Consumer complaint received 2023-11-07
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: FL
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem
Sub-issue: Their investigation did not fix an error on your report

Complaint:
I've been disputing an inaccurate alleged debt on my credit reports from Fair Collections & Outsourcing with Equifax on and off for years to no avail. I gave up. Within the last 6 months, I've been denied credit and attempted to clean up my credit report again. I again disputed the information with Equifax, who again came back claiming the information was verified. I then requested a re-investigation specifically stating that I wanted every single piece of information they're reporting verified. I wrote a certified letter to the collection company requesting FULL VALIDATION and filed a complaint with CFPB. The results of the re-investigation from Equifax came back claiming some information was verified and some what changed. In the meantime, the collection agency wrote to me stating after a review of my account, " their client submitted an adjustment '' to the balance. Yet, they've been trying to collect the wrong amount and reporting inaccurate information for 5 years ... and Equifax simply took their word and continued reporting it ... for 5 years. The collection agency failed to provide full validation. They report that they opened this account in XXXX XXXX XXXX  with an alleged balance of {$4000.00} despite my disputes with the credit bureaus. As a result of my direct dispute with the collection agency, they sent me a resident statement that is complicated and unclear showing an alleged balance of {$3600.00}. How and why was this company trying to collect and report an alleged balance of {$4000.00} for 5 years and why is MY investigation after I filed a CFPB complaint the only investigation that resulted in confirming that the information being reported was inaccurate? Also, where is the itemization that shows why they were reporting and collecting that figure in the first place? Did the original creditor give the collection agency the wrong information? Did the original creditor give the collection agency the correct figure, but the collection agency inflated the balance? The collection company has failed to fully validate the alleged debt and Equifax failed to fully investigate my disputes AND my request for a re-investigation. Equifax has reported different dates of first deliquency than XXXX for 5 years, which affects how long the alleged debt remains on my credit report. To clarify this, I requested the date of first deliquency alleged by the original creditor from the collection company, but they did not provide it. How, after several disputes and a request for re-investigation, can Equifax still be reporting a conflicting information than XXXX, including date of first deliquency and balance due ... after 5 years? I am tired of dealing with this. The collection company and the credit bureaus have had plenty of opportunity to investigate, validate and confirm the information they were reporting, yet they all chose to disregard my disputes and continue to report inaccurate information. I am tired of spending my time, money and energy on empty procedures. I demand that the collection agency immediately stop reporting this alleged debt and that Equifax immediately remove it from my credit profile. I am prepared to take further legal action and continue filing complaints with the appropriate agencies. I have attached copies of letters, disputes and partial validation from the collection agency.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief