Consumer complaint received 2023-04-18
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: CA
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:
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, California XXXX Date of Birth : XX/XX/XXXX SS # : XXXX I am writing to dispute the inaccurate information that is being reported on my credit report. The information being reported is not only incorrect but is also causing serious damage to my life. I believe that the creditor has violated several laws, including the FCRA and FACTA. 

Under the FCRA, Section 611 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ) requires credit reporting agencies to follow reasonable procedures to ensure maximum possible accuracy of the information they report. However, my correct name, " XXXX XXXX XXXX, '' has been reported as " XXXX XXXX  '', " XXXX XXXX '', and " XXXX XXXX XXXX ''. This is a clear violation of this section. 

Furthermore, under Section 611 ( b ), credit reporting agencies are required to provide a free annual disclosure of consumer reports. I have requested a copy of my credit report and found that the information being reported is not accurate. I have the right to dispute any inaccurate information and have it removed from my credit report. 

Under the FACTA, Section 312 ( a ) ( 1 ) requires that credit reporting agencies use reasonable procedures to ensure that the information they report is accurate. However, multiple addresses that are not associated with me have been reported, including XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, CA XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, CA XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, CA XXXX, and XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX CA XXXX XXXX This is a clear violation of this section. 

In addition, Section 312 ( a ) ( 4 ) requires the credit reporting agencies to report the information in a way that is understandable to the consumer. However, reporting my name in various formats that do not reflect my correct name is a violation of this section. This has caused me significant emotional distress and has affected my ability to secure loans, obtain employment, and even find housing. 

XXXX XXXX with account number XXXX. I have noticed several inaccuracies in the reporting of this account, which has negatively affected my credit score and my ability to obtain credit. 

According to XXXX, the last verified date of this account is XX/XX/XXXX, while Equifax did not report any verified date. Moreover, XXXX reports the date of last activity as XX/XX/XXXX, while Equifax reports it as XX/XX/XXXX. Equifax also reported that I was 190 days late on XX/XX/XXXX, which is not accurate as I did not miss any payment on this account. Furthermore, both XXXX and Equifax reported the payment status as charge off, but I have never received any notification from them regarding this charge off account, and they have not provided any paperwork to support it. Finally, XXXX reports the last payment date as XX/XX/XXXX, while Equifax reports it as XX/XX/XXXX. 

These inaccurate reports have caused significant harm to my credit score and financial well-being. I have been denied credit and have had to pay higher interest rates due to these errors. Moreover, the stress and XXXX of trying to correct these inaccuracies have taken a toll on my mental health. 

I believe that XXXX XXXX has violated several laws, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) Section 607 ( b ), which requires furnishers of information to provide accurate information, FCRA Section 611 ( a ) ( 5 ) ( A ), which requires prompt notice of dispute to information provider, FCRA Section 623 ( a ) ( 2 ) ( B ), which requires the correction and deletion of inaccurate information, Equal Credit Opportunity Act ( ECOA ) Section 202 ( a ) ( 1 ), which prohibits discrimination, and Fair Credit Billing Act ( FCBA ) Section 1666 ( a ), which requires prompt correction of billing errors. 


XXXX XXXX XXXX I have noticed several errors in the information reported on my account, which has had a significant impact on my life. 

According to my credit report from XXXX, the last verified date for my XXXX XXXX account is XX/XX/XXXX. However, the other two bureaus did not report anything. Additionally, XXXX and Equifax are reporting a date of last activity of XX/XX/XXXX, while XXXX is reporting XX/XX/XXXX. The date reported by XXXX is also different from XXXX and Equifax. Furthermore, XXXX and Equifax are reporting that the date the account was opened was XX/XX/XXXX, while XXXX is reporting XX/XX/XXXX. 

The most significant error is that all three bureaus are reporting that I was 90 days late on XX/XX/XXXX, but I did not miss any payments on this account. This misinformation has caused my credit score to drop significantly, making it difficult for me to obtain credit, loans, and even employment. 

I believe that XXXX XXXX has violated several sections of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, including Section 607 ( b ) for reporting inaccurate dates of last activity, last payment, and delinquency status. They also violated Section 611 ( a ) ( 5 ) ( A ) for failing to provide prompt notice of dispute to the information provider when I disputed the delinquency status of the account. Additionally, Section 623 ( a ) ( 2 ) ( B ) was violated when XXXX XXXX reported a delinquency status on the account when I did not miss any payments. 

Furthermore, XXXX XXXX XXXX have violated the Equal Credit Opportunity Act Section 202 ( a ) ( 1 ) by unfairly reporting me as delinquent on payments when I did not miss any payments. 

XXXX ( Account Number : XXXX XXXX 

The account is being reported as open, but it is actually a collection account. I never received any paperwork or notification from the creditor informing me that my account had been sold to a collection agency. This failure to notify me is a clear violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ) Section 809 ( a ) - Validation of debts.

Furthermore, I disputed the accuracy of the account with the collection agency, but they did not provide me with notice of the dispute to the credit reporting agencies, violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) Section 623 ( a ) ( 3 ) - Duty to provide notice of dispute.

In addition, the account is being inaccurately reported as an open account, when it should be reported as a collection account, violating the FCRA Section 623 ( a ) ( 5 ) - Duty to delete inaccurate information. 

After a thorough review, I have identified several violations of both the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ) and the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ). 

Regarding the collection account with the creditor XXXX, account number XXXX, the account is showing as open, but it is a collection account. The creditor never sent me any paperwork notifying me that my account was sold to a collection agency, and I was never informed of this change. This is a violation of FDCPA Section 809 ( a ), which requires that a validation notice be sent to inform the debtor of the debt and their right to dispute it within five days of the initial communication. 

Regarding the collection account with the creditor XXXX, account number XXXX, the account is showing as closed, but it is a collection account. The creditor also failed to send me any notification that my account was sold to a collection agency, and I was never informed of this change. This is a violation of FCRA Section 623 ( a ) ( 5 ), which requires that inaccurate information be deleted. 

Furthermore, I disputed the accuracy of both of these collection accounts, and the collection agency failed to provide me with notice of the dispute to the credit reporting agencies. This is a violation of FCRA Section 623 ( a ) ( 3 ), which requires that notice of a dispute be provided. 

Upon reviewing my report, I have noticed multiple inquiries made without my authorization or a permissible purpose. The following inquiries were made without my knowledge or consent : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX # XX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXX/XX/XXXX I believe that these inquiries were made without a permissible purpose, which is a violation of Section 604 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Additionally, Section 607 requires consumer reporting agencies to maintain reasonable procedures to ensure that the information in credit reports is accurate. By allowing these unauthorized inquiries to appear on my report, the reporting agencies have failed to comply with this section.

Furthermore, I have disputed the accuracy of some of the inquiries on my credit report in the past, but the consumer reporting agencies failed to conduct a reasonable investigation or correct the inaccurate information, which is a violation of Section 611. 

These unauthorized inquiries have had a significant impact on my life. I have been denied credit and other financial opportunities due to the negative impact on my credit score caused by these inquiries. This has caused me a great deal of stress and XXXX, as I am unable to provide for my family in the way that I want to. 

I request that these unauthorized inquiries be removed from my credit report immediately, as they are inaccurate and a violation of my rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. I also request that the consumer reporting agencies conduct a thorough investigation into this matter and take appropriate action to prevent similar violations from occurring in the future. 

Thank you for your attention to this matter. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation