Why won't my credit bureau connection work?
If CreditRefresh cannot connect to a bureau, the usual cause is an identity check that did not pass: a mismatched name or address, security questions answered differently than the bureau has on file, or a credit freeze blocking the pull. Thaw any freeze, confirm your details exactly match your reports, and retry. If it still fails, email support@creditrefresh.ai.
Start here
CreditRefresh connects to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion through Array, a regulated credit-data provider, and the pull runs as a soft inquiry that does not affect your score. When a connection fails, it is almost always an identity-verification problem, not a billing or account problem.
Common reasons a connection fails
- Mismatched personal details. A name, date of birth, or address that does not exactly match what the bureau has on file.
- Identity questions answered differently. The bureau asks knowledge-based questions about old addresses or past lenders, and a wrong or outdated answer blocks the pull.
- A credit freeze. A freeze stops anyone, including you, from pulling that bureau until you thaw it.
- An outdated address. If you moved recently, the bureau may still expect your previous address.
- A temporary bureau outage. Occasionally a bureau's system is down and the pull cannot complete.
How to fix it
- Check your details. Make sure your name, date of birth, and current address match your credit reports exactly, including suffixes like Jr. or III.
- Thaw any credit freeze. If you have frozen your credit, lift the freeze at the bureau that is failing, then retry. See how a credit freeze works.
- Answer identity questions carefully. Use the addresses and accounts the bureau is most likely to have on record, even if they are old.
- Wait and retry. If a bureau is temporarily down, give it a few hours and try the connection again.
When to contact support
If you have confirmed your details, lifted any freeze, and the connection still fails on the same bureau, email support@creditrefresh.ai with the bureau name and roughly when you tried. We can check whether the issue is on the provider's side.
If you get a message about possible fraud or a locked file, that can signal identity theft. Do not keep retrying. Review our guidance on identity theft and your credit, and contact the bureau directly.
Related articles
A credit freeze blocks most new credit applications by preventing lenders from pulling your credit reports. It's free, federally protected, and the strongest single tool against identity-theft-driven new accounts. A freeze affects bureau pulls — including services like CreditRefresh — so frozen reports need to be temporarily thawed for scans and disputes.
Yes. CreditRefresh treats credit and personal data as sensitive by default. Bureau pulls are soft inquiries that don't affect your score. Credentials are encrypted, used only for dispute work. Your data isn't sold to advertisers or third parties — it stays in our systems for finding errors, drafting letters, and tracking outcomes.