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Equifax waives credit protection fees after consumer outcry

Equifax waives credit protection fees after consumer outcry

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But only until November

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Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Equifax says it will now waive all of its fees for customers who want to freeze their credit files with the company, reports The New York Times, but it will only do so until November 21. Equifax will also refund fees to those who have paid since September 7 — the day the company announced 143 million users have had their Social Security numbers, birthdates, addresses, and in some cases, credit card numbers compromised. The freeze keeps new creditors from accessing customer files, which would help to stem identity fraud.

Equifax initially required customers to pay for a freeze to their accounts to protect their personal data leaked but the company. The announcement to waive fees was made after a deluge of customer complaints. Before that it had offered a year of free credit monitoring as an olive branch. To add further insult, the breach happened over a month before the company actually disclosed it. The company is working with authorities and an independent cybersecurity firm on an investigation.

Equifax has set up a dedicated website where customers can check to see if their data has been compromised and to enroll in protection. The company also noted that enrolling in that program “does not waive any rights to take legal action,” as it has removed the restrictive language from its terms of use. There’s already been a class action lawsuit filed against the company, and even a chatbot that lets you sue Equifax for up to $25,000 without a lawyer.