I think that the relevance is that if you go check out the website and at least a goodly number of it's links you will see that innovis is likely to be nothing but another layer of crap being added on by equifax. By bogging them down with the same demand for verification on the same item, you tie up more and more of their resources since each one (except Equifax itself) has to answer at least two demands for verification. We may even find that using a different excuse for the demand with each of them might very well add to their confusion. I do know for a matter of fact that making verification demands on CSC and Equifax at the same time on the same issue can and often does produce strikingly different results. Equifax pops back with "item verified" and CSC makes them change it to deleted only a few days later when it actually can't be verified. Proves Equifax a liar quite often when what they already verified suddenly can't be verified. Now then, if you add innovis into the Equifax mix and all three have to verify the same thing at the same time it's likely to mess them up even more.
Greg- it was a rhetorical question, and not directed at you. If I was directing it at you, I would have said "Why don't you send them an email, cc it to the rest of the world, then post it on that unreadable piece of crap you call a website?" The question was asked "who is Innovus", and I answered it for the poster. Reply's are not necessary as I decided a long time ago your pointless, idiodic ramblings are best ignored. Shawn
Super "I can spell, I just can't type!" Shawn, please give an example of a part that's unreadable in one of your next replies.* I don't write a low reading level. *The likelihood that "Reply's" is a typo is low.
Actually I saw this entry on my EX report, but listed under the section of inquiries only seen by me....hmmmmmm (before I opted out)
You, Old Man, are a jack-ass. (no laughing) I don't see why you think you are witty or funny because you heard a word on the news that defines a group that inflicted great pain upon this country. You finding a slang definition doesn't make you any more creative and is a pathetic attempt at defending yourself. You didn't have to explain yourself, I understood what you were saying and it was/is tasteless. If you can't see that then it is you with the problem. -Om
As someone has pointed out, Innovis is the Fourth Reporting Agency. A long while ago, Equifax figured out that it was in their best interests to farm out work to an affiliate company that could handle consumer reports on a regional level. This kept the government off their back since the CBC companies were only regional they werent liable under the same regulations as the National Credit Reporting Agencies under the FCRA. Innovis is nothing but this collective grouping of regurgitated or mirrored information that the Equifax repository has on its files to date. Innovis will emerge as the Fouth CRA, giving CBC National status, while increasing the marketplace share for Equifax/CBC companies. They have a plan, it is to dominate the industry. CBC will get away with not providing a toll free # due to its regional status. Innovis will only get away with it until it becomes an issue, once they are really up and running. They offer no services as of this time..... They will also be a BIG PAIN in the A**......
...FROM WHAT I REMEMBER ABOUT IT... It was posted here months ago, it was going to be a clearinghouse for the BIG 3. IT WOULD BE IMMUNE TO REMOVAL OF ANY INQUIRIES, AND IT WOULD HAVE THE INFORMATION FROM THE BIG 3 IN ONE PLACE... So, I guess a credit card company could "SEE" your "HIDDEN" accounts and "HIDDEN" inquires with-out pulling all 3... ...BUT YOU CAN'T FIX ERRORS, AND I GUESS AT THIS TIME YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE WHAT IS ON THE CREDIT REPORT... CLASS ACTION TIME?
GoDaddyO: Innovis seems to have some particular ties with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, who require that mortgage servicers report to them. What do you know about that?
godaddyo- But they *do* provide services, according to their website: http://www.innovis-cbc.com/fail_new1.htm If they furnish reports at all, they need to furnish the reports to consumers. Hopefully, when they DO start furnishing consumer reports, their software would have trashed all the stale stuff. SK
I called Innovus today and spoke to a rep who was quite nice. According to her, they are not going to be an additional CRA. While they do maintain a database on credit information, it is mainly to solicit sales for and provide data to mortgage loan companies for marketing purposes only. According to her they are not going to be providing data to credit card companies, auto loans, etc, for basis of approval. CBC Companies bought Innovis (formerly know as Consumer Credit Associates, formerly know as ACB Services) in April 1999. CBC mainly deals with tenant screening and real estate services. They do dabble in collections and employment pre-screening, but not nearly as much as the real estate portion. The main products (two) of Innovis are: Failsafe- A national database of consumers with unfavorable current or past credit histories. You can cleanse your pre-approved mailing lists before offers are printed and mailed - significantly reducing your mail program costs, back-end credit bureau polls and potential risk. FailSafe is an FCRA compliant database comprised of public record and accounts receivable data collected from thousands of credit grantors nationally. On average 3-4% of all names surviving credit prescreening are actually delinquent, but not eliminated during the credit bureau prescreen process due to file fragmentation, mismatched records or records lost within the credit bureau master file. One last screening against FailSafe will safely eliminate the undesirable names prior to your mail date. NewMovers- A list of consumers who have reported a change of address. Available as a monthly hot list, this provides approximately 1 million names per month. Demographic appends and selects are available. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are two of the largest mortgage providers in the country. Freddie Mac alone speculates they will write 50 million loans over the next 10 years. If you are in the mortgage business, seems like a good place to start gathering information. Looks like they are just using the typical scummy tactics to fill a market 'niche' in the marketing game. Shawn
It looks like, from their site, that a copy IS available by writing them, but they do not take requests by phone or online. I do not know this for a fact, though. Shawn
Innovis will be offering credit reports. On what level will Innovis operate, I am not sure. But I do know that they will be offering those services that are named by an above poster and then some. They will be filling the "niche marketplace". I do believe that they will be considered liable under the FCRA. They will also have to provide their information to the consumer, since it will be used in the process of granting credit. It does seem that as of now, their primary relationship is with the major players in the mortgage industry. Maybe someone with an inside will give us more info to go on. I would sure like to know. Since Equifax and CBC are intolerable, I am quite certain that Innovis will follow the same pattern.
Well, I say just start including them in all CRA dispute letters as of now. Makes no difference if you think they have a listing on you or not. Dispute them anyway. Demand that they verify and see what we get back. If nothing else, it will give them something else to do besides snooping LOL
GoDaddyo- According to the rep I spoke with yesterday, they will NOT be using their database for determining credit. There database will be used for 'marketing' purposes only, i.e. the type of material 'opt-out' keeps us from getting. I am not saying you are wrong, I am only repeating what I was told. Shawn
The problem is that if I appear with negative listings in the Innovis database I'll see far fewer preapproved offers. While that's not a tragedy, LOL, I like those offers, and I'd really like to be sure that whatever Innovis is maintaining about me is correct.
Oh, I definately agree....If someone has a file on me, I want to know what it says, or at least have the right to! Driving record, ss record, etc...... I am just hoping that the rep was right and they are not going to be a 4th CRA- it's hard enough on us as it is! Shawn
Ditto everything Shawn said. I just telephoned Innovis "Consumer Relations" at the 1-877-INNOVIS toll-free number. I spoke with a guy name John (for what that's worth, lol), and he said that I could indeed request my credit file from them, that the request would take 30 days, and that they would include a dispute form with the credit file. He told me to write this address: Innovis Data Solutions Attn: Consumer Relations P. O. Box 219297 Houston, TX 77218-9297 He said I should include a copy of my driver's license and a utility or telephone bill that confirms my mailing address as part of the request. I'm sending my request off today.
Just a note here. It doesn't matter *what* the databases are used for. They don't have to be used for credit to enable consumers to get the info. For instance, credit files are routinely pulled for background checks and investigations. No credit involved. SK
