Mission Accomplished

For about a month now, McMoose has been "reminding" me to print out a copy of my credit report, so that when we get around to applying for a home loan later this year, we won't be met with any ugly surprises. Two of the three credit reporting agencies were fabulous and spewed out page after page of information about every financial decision I've made in the past 10 years or so. I mean, stuff that I didn't even remember about my own credit history was in there. But then, there was the third agency. According to them, they were unable to verify my existence, so I'd have to find another way to get my credit report. Mind you, they gave me no clue what this "other way" was, so apparently, it was supposed to be a little challenge--find our phone number and you will have proven yourself worthy of knowing YOUR OWN credit history.

As challenges go, it was a pretty pitiful one, so I called them today. The interaction with an automated system went something like this:

System: Welcome to CreditReportingAgency. You can obtain your free, annual report by entering your zip code, social security number, birth date, and the numerical portion of your address. Are you visually impaired? Please press 1 if you are and 2 if you are not.
Me, unsure why it would matter if I were VISUALLY impaired, since this was a PHONE call: *2*
System: Please enter your zip code.
Me: *Enter zip code*
System: Please enter your social security number.
Me: *Enter social security number*
System: Please enter your eight digit date of birth.
Me: *Enter date of birth*
System: Please enter the numerical portion of your address.
Me: *Enter numerical portion*
System: Would you like to order your credit score for an additional $7? Press 1 for yes and 2 for no.
Me: *2*
System: Your credit score is important for reasons x, y, and z. Would you like to order your credit score? Press 1 for yes and 2 for no.
Me: *2!!!*
System: Would you like to enroll for a free membership in blah-blah-blah? Press 1 for yes and 2 for no.
Me: *2*
System: Are you sure? It's a FREE membership, with no obligation if you cancel within 30 days. It's useful for reasons x, y, z. And for reasons a, b, c. Oh, and for reasons l, m, n, o, and p. Now would you like to enroll for a free membership? Press 1 for yes and 2 for no.
Me: *2!!!!!!*
System: Please expect your credit report in one week. Good-bye.

How is it that the automated phone system knew, with some very basic information about me, EXACTLY who I was AND where I lived, but the online system was "unable to verify?"