complaint was not report-specific, is it entirely unreasonable for a CRA employee to infer that consumer complaints arise from disagreement with what they report about the consumer?

Doc

 

Two out of three FICO scores are still secret.

Yes, I believe he thought he might get a clearer picture-- and I might get a clearer picture of my neighbor's voting habits if I could see his library records. It was an attempt at intimidation, and an attempt to block my publishing his dopey drivel-- he thought if he put personal information about me in in his email, I'd be less likely to publish it.

But neither are permissible purposes as defined by the law. And, that's where I've chosen to concentrate because Trans Union can't be trusted to do the right thing (as with Equifax releasing the FICO score). With Trans Union, you have to use legal means to force things down their throat. They have a queer corporate culture and a backward sense of right and wrong.

I made it very clear that I wasn't going to give them enough personal identifying information to obtain the file-- but they did it anyway. What did they have to lose? They lost the argument about the dates of late payments, so they went for broke in retaliation.

So, we're left with a point of law, and since that's all Trans Union understands, I'm happy to oblige. Was there a permissible purpose (they are numbered 1 though 5) as delineated in the rules?

http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fcra.htm#604

I don't see one.

Would it be an unreasonable thing for a Trans Union employee to do?

No, not for a Trans Union employee-- because they operate in an unreasonable atmosphere with unreasonable rules. You only have to look to the 24-month payment history debacle to see that. Richman's level of cognitive dissonance-- forced by his company-- is perverse. It is either that, or he is a complete idiot who has been massively duped by his employer.

Even though my complaint was not report-specific, is it entirely unreasonable for a CRA employee to infer that consumer complaints arise from disagreement with what they report about the consumer?

For any credit reporting agency and any consumer, no. But that's no excuse for accessing a person's file without permission. Let that be a lesson to all journalists who might ask Trans Union questions. He knew who I was, saying "Please do not include me on your website. I will work with you."

If a potential patient didn't give you permission to see their psychiatric file, would you still read it?

Thanks for the compliment. creditscoring.com was so easy, I laugh about it. What press! What PR geniuses! This industry is great at setting istelf up for criticism: Just look at this business with the study they they commissioned by-- Arthur Andersen!

But that first site was so easy, it made me lazy. This is a three-act play, and that was only the first act. The second (http://creditaccuracy.com) is just getting started-- and that's always where all the action happens.

 

At risk of sounding patronizing (and one always risks sounding that way when one says something nice)... what a pleasure it would be to teach a graduate seminar with a roomful of people like Greg Fisher.

Doc