April 20, 2009 | By Greg Fisher

Equifax sells credit scores with the line, "Lenders, employers, car dealers, – they all can know your FICO score, and so can you." The page "Equifax Credit Report with FICO Score" (http://www.equifax.com/fico-credit-score/) is on a drop-down list on the company's website's home page.

In April, 2008, an Equifax spokesman stated, "We do not knowingly provide scores for pre employment screening."

The name of the chairman and chief executive officer of Equifax Inc. is Richard F. Smith.

To: Equifax: Tim Klein, VP, public relations; Jennifer Costello, director, public relations; David Rubinger; Steve Ely, president, U.S. Personal Solutions; Demitra L. Wilson, director, public relations, Personal Solutions
From: creditscoring.com
Subject: credit score, employers
Date: 4/19/2009

A year ago, an Equifax representative wrote, "We do not knowingly provide scores for pre employment screening."

Your website states, "Lenders, employers, car dealers, – they all can know your FICO score, and so can you."

How can an employer know my FICO score?

4/27/2009

Equifax ("Inform > Enrich > Empower") exasperated

To: creditscoring.com, Equifax: Tim Klein, VP, public relations; Jennifer Costello, director, public relations; David Rubinger; Steve Ely, president, U.S. Personal Solutions
From: Demitra L. Wilson, director, public relations, Personal Solutions, Equifax
Subject: credit score, employers
Date: 4/19/2009, 11:52 PM

Tim/Jennifer, Steve and I have exchanged e-mails with this blogger a while back. Despite efforts to provide him with information to answer his questions, there is never an answer that suffices. I am familiar with the situation from which this e-mail stems. Please connect with me for background before providing a response. Thanks, good night.

Equifax needs help to "Inform"

To: creditscoring.com
cc: Equifax: Tim Klein, VP, public relations; Jennifer Costello, director, public relations
From: Demitra L. Wilson, director, public relations, Personal Solutions, Equifax
Subject: credit score, employers
Date: 4/20/2009, 5:24 PM

Greg, just touching base to keep you in the loop. . .I'm awaiting some feedback from a few other industry folks whom I've connected with regarding your question. I expect to be able to get you the info you need by COB tomorrow.

Also, for your records, Tim Klein replaced David Rubinger as the VP of Corporate Communications.

Demitra L. Wilson
Director, Public Relations
Personal Information Solutions from Equifax

Protect your identity and the power of your credit.

4/30/2009

Equifax reacts

Equifax's pitch, "Lenders, employers, car dealers, – they all can know your FICO score, and so can you" just became "Lenders, car dealers, landlords... "

When do you expect that you will provide the information now?

To: Demitra L. Wilson, director, public relations, Personal Solutions, Equifax
From: creditscoring.com
Subject: Re: credit score, employers III
cc: Equifax: Tim Klein, VP, public relations; Jennifer Costello, director, public relations; Dave Fowler, VP, product strategy, TALX; Walter W. Driver, Jr., director, Equifax; Robert Daleo, director, Equifax; William W. Canfield, director, Equifax, and president, TALX Corporation
Date: 4/29/2009, 9:14 AM

Please reply.

5/5/2009

You missed one

To: Wilson
From: creditscoring.com
Subject: Re: credit score, employers III
Cc: Klein, Costello, Fowler, Driver, Daleo, Canfield
Date: 4/29/2009, 9:14 AM

Please reply.

To: (creditscoring.com author's personal email address)
From: Klein
Subject: Your Inquiry
Cc: Wilson
Date: 4/30/2009, 11:06 AM

Greg -- Regarding your question below, the response is the same as before: we do not knowingly offer or provide credit scores for employment purposes.

Thanks. Tim

To: Klein
From: creditscoring.com
Subject: Re: credit score, employers IV
Cc: Equifax board of directors: Richard F. Smith, chairman and chief executive officer, L. Phillip Humann, presiding director, Driver, Daleo, Mark L. Feidler, Canfield, Mark B. Templeton, James E. Copeland, Jr., Siri S. Marshall, John A. McKinley; Ely, Wilson; Office of Executive Consumer Services: Trish Graybeal, Celestina Spencer
Date: 5/1/2009, 11:49 AM

On your website, you state, "Lenders, employers, car dealers, landlords - they all know your FICO score, and so can you."

Oh, no! I am looking for a job, right now! Instead of buying groceries, I should pay you $15.95 from my dwindling savings today so that I know what employers know: My FICO score! How do employers know my FICO score? Do you provide it without knowing it and then find out later that you provided it? Do employers break your rules? What are the consequences for those who do so? Do you punish them by cutting them off as a source of your revenue? Does my file disclosure provide all* of the data about my accounts and creditors that affect my credit score, or is some of it secret? I want to make sure that my file is accurate so that my FICO credit score is accurate!

*see creditaccuracy.com.

5/21/2009

Training Equifax

Equifax, your past and continuing problems are only caused by you. Just follow the blog feed and the site feed, make the corrections, and stop whining. Or, resign, and let somebody competent handle it.