Consumer complaint received 2023-11-16
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: PA
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: Investigation took more than 30 days

Complaint:
You have taken longer that 45 days to respond to my dispute and I as a federally protected consumer have a right to privacy and as of right now I am exercising that right. Pursuant to 16 CFR 313.7 I am opting out of the reporting of the following personal nonpublic financial information. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX There is an additional account, however, this account has constantly been changing the account number on a monthly basis which is a violation of the fair credit reporting act and I demand that this account in particular is permanently removed as I never want to see or hear of it again. The account goes as follows : XXXX XXXXXXXX. I am not seeking verification of these accounts as I know it is mine, I am seeking to opt out of these accounts. 

16 CFR 313.7 - Form of opt out notice to consumers ; opt out methods.

313.7 Form of opt out notice to consumers ; opt out methods.

( a ) ( 1 ) Form of opt out notice. If you are required to provide an opt out notice under 313.10 ( a ), you must provide a clear and conspicuous notice to each of your consumers that accurately explains the right to opt out under that section. The notice must state : ( i ) That you disclose or reserve the right to disclose nonpublic personal information about your consumer to a nonaffiliated third party ; ( ii ) That the consumer has the right to opt out of that disclosure; and ( iii ) A reasonable means by which the consumer may exercise the opt out right.

( 2 ) Examples ( i ) Adequate opt out notice. You provide adequate notice that the consumer can opt out of the disclosure of nonpublic personal information to a nonaffiliated third party if you : ( A ) Identify all of the categories of nonpublic personal information that you disclose or reserve the right to disclose, and all of the categories of nonaffiliated third parties to which you disclose the information, as described in 313.6 ( a ) ( 2 ) and ( 3 ) and state that the consumer can opt out of the disclosure of that information; and ( B ) Identify the financial products or services that the consumer obtains from you, either singly or jointly, to which the opt out direction would apply.

( ii ) Reasonable opt out means. You provide a reasonable means to exercise an opt out right if you : ( A ) Designate check-off boxes in a prominent position on the relevant forms with the opt out notice ; ( B ) Include a reply form that includes the address to which the form should be mailed ; or ( C ) Provide an electronic means to opt out, such as a form that can be sent via electronic mail or a process at your web site, if the consumer agrees to the electronic delivery of information ; or ( D ) Provide a toll-free telephone number that consumers may call to opt out.

( iii ) Unreasonable opt out means. You do not provide a reasonable means of opting out if : ( A ) The only means of opting out is for the consumer to write his or her own letter to exercise that opt out right; or ( B ) The only means of opting out as described in any notice subsequent to the initial notice is to use a check-off box that you provided with the initial notice but did not include with the subsequent notice.

( iv ) Specific opt out means. You may require each consumer to opt out through a specific means, as long as that means is reasonable for that consumer.

( b ) Same form as initial notice permitted. You may provide the opt out notice together with or on the same written or electronic form as the initial notice you provide in accordance with 313.4.

( c ) Initial notice required when opt out notice delivered subsequent to initial notice. If you provide the opt out notice later than required for the initial notice in accordance with 313.4, you must also include a copy of the initial notice with the opt out notice in writing or, if the consumer agrees, electronically.

( d ) Joint relationships.

( 1 ) If two or more consumers jointly obtain a financial product or service from you, you may provide a single opt out notice, unless one or more of those consumers requests a separate opt out notice. Your opt out notice must explain how you will treat an opt out direction by a joint consumer ( as explained in paragraph ( d ) ( 5 ) ( ii ) of this section ).

( 2 ) Any of the joint consumers may exercise the right to opt out. You may either : ( i ) Treat an opt out direction by a joint consumer as applying to all of the associated joint consumers; or ( ii ) Permit each joint consumer to opt out separately.

( 3 ) If you permit each joint consumer to opt out separately, you must permit one of the joint consumers to opt out on behalf of all of the joint consumers.

( 4 ) You may not require all joint consumers to opt out before you implement any opt out direction. 

( XXXX ) XXXX. If XXXX and XXXX have a joint credit card account with you and arrange for you to send statements to XXXX 's address, you XXXX do any of the following, but you must explain in your opt out notice which opt out policy you will follow : ( i ) Send a single opt out notice to XXXX 's address, but you must accept an opt out direction from either XXXX or XXXX. 

( ii ) Treat an opt out direction by either XXXX or XXXX as applying to the entire account. If you do so, and XXXX opts out, you XXXX not require XXXX to opt out as well before implementing XXXX 's opt out direction. 

( iii ) XXXX XXXX and XXXX to make different opt out directions. If you do so, ( A ) You must permit XXXX and XXXX to opt out for each other; ( B ) If both opt out, you must permit both to notify you in a single response ( such as on a form or through a telephone call ) ; and ( C ) If XXXX opts out and XXXX does not, you XXXX only disclose nonpublic personal information about XXXX, but not about XXXX and not about XXXX and XXXX jointly. 

( XXXX ) Time to comply with opt out. You must comply with a consumer 's opt out direction as soon as reasonably practicable after you receive it. 

( f ) Continuing right to opt out. A consumer may exercise the right to opt out at any time.

( g ) Duration of consumer 's opt out direction.

( 1 ) A consumer 's direction to opt out under this section is effective until the consumer revokes it in writing or, if the consumer agrees, electronically.

( 2 ) When a customer relationship terminates, the customer 's opt out direction continues to apply to the nonpublic personal information that you collected during or related to that relationship. If the individual subsequently establishes a new customer relationship with you, the opt out direction that applied to the former relationship does not apply to the new relationship.

( h ) Delivery. When you are required to deliver an opt out notice by this section, you must deliver it according to 313.9.

( i ) Model privacy form. Pursuant to 313.2 ( a ) of this part, a model privacy form that meets the notice content requirements of this section is included in appendix A of this part.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief