Consumer complaint received 2021-07-07
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: FL
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Sub-issue: Account status incorrect

Complaint:
Very urgent matter : My checking account was closed at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX  ) and {$100.00} was sent to collections on XX/XX/XXXX. I called the collection office on XX/XX/XXXX to make the payment for {$100.00} even though XXXX wrote this amount off and placed it on my credit as a " charge off account '' and a " write off ''. I have called before but never was able to resolve the issue. This time, I was informed by collections that XXXX had purchased the debt back and now I would have to contact their offices. So, I called XXXX and spoke to a gentleman who is head over the collections department over the phone and was informed to make the outstanding payment in any XXXX branch, and then he would remove the account from my credit report. So, I agreed to make the full payment even though he denied to negotiate the price with me. 

I went to the bank on XX/XX/XXXX and made my payment of {$100.00} at XXXX at the XXXX location in XXXX XXXX, Florida. I was told by the teller to check my credit report for an update within 30 days and the charge off would be removed. Unfortunately when I checked my credit report after the 30 days, the " charge off '' & " write off '' were still on my credit report. I contacted the collections department again by calling the Headquarters. I spoke to a young lady in the collections department. because she said the manager wasn't available. She informed me that by making the outstanding payment of {$100.00} the charge off is suppose to be removed, when I told her the charge off was still on my account and I asked how long it would take she became belligerent. 
I called again within a week and spoke to the same gentleman who is in charge of the department and said he would remove the " charge off '' & " write off '' from my credit report. Well, he informed me that it shouldn't be there and to give him an additional 3 to 4 days to have this debt removed from my credit report. Unfortunately, this became a game of cat and mouse. I have been calling since XXXX of last year and this situation still hasn't been resolved. Now it's XXXX and I go to another credit union to open an account and I'm denied and told that the " charge off '' is still on my credit. When I informed the banker that I had made the outstanding payment she informed me to go back to the branch where I made the payment at XXXX and speak to a manager because the " charge off '' should be removed. 

So, recently within the week of XX/XX/XXXX, I go into the XXXX XXXX branch for XXXX and speak with the teller who initially says he doesn't see where I made any payments on this closed account. However, after some digging, he found it, and then I was escorted to speak with the assistant branch manager. I educated the assistant branch manager on everything and she sent an email to the Headquarters of XXXX and told me they would fix it. To my surprise I wake up on XX/XX/XXXX, to see my credit report has been updated, XXXX changed the " charge off '' & " write off '' to a " Returned Check '' which somehow seems illegal. As a result, my credit score has taken a plunge of 24 points due to XXXX 's unprofessionalism, unethical, and negligence. I was appalled so, I called the assistant branch manager and requested for her to fix it, she told me she would contact me back, and up until today, XX/XX/XXXX she still has not contacted me. Now the situation just got worst because as of XX/XX/XXXX the status has been updated yet again, back to the original " InCollections/Charge off '' status. 

From XX/XX/XXXX, my credit report has never reflected that the {$100.00} has been satisfied and paid in full. I just want my credit score to reflect the truth, show that I paid {$100.00} and for the manager to remove this incorrect information from my credit score like he said he would. This madness has gone on long enough and I'm shocked that a Credit Union such as this is allowed to operate in America.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation