Consumer complaint received 2018-04-30
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: CA
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: Was not notified of investigation status or results

Complaint:
This complaint centers around the way that some debt collection agencies practice their trade by willfully ignoring current laws. XXXX XXXX & XXXX in attempting to collect a debt for XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, did break a few laws without question.All of the problems stem from what was reported to credit reporting agencies. Not on any matter of how they interacted with me outside of their duties as a " furnisher '' of information. For some context and background ; I was a student of XXXX XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX. I became XXXX XXXX, and my condition at that time began to worsen so I dropped out of school. I began to receive debt notices from XXXX XXXX which I could not afford to pay. I began to look into filing for student debt forgiveness due to XXXX XXXX. I completed the paperwork and was notified I would be monitored for three years and after that, if my status didn't change, my student debts would be canceled. I did this. At the end of XX/XX/XXXX, I received a copy of my credit report from XXXX. Under the heading COLLECTIONS was information from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX stating I owed XXXX XXXX {$2100.00}. On XX/XX/XXXX, I promptly disputed this online with XXXX. In the meantime, I contacted XXXX the administer of my student debt cancellation. I also had multiple email contacts with the XXXX XXXX Bursar, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX. This is when I learned the debt was not for loans or regular student debt, it was XXXX XXXX collecting money they lost when loans, grants etc. were canceled. Money that had nothing to do with XXXX. Ironically on XX/XX/XXXX, I was contacted by XXXX stating that XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX had certified the debt as accurate and the debt would remain on my credit report. That same day I received the last email from XXXX XXXX confirming the date of my withdrawal as XX/XX/XXXX. The debt was due on that date. The bursar also submitted a one-page breakdown of the funds showing why XXXX XXXX was collecting the {$2100.00}. This form was the same one given to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. This proved that the debt was time-barred from being furnished to credit reporting agencies. By admission from XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX was given documentation showing when debt became past due ( delinquent ) and how long it could be legally reported. That time limit was up in XX/XX/XXXX. Since XX/XX/XXXX multiple times XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX illegally and knowingly certified information to credit bureaus. On XX/XX/XXXX, I mailed another dispute to XXXX. At that time I provided a copy of the last email from the XXXX XXXX Bursar and the breakdown of the debt form. I received no response from XXXX but the collections account has been removed for the month of XX/XX/XXXX. I also received a copy of my Equifax credit report on XX/XX/XXXX. Under Collections was the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX information which states : debt assigned XX/XX/XXXX date of 1st delinquency XX/XX/XXXX amount {$2100.00} unpaid Collection reported XX/XX/XXXX notation ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Consumer Disputes This Account Information. We already know that the original creditor, XXXX XXXX, has certified the due date as XX/XX/XXXX so thirty days overdue would be XX/XX/XXXX, NOT XX/XX/XXXX as XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX reported. We also know that if XXXX XXXX had not provided all of that to XXXX XXXX in the beginning ( which seems very unlikely ) proof has been submitted that the financial breakdown was submitted to XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. So, yes, knowingly they submitted information as a furnisher to multiple credit reporting agencies, multiple times, the information they knew or should have known was illegal to be reported. I am sending the following proof with this complaint : 1. Proof of submitting online dispute to XXXX 2. Emails from XXXX XXXX Bursar and breakdown of debt. 3. XXXX   stating that XXXX XXXX say that the information was accurate and it would remain on my credit report. 4. Mailed second dispute to XXXX with copy of email from XXXX XXXX and breakdown of debt. 5. Copy of page from XXXX showing information provided by XXXX XXXX on my credit report on XX/XX/XXXX, a copy of credit report dated XX/XX/XXXX where the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX information was removed.. 6. Copy of XX/XX/XXXX report from Equifax showing the information provided to Equifax by XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation