Experian is one of the largest consumer credit bureaus. Many employers, landlords, insurance companies, banks and credit card providers use Experian's reports to make decisions about employment, insurance coverage, housing, and granting credit. As a result, Experian's customer service team gets a lot of requests for assistance from consumers.

Why Do People Call Experian?

There are many reasons why a person might call Experian's telephone customer service:

Questions about information and potential errors on credit reports

Requesting a credit report hold or freeze

Reporting identity theft

Inquiries about Experian's credit monitoring service

Requesting a copy of one's own credit report (see information about free credit reports below)

To dispute their FICO(R) credit score

Some of these services require consumers to call dedicated numbers for assistance. Some of these numbers are answered by an automated voice request system, so you should be aware of this before calling.

A Word About Free Annual Credit Reports

The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act gives consumers a right to a free copy of their credit report from each credit bureau, including Experian, every 12 months. However, you shouldn't call Experian to request your free report. Instead, you need to visit annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.

Other Free Credit Reports

The Fair Credit Reporting Act also gives you the right to an additional free credit report under other circumstances, including:

An employer, landlord, bank, credit issuer or insurance company has taken adverse action against you (such as denying credit, employment or housing applications)

You are unemployed and job hunting

You have been the victim of fraud

You receive public assistance

If you've already requested your free reports for the year, you must contact each credit bureau, including Experian, directly.

Why Should Consumers be Cautious When Calling Experian?

Be sure to double-check any numbers that you have for Experian and make sure that they are accurate. This is because there are some unscrupulous companies that may take advantage of dialing errors or confusion over branding.

Free credit report providers: There are other services that may offer "free" credit reports, but they are usually trying to sell credit monitoring services. They may even use Experian's name in their advertising, but these companies are only resellers of Experian's information. Once your "free" trial is up, your credit or debit card is charged for the service. If you want to request your free annual credit report, you must contact annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.

Scammers: Because credit bureaus deal with such sensitive information, it is important to double-check numbers when calling Experian. Some unethical companies may have a phone number that is similar to Experian's, which might lead to someone calling and unwittingly giving that company information that could be used for identity theft purposes.

How do Consumers Feel About Calling Experian?

Customer service is a huge concern for Experian and there are a lot of people who attempt to contact the company every day by phone. Reports from consumers are often mixed. Many people report difficulty in trying to speak to a human being and others complain that the company's automated system doesn't work well.

There are some reports indicating that the company's toll-free numbers are managed by automated systems and can make it more difficult to speak to a person. Calling Experian's regular phone lines may give you a better chance of talking to a person.

What Kind of Issues can an Experian Customer Service Representative Resolve?

Experian customer service representatives can help you with a variety of issues, including:

Ordering copies of your Experian credit report

Challenging inaccurate information

Providing protection against identity theft, such as freezing your credit report

Filing a dispute of your credit score

Answering questions about your report

What is Difficult to Resolve with Experian Phone-Based Customer Service?

Experian states on its website that it is best able to help consumers with disputes when the consumer has a recent credit report in front of them. If you don't have a copy of your credit report, try to get one before calling. It is possible to order your report online and receive it within minutes.

Credit bureaus, such as Experian, report information provided to them by creditors. Experian can research erroneous information, but can't change it unless the creditor acknowledges the error or fails to respond entirely to your dispute.

If you have been the victim of identity theft or fraud, you will need to report what happened to law enforcement. Experian can't do this for you.

Depending on your concern, you may have fax, mail, or upload documentation to Experian before your case can move forward.

What Should You Do if You Have an Unsuccessful Call with Experian?

If you have tried speaking to a phone representative at Experian but not reached an acceptable resolution, don't give up. You may be able to work things out by using a different approach.