Could there possibly be a more greedy, profit-focused, customer un-centric industry than the airlines?

As it turns out, yes indeed there is. Welcome to our exceedingly unfriendly credit collection agencies Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Let’s focus on Equifax because it’s the one in the news these days after allowing a credit hack that has affected 143.5 million Americans. Equifax “allowed” that hack because it took grossly inadequate security measures to protect the confidential data of its victims. The company calls them customers, but they are victims.

The Equinox CEO has resigned as a result of the hack. Bully. The company and its two competing agencies ought to be the subject of rigorous new laws to limit their operations and the damages they can and are causing to so many millions of innocents. Even now as Equinox is attempting to allow victims to freeze or lock for free their stolen accounts, Experian and TransUnion are charging and want to increase their fees for those actions. That’s reprehensible. Onerous. It deserves more than a Congressional reprimand.

Customers ought to be able to alter their records at these companies at any time with out being charged for it. After all, these agencies make their profits from the organizations who purchase the collected information they have acquired. The money they make from customers — let’s just stick to labeling them victims — is just plain greed. Congress, it’s time to stop this. It’s disgusting corporate behavior that is anti-consumerism at its worst. Let’s fix the issue at hand and then seek legitimate and much-needed reform to prevent recurrences.