A Bakersfield woman says she was denied a new car this week because her credit was bad.
Callie Lopez says Experian, one of the country's three biggest credit reporting companies, might have mistaken her for her deceased grandmother.
Lopez says when she went to other experienced credit companies, her credit was fine.
"Right now, I feel we're the bad person, and I'm really not," said Lopez, who's trying to fix her credit. "This is something I didn't cause."
Lopez says she's never had bad credit and that she and her husband have always paid their bills on time.
"We're in limbo, really can't do anything, can't get a new car," said Lopez. "If we wanted to refinance, we can't refinance. We can't do anything until this is straightened out."
Lopez says credit report company Experian made a mistake on her credit report. She says she noticed it when a local dealer denied her a car, saying her credit was red-flagged.
"It feels horrible," said Lopez. "I was embarrassed at the dealership when they told me my credit was bad."
Lopez says she thinks the company mistook her for her deceased grandmother, who had the same first and last name.
She says when she called the company, she was only able to reach a supervisor who told her, as of now, she has to wait for a letter before they can help.
"I want them to fix my credit report and get it back where it should be, and I think they owe us an apology for their mix-up," Lopez added.
Three companies dominate the credit reporting industry, Transunion, Equifax and Experian.
They determine your credit score based on how you've paid your bills and how much debt you have.
"Credit report mistakes are not overly common, but they do exist," said Steve Matejka, Senior Vice President of Branches and Compliance, Kern Schools Federal Credit Union.
He says bad credit has a direct impact on many financial decisions people make.
A spokesperson for Experian called 17 News and apologized for the mix-up, saying the company will call Lopez Friday morning.
Kern Schools holds regular credit report workshops. For more information, call 833-7045.
