Consumer complaint received 2023-10-25
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: PA
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Improper use of your report
Sub-issue: Reporting company used your report improperly

Complaint:
XXXX, Equifax and XXXX are reporting my student loan on my credit report. 
XXXX account XXXX, XXXX XXXX and XXXX They are in violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ( FERPA ) is a federal law enacted in 1974 that protects the privacy of student education records. FERPA applies to any public or private elementary, secondary, or post-secondary school. 20 USC 1232g ( b ) These credit agencies are in violation of 15 U.S.C subsection 1681a Accuracy and Fairness of credit reporting. ( b ) Reasonable procedures - It is the purpose of this subchapter to require that consumer reporting agencies adopt reasonable procedures for meeting the needs of commerce for consumer credit, personnel, insurance, and other information in a manner which is fair and equitable to the consumer, with regard to the confidentiality, accuracy, relevancy, and proper utilization of such information in accordance with the requirements of this subchapter. ( 2 ) Exclusions ( A ) ( i ) report containing information solely as to transactions or experiences between the consumer and the person making the report ; Reporting Transaction history is illegal!!

They are in violation of 15 U.S. Code 1681b - Permissible purposes of consumer reports Subject to subsection ( c ), any consumer reporting agency may furnish a consumer report under the following circumstances and no other ( 2 ) In accordance with the written instructions of the consumer to whom it relates.

They need My written consent to add anything to my consumer report. I did not give any credit agency authorization to furnish these student loans on my report. This is a violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act P.L 90-321 ( 82 Stat. 146 ) which is law law that backs the code is even stricter as it states that any agency can only get your report in response to a request by the head of a State or local child support enforcement agency ( or a State or local government official authorized by the head of such an agency ) They are in violation of15 U.S. Code 1681c - Requirements relating to information contained in consumer reports Except as authorized under subsection ( b ), no consumer reporting agency may make any consumer report containing any of the following items of information : - Any other adverse item of information, other than records of convictions of crimes which antedates the report by more than seven years.

-No adverse item besides the Conviction of Crimes should be on your report any item that is a derogatory mark is not allowed into consumer reports and this is another violation 15 U.S. Code 1681e - Compliance procedures ( a ) Identity and purposes of credit users Every consumer reporting agency shall maintain reasonable procedures designed to avoid violations of section 1681c of this title and to limit the furnishing of consumer reports to the purposes listed under section 1681b of this title. These procedures shall require that prospective users of the information identify themselves, certify the purposes for which the information is sought, and certify that the information will be used for no other purpose. Every consumer reporting agency shall make a reasonable effort to verify the identity of a new prospective user and the uses certified by such prospective user prior to furnishing such user a consumer report. No consumer reporting agency may furnish a consumer report to any person if it has reasonable grounds for believing that the consumer report will not be used for a purpose listed in section 1681b of this title.

( b ) Accuracy of report Whenever a consumer reporting agency prepares a consumer report it shall follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy of the information concerning the individual about whom the report relates.

By violating section 1681b for permissible purpose and 1681c for information contained in consumer reports they are also violating compliance procedures under this title.

15 U.S. Code 1681n - Civil liability for willful noncompliance ( a ) In general Any person who willfully fails to comply with any requirement imposed under this subchapter with respect to any consumer is liable to that consumer in an amount equal to the sum of ( A ) any actual damages sustained by the consumer as a result of the failure or damages of not less than {$100.00} and not more than {$1000.00} ; or ( B ) in the case of liability of a natural person for obtaining a consumer report under false pretenses or knowingly without a permissible purpose, actual damages sustained by the consumer as a result of the failure or {$1000.00}, whichever is greater ; If you can prove they wilfully violated the act you are entitled to at least XXXX $ per violation plus any other damages you have sustained as a result of their failure to follow the law. If you have to file more than XXXX complaint, wilful noncompliance can easily be proven as they had a full understanding of the violations after you complained the XXXX time. 
Every company in their agreements with consumers said they would follow the law and agreed to do so.They are aware that they are breaking the law. 
15 U.S. Code 1681o - Civil liability for negligent noncompliance In general Any person who is negligent in failing to comply with any requirement imposed under this subchapter with respect to any consumer is liable to that consumer in an amount equal to the sum of ( XXXX ) any actual damages sustained by the consumer as a result of the failure Negligent noncompliance means the law was violated not on purpose but just due to a lack of knowledge on the required reporting procedures. 
15 U.S. Code 1681s2 - Responsibilities of furnishers of information to consumer reporting agencies ( XXXX ) Prohibition ( A ) Reporting information with actual knowledge of errors A person shall not furnish any information relating to a consumer to any consumer reporting agency if the person knows or has reasonable cause to believe that the information is inaccurate. 
( B ) Reporting information after notice and confirmation of errors A person shall not furnish information relating to a consumer to any consumer reporting agency if ( i ) the person has been notified by the consumer, at the address specified by the person for such notices, that specific information is inaccurate; and ( ii ) the information is, in fact, inaccurate. 
Once you notify the consumer agencies that there is inaccurate information they must immediately stop reporting that information until they can prove that it is valid. I Have done so Privacy Act of 1974 ( 5 U.S. Code 552a ) Important Definitions ( 4 ) the term record means any item, collection, or grouping of information about an individual that is maintained by an agency, including, but not limited to, his education, financial transactions, medical history, and criminal or employment history and that contains his name, or the identifying number, symbol, or other identifying particular assigned to the individual, such as a finger or voice print or a photograph ; This includes consumer reports ( b ) Conditions of Disclosure.No agency shall disclose any record which is contained in a system of records by any means of communication to any person, or to another agency, except pursuant to a written request by, or with the prior written consent of, the individual to whom the record pertains, unless disclosure of the record would be ( 12 ) to a consumer reporting agency in accordance with section 3711 ( e ) of title 31. 
Again they need prior written instruction of the individual to whom it relates.

Section 3711 ( e ) of title 31 States ( 1 ) When trying to collect a claim of the Government under a law except the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 ( 26 U.S.C. 1 et seq. ), the head of an executive, judicial, or legislative agency shall disclose to a consumer reporting agency information from a system of records that a person is responsible for a claim if ( E ) the head of the agency has established procedures to ( iii ) get satisfactory assurances from each consumer reporting agency that the agency is complying with all laws of the United States related to providing consumer credit information ; and Either way they have violated not only the Fair Credit Reporting Act but also the Privacy Act of 1974

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief