Consumer complaint received 2022-04-22
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: IL
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:
I was given false information by XXXX XXXX  representatives for a Mortgage Modification program and because of that information I now have late payments on my credit report. I have written out a detail explanation of my account. 

In XXXX of XXXX, I applied for Mortgage assistance through XXXX XXXX, the bank that holds my mortgage. At the time all I wanted was a 1-month deferment to provide some relief from my monthly expenses. That month I was not doing well with my business and had some unexpected expenses come up. At that time, when I applied for the Mortgage assistance, I was not behind on my mortgage and was still within the 30-day period. I was notified that I was approved for loan modification. The terms where my monthly payment would get lowered to {$660.00} and the first payment was not due until XX/XX/XXXX. Again, at this time I was still within the 30-day payment period and was not behind on my payments. To confirm the information, I received in the mail, I decided to call XXXX XXXX. This is all still in XXXX of XXXX. I spoke with XXXX representatives from XXXX XXXX. I asked them specifically, according to the loan modification my first payment is not due until XXXX XXXX. Does that mean I don't have to make a payment until then? And if I don't have to make a payment will this go as a negative on my report? Both XXXX XXXX  representatives stated that I do not have to make until XXXX and that the missed payments will not be a negative on your report. Based off the information I received from XXXX XXXX  I decided not to make my XXXX and XXXX payment as I was told it would not be a negative mark on my credit report and the first payment of the Loan Modification program was XX/XX/XXXX. Once XX/XX/XXXX, came, I made my first payment for the loan modification program, on time. After that I received a credit report notification that I was 30 days late on my Mortgage payment. I immediately called XXXX XXXX  to get this corrected as I was told it would not affect my credit. When I talked to the XXXX XXXX  representative, she confirmed what the other 2 representatives said, that I should not have a negative late payment on my credit report. And was told they would submit a report to to the credit department to correct the error. I was told it would take 30 days to update. Later in XXXX I received a letter stating that the late payment would be suppress. XXXX and I made my payment within the 30-day period. My credit report updated to show that I am now 60 days past due. I once again called XXXX XXXX  to complain. The XXXX XXXX representative told me once again that I should not show any late payments and that she would input another dispute to their credit department to update and correct the issue on my credit report. I was once again told that this would be corrected in 30 days. After that call I received a call from XXXX XXXX  stating they had important information about my account, I missed the original call, but called them back. This is still in XXXX. When I call them back, I once again brought up the late payments that were showing up on my credit report. This time the XXXX XXXX  Representative told me that this was not true, and the loan modification does offer any credit report protections. And that the previous representatives gave me false information. I asked her could they update my credit report because I received false information and based my decision on moving forward with the loan modification off the information XXXX XXXX representatives gave me. She said I could not. I proceeded to ask to speak to the Manager and was connected to her supervisor. I explained the situation to her, and she confirmed because they have recordings and notes from all my previous calls. The Supervisor for XXXX XXXX told me there was nothing she could do even though she admitted that I was given false information, they refuse to correct the information on my credit report. The only thing she said she would do is have the representatives I spoke with go through more training. That does not help me. I was following the instructions XXXX XXXX  gave me and if I had of known that this would affect my credit report would have not accepted the modification and made my payments as normal. Again, XXXX XXXX  also has notes and recordings of all the phone calls I made trying to do my due diligence on this option that is supposed to help consumer not hurt them. I am a small business owner, and my credit report is very important to me, as I need it to get credit and loans for my business. This has really hurt me because these negative marks are keeping me from getting any type of assistance for my business. I have made all the loan modification payments on time so I do not understand why they will not correct my credit report. Moreover, the loan modification letter does not state anything about this program hurting or affecting my credit in a negative way. And if I would have known it, I would have not agreed to this program. I have attach letters, I received from XXXX XXXX  and a screen shot showing I have made all the payments with the Loan Modification program.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation