Consumer complaint received 2023-05-12
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: SC
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Improper use of your report
Sub-issue: Reporting company used your report improperly

Complaint:
I submitted a complaint through CFPB for identity theft on XX/XX/2023 to Equifax. The complaint included my I.D., FTC identity theft report, and a written statement stating that the information is not information relating to any transaction by me as well as the accounts that were affected. 

According to 15 U.S. Code 1681c2 when identity theft has occurred and the above requirements are met, the credit agency has XXXX business days after the date of receipt to block the reporting of said information in the file. 

Equifax received all required information on XX/XX/2023 and I contacted them on XX/XX/2023 to get updates on the dispute. The representative that I spoke with told me that all information has been received, and if after XXXX  business days the creditor ( s ) have not responded, then by law they would block or delete the information. He proceeded to tell me to call back in a few days to check again or wait XXXX days for a response by email or mail. I told the representative that by law I will not wait XXXX days but instead call back after the 4 business days have passed. 

XX/XX/2023 I called Equifax again and spoke with a representative who goes by the name of XXXX XXXX. XXXX proceeded to tell me that they have received my documents but it will not be processed because I did not properly submit the information. I asked him what information was incorrectly submitted so that I can correct it and he said that he did not know and that I have to resubmit the complaint. I asked him to further explain because by law I submitted every detail that is needed to properly investigate and block or delete the information being disputed. He proceeded to tell me to resubmit or wait XXXX days and I told him again by law I do not have to wait XXXX days, and that today is the 5th business day so the information has to be deleted. I asked to speak with a supervisor, he transferred me and the call dropped. 

I called back immediately and spoke to another representative with the name of XXXX who told me he could not give out his last name. I repeated the same information to XXXX and he told me that the reason they could not process my dispute was because I did not write the names of the accounts inside of the " What Happened? '' box on CFPB. I told him that all of the accounts are included in the statement which is attached as well as the identity theft report and it was noted in the box to " See attached ''. 

He continues to tell me that by CFPB law the accounts have to be entered into the box. I told him all information is included in the attached documents which serve the same purpose as typing in the box. I asked him to send me a copy of Equifax 's policy that states when submitting a complaint through CFPB that the disputed information HAS to be entered into the box. He continues to say the same thing and then says that he can submit my dispute to the review team but they won't accept it because of the information not being included in the box. 

I clarified that the entire CFPB complaint will be submitted which includes the documentation which has all of the needed and required information so they will still be able to identity the accounts that are being disputed. He tries to persuade me to resubmit my complaint and tells me the XXXX business days will restart if I do. We continue to talk and I tell him to go ahead and send the information to the review team because I do not want to resubmit my complaint as it is unnecessary and not required by law. 

He then tells me that it has already been submitted which is not what he had stated earlier in the call. Earlier he stated that he COULD submit but he didn't want me to waste my time because of information not being in a box. We continue to talk and he let me know that he would not be blocking or deleting the information because I need to resubmit the complaint. 

This is a direct violation of my rights, not only have they violated MY rights, but they have violated the FCRA by not complying and failing to do what's fair and equitable to me as a consumer. 

CFPB Complaint Number : XXXX FTC Report XXXX Disputed accounts : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation