Consumer complaint received 2018-06-18
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: MO
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem
Sub-issue: Their investigation did not fix an error on your report

Complaint:
CFPB, I have been in recent communication with Equifax regarding some inaccurate and unverifiable medical accounts listed on the report that their company is furnishing. I have sent several letters informing them that there were some medical collections on my report that I wanted to get validated to ensure accuracy. I reached out to the bureau as well as the reporting agencies to get this information validated. The agencies did not send me back any proof of validation at all. In fact, the sent me back a vague statement that only reflected a random amount, but no breakdown of where this amount came from. None of the agencies sent me copies of an original contract bewtween myself and the original creditors nor any proof that they have legal ownership of the alleged accounts. My many attempts to validate that these debts belong to me and that the agencies reporting the accounts legally own them was unsuccessful ( as the reporting agencies could not verify them ). I made Equifax aware of an adverse medical account with XXXX XXXX XXXX originally on in XX/XX/XXXX. In that dispute letter, I asked them to conduct an investigation to validate this item belongs to me. I also asked that in the event that the account has been verified, that they send me copies of all documentation used to verify the account per their investigation. Equifax sent me a response in XX/XX/XXXX ( within 30 days ) stating this account had been verified. However, they did not comply with my request for their complete method of validation. Instead, they provided me with a general procedure in which they verify disputed information, but they did not supply any supporitng proof of such validation. I have beeb disputing this account since XX/XX/XXXX and requesting from the bureau copies of what was used to validate the account such as an original contract or consent form, ALONG WITH a HIPAA release form. This would prove that I consented to this bill as well as authorized the reporting agency to obtain my protected health information to validate this account. The bureau provided me with no such proof of validation and neither did the agency. I informed Equifax on XX/XX/XXXX that this company could not lawfully verify the account with me and that they were in direct violation of my HIPAA rights. I requested that the account be deleted as it remained unverifiable, and Equifax did not comply. 
This is true for two other medical collections listing in my file. These two accounts are with XXXX XXXX. These two accounts were also disputed on XX/XX/XXXX. In that letter, I requested that Equifax conduct a reasonable investigation into my dispute and validate these accounts as I did not recognize them. Persuat to section 609 of the FCRA, I also requested that Equifax disclose to me : all information in my file as of that date ( XX/XX/XXXX ), all sources of information, and the dates, original payees, and amounts of any checks/payments made toward these accounts. I asked for the original consent form including a HIPAA authorization to validate these accounts. I requested copies of ALL documentation that these agencies sent their company to validate the accounts. Equifax honored none of my requests. Instead, they sent only a letter stating the accounts had been verified, but not send proof of how. I am adamant about paying my bills on time and in full and only wanted to validate these accounts before resolving them with payment. All three accounts remain unverified to this date, yet Equifax continues to furnish the unverifiable information on my report. 
Legally, the burden of proof lies on Equifax since they are the company furnishing the information. I have attempted to reach out directly to these agencies and did not get any validation of these accounts, so I don't understand how Equifax is verifying them.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation