Consumer complaint received 2021-01-12
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: NC
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: Investigation took more than 30 days

Complaint:
In XXXX I purchased a vehicle for XXXX XXXX in XXXX, NC. I had intended to purchase this vehicle with my Credit Union which I had used for loans in the past without issue. I was preapproved with my Credit Union to purchase this vehicle, but the dealership was pushing me to go with XXXX XXXX XXXX instead and they beat my quote by .25 % so I went with them having never used or heard of them before. On XX/XX/XXXX, a full 11 days before my first payment was due, I logged in for the first time to my account. From the account page I went through a process and set up auto pay on the account as I always do on any bill or statement. After setting up auto pay, I didn't pay any more attention to it. Only long after the fact did I see that in my email box I had received a notification that my account that my XXXX XXXX XXXX registration was not complete. ( See attachment in later documents ). My first payment was due on XX/XX/XXXX. Having believed I had already set up my account and set up auto pay, I didn't take any further action. 

Then on XX/XX/XXXX a fell very ill with XXXX. By XX/XX/XXXX I had a positive test confirmed ( also attached ). When my payment came due, I would have been deeply ill at that time, as did many others in my family fall ill. Our family of XXXX ended up all getting sick and we were in quarantine for 5 full weeks until we were all recovered. On XX/XX/XXXX I received a call from my wife ( XXXX XXXX XXXX that she had received a call from XXXX XXXX XXXX  that they were trying to reach me, and that they were unable to do so. I called them immediately to see what the problem was and they informed me I was late on my payment, and that I owed a double payment. I made the payment of {$710.00} over the phone on that day. It wasn't until sometime in early XXXX that I got an alert that a 30 day late was posted to my credit report, which dropped my credit score from an XXXX to a XXXX. In 20 years of credit history I have never missed a payment. I called XXXX XXXX XXXX and requested that they remove the credit reporting issue because I believed that their own system had failed me in the process of setting up my account and auto pay back on XX/XX/XXXX. They said that they could see where I had logged in, but that It didn't show I had successfully set up auto pay. I begged them to remove the report, but they said they were not at fault and would not do so. 

My next step was to contact the XXXX XXXX XXXX  to see if they could assist me in filing a claim. I reported to XXXX XXXX XXXX that I believed that they did not actually have my correct phone number, because I have absolutely zero record of them ever calling me, nor do I have a single voicemail message from them. They reported in their response to me that they called me at the following dates and times : XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX and at XXXX XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX, the calls continued every business day around the same time until XX/XX/XXXX. I requested that they tell me the phone number they were calling me on- they did not respond further. I also requested they tell me the number they were calling me from so that I could inquire with XXXX  to see if they called me- They also did not respond. I have been fighting with them to remove this report from my credit based on the following reasons : 1. the failure of their online platform to adequately complete my auto pay registration on XX/XX/XXXX. 2. The failure of the company to reach me to let me know I was late - they had my email, my cell, and my wife number and the first time they actually reached me to let me know my account was delinquent I paid it immediately. 3. I had full intention and made full attempt to pay them - therefore this is not accurate reporting. 4. When the payment came due, I was sicker than I had ever been in my life with XXXX ( I believe the Cares act needs to look into credit reporting issues during covid- or provide government relief for cases like mine ).

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation