Consumer complaint received 2023-11-17
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: Their investigation did not fix an error on your report

Complaint:
I have disputed this account with XXXX a minimum of 8 times, with each dispute result I have requested a method of verification sent by certified mail at the least ( some times XXXX others Notarized and XXXX ) in at least XXXX of the disputes, rather than conduct an investigation, XXXX chooses to differ to previous results which I have continuously disputed and CONSTANTLY requested a method of verification. My last dispute started XX/XX/2023, rather than investigating ONCE AGAIN, after 2 days of " investigation in progress '' status I was notified the results were posted, which are results from a XX/XX/2023 dispute. I then sent a method of verification letter by CM on XX/XX/2023 and received by their office XX/XX/2023. Their response was to start AN ADDITIONAL dispute XX/XX/2023. 

Those results were the same received on XX/XX/2023 and still not the information I requested or updated, so I first phoned customer service at the XXXX number listed in results, spoke with a XXXX who explained the proof they have is an XXXX report using a 3rd party verification service and for that reason they would NOT be sending me any documentation about their verification process for this alleged debt. He suggested I reach out to the creditor listed, which I did and by that time received a letter from them stating they could NOT complete the investigation with the information as it was listed on my CR, going as far as to request my SSN and other PII. XXXX replied " they can't do that ''. 

Two issues, ONE an additional investigation is NOT what I requested, and during the dispute process the Credit Reporting Agency is to contact the CREDITOR listing the account not a 3rd party. TWO, when I ALSO sent an inquiry to the creditor listed as the owner of the account and on the results report ( not the 3rd party XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX ) what was returned to me was a photocopy of a letter stating they were unable to complete the investigation request because it was missing critical information needed to locate the account. In my request to them XXXX I gave : the same account number as it appeared on my CR from XXXX, my name and address. They responded XX/XX/2023 rather than verify, they requested I provide them with PII such as XXXX and Signature. As this return letter was not signed, did not come with any personnel title, name or department enclosure other than XXXX  Customer Service, and had XXXX different addresses ( other than what XXXX provided in the results ) on the envelope " letter heading '' I refused. If they are unable to investigate the validity of the account based on the same information as it shows on my credit report, I don't see how XXXX did so from the same information, and from their own admission through an entirely separate entity. 

On XX/XX/2023 I sent XXXX an ADDITIONAL Method of Verification request with a copy of the response I obtained from the creditor as listed, in response XXXX opened YET ANOTHER dispute, 2 days later notifying me of results. When I logged into my portal the message stated I had to call the customer service number for results as they could not be posted. When I called, yet ANOTHER service rep confirmed that through this XXXX report, which I am not going to be given, they have verified the information and that I am not entitled to know HOW and if I needed further documentation to reach out to the creditor listed, to which I responded not only DID I DO SO BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO INVESTIGATE BASED ON THE INFORMATION XXXX HAS PUBLISHED ON MY CR AND I SENT THEM A COPY OF THE DOCUMENTS STATING SO WITH MY LAST WRITTEN REQUES for a METHOD OF VERIFICATION. 

It is my understanding based upon specific fair credit reporting practices XXXX must execute the investigation directly, not through a third party. Their continuous failure to do so has caused me sever financial harm in finding affordable housing and other credit-based issues. Furthermore, they continue to play this circle game of opening and closing disputes without honoring the spirit of their duties to consumers. This has gone on for well over a year. I am requesting an investigation through CFPB that results in complete removal of the account in question from this AND ALL XXXX MAJOR CREDIT FILES. As it continues in the same way for both Equifax and XXXX.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief