Hey Richard,
That's why I always suggest to people to get a preauthorization amount from somebody.

It's not bad to have inquiries from time to time. Hard Credit bureau inquiries are supposed to knock 6 points each off your credit score.. That's not a hard number that I'm certain about, but it's a number that I've heard before.

TransUnion Canada is notorious for keeping old stuff on your credit reports. They'll keep good credit items on for as long as 20 years in some case. TransUnion Canada will keep old addresses for 20+ years.

I looked at my TransUnion Canada credit report for the first time, (a few years ago) and saw stuff going back to 1987. I immediately had them remove it all.

Regarding inquiries being bad... If you're constantly shopping for credit, the credit bureaus call that credit shopping. Constant credit shopping means that you either have bad credit and can't get any type of credit, or that you're in trouble and have an insatiable appetite for credit. This sets off alarm bells for creditors.

Just found out by talking to a Equifax employee who by the way was real hard to understand! Told me if you go to a loan broker for a loan and they go to different lenders and each one of the different lenders check your credit file you will have a inquiry listed from each lender for a min of three years.
I still have inquires listed from 2000.have over twenty still listed she said she would remove the old ones funny after 7 years and not 3 like the site said.So i guess this stuff is not automatic---Rick

http://www.equifax.com/EFX_Canada/

consumer_information_centre/docs/request_report_form_e.pdf

Huh? I just got 2 Equifax reports last month. Sent them in copies of my driver's licence and citizenship card. Active major credit cards are acceptable forms of ID but not restricted to them. See the above link for acceptable forms of ID as well as a copy of the Equifax request form.

Ray

Equifax Canada told me that if you must have at least 2 pieces of revolving credit before they will have an active account for you.

IE... if you don't have at least two active credit cards or an outstanding car loan, they won't keep an active file open on you.

You may want to ask them if to confirm that they have an active account that is reporting .

Same with TransUnion Canada.

Why not do it then? Send in photocopies of 2 types of ID that are on their accepted list. I've done it 6 times by mail and presto, each time, within 2 or 3 weeks, I got my Equifax report. Granted, they had more errors than true facts on them, but at least I got them. Ditto for TransUnion. All for less than a buck.

Monty is right in that it's unfair for them not to include your credit score by mail for free. CRA's only do the absolute minimum (if that) required by the various provincial credit reporting acts. They're only required to provide a free written credit report under the legislation. For them, it's a nuisance that they don't make any money on. Anything else they can gouge you for, they will.

Ray

For one, when I did get a hold of someone at Equifax they told me to fax all my info including my id to them in order to get my credit report. They told me it was free and didn't cost me a thing.

And second, I do not have a credit card. How else do I do it then?

Hi Bonnie,
Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada are pretty fussy...
They need to proof of ID to know who you are etc.

All this is explained in my Credit Repair ebook for Canadians...Credit Repair Ebook
(The proceeds of the ebook go to helping keep the lights on at Canadian Money Advisor :) )

There are alot of little details that the credit bureaus want to see before they issue you your credit report by mail. If done correctly you should receive your credit reports in the mail in 3-6 weeks.

It's good to note that Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada do not give you your credit score for free by mail. You can only purchase your credit scores on their websites. I think that's pretty dumb, especially since your credit score affects your life a great deal.

With out purchasing your credit score from Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada the only way to find out what it is is to apply for credit and then ask the vendor to show you your credit score, which they are not supposed to do by contract.

The funny thing is that when you order it online, you don't have to jump through all of the hoops. You just have to provide a credit card number..

Don't feel bad.. Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada have been treating people poorly for many years now..

More about Canadian Credit Repair Ebook

Canadian Money Advisor
Money Adviser Canada

I have been trying to get a hold of Equifax for a few years now. I faxed my information to them a few times just so I can get my credit report. But, to no avail. I have not been able to get my hands on it. Would anyone know how else I can go about getting my credit report for myself?

Thank you.

Hey Laura,

While doing credit repair for clients I gained access to some of their more senior people inside Equifax Canada..I had access to people inside TransUnion Canada as well. That allowed me to by pass the horrid 1-800 number.

Sometimes the best way is to write them a letter with your request.

I won't publish those numbers, as I agreed to not make them public.

The folks at Equifax Canada get 10,000 pieces of mail per week and several thousands of phone calls per day.. They're very understaffed in my opinion.

Having said that, they're a business and have to keep their costs down... :(

Well, I can say it's almost impossible to reach them. First of all they are only open 8-5, and if you do call it's constantly busy.
And their reports look horrible!!, and they don't have a special fraud line, and you have to listen to about 2 min of where they are, what they do, what their fax # is before you even find out their hours....whew, can you tell I'm a little frustrated???