Consumer complaint received 2019-08-16
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: FL
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: Difficulty submitting a dispute or getting information about a dispute over the phone

Complaint:
My Name is XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. 
Last four of my social is XXXX. 

I have inquiries on my credit report which I believe are inaccurate from companies Ive never heard of before. I understand that mistakes happen so I decided I needed to file a dispute to verify the accuracy of all the items on my credit report. My first step was to look up any all applicable laws that govern credit reporting so I know my rights as a consumer. In section 604. Permissible purposes of consumer reports [ 15 U.S.C. 1681b ] it states all the reasons someone or entity may gain access to your credit report. It is a very long list so to save time I wont list all of them here. But I did find out that as a consumer it is my right to request that the credit bureau furnish the companies who pulled my credit, the reason for them pulling my credit ( specifically hard inquiries ) and to verify that they had permission from me to do so. So, I obtained copies of my credit reports and found that there were only few issues. 1 collection for {$140.00} which made no sense because I had been to a doctor or hospital in years and the collection was in 2019, my name was wrongly spelled in several instances and the biggest flaw, inquires which I did not authorize. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I sent 3 certified letters to all 3 major CRA disputing my inquiries with them. I included the letter of the reason for the dispute asking for proof of verification as is stated in the FCRA A full page copy of my Driver License ( front and back ) zoomed in so it can be seen without complication and a billing statement to confirm my identity. I went to the post office mailed out all of the letters and patiently waited for a response. I received my first letter today XX/XX/XXXX from Equifax. The letter I have included in this correspondence. At the beginning of the corresponsdence it states We are Unable to locate a credit file in our database with the identification information provided. That didnt make since to me at all. I went directly to CFPB from XXXX to verify what I needed to have in my dispute as well as other item s I should include which is the only reason I sent my license and billing statement which I didnt know that I needed. The letter goes into detail about what is needed to send with my dispute. I opened several disputes with Equifax about my Name and collection which I did online and over the phone and the inquiries I had to send a letter as It wouldnt allow me to dispute inquiries online. 
Nowhere in the letter dos it detail which dispute the letter is in reference to so I could only conclude it was the letter I sent. I immediately clled in XX/XX/2019 XXXX. I spoke to a reperesentative and told him my issues that I didnt understand the letter and he told me I needed to speak to the dispute Dept. He provided me the number and transferred me. I spoke to another gentlemen who asked a few questions and once he understood my inquiry he needed to transfer me again. I was on hold for 12 minutes. The representative checked on me to make sure I was still on hold which was greatly appreciated. A new representative said hello, and immediately disconnected the call. I was upset after being passed over to 2 new reps and being on a call for exactly 23 min 01 secs, get nothing accomplished and be hung up on. No problem, mistakes happen. I call back at XXXX. I call the number the rep gave me to get directly back to the dispute department. I verify my identity before she moves forward. She sees that I have open disputes and before she askes about my reason for calling she dives right in to give me the results of my disputes. She says that my inquiries have been verified and that they will not be removed and there is an 8-page document that was created on XX/XX/XXXX when my dispute was closed. So I asked if that were try why am I staring at a letter that says you need more information from me? Eventually she says it was a mistake. Now I start asking about the investigation. I asked how did they verify the inquiries were accurate, eventually she says that the fact they are on my credit report means that they are accurate. No! That means you gave someone access to my credit report. That does not mean that they legally had my authorization to do so. That is why it is acceptable for me to dispute this information. I asked a lot of common-sense questions which I got dead air responses to. I was told the dispute was opened on XX/XX/XXXX and closed XXXX the XXXX. So, my follow up question was what information with verified to confirm accuracy? ID? Signature? Voice recording? Video? She says they dont have any of that information. That is not ok. After my wife can see me getting no where and becoming physically frustrated, she advised I ask for a supervisor and I did. It only got worse. The Supervisor told me that Equifax does not dispute inquiries at all, once they are on my credit report it is accurate and can not come off. That made no sense. Equifax collects my information, stores my information, divulges my information to parties who request it with my information, but when confronted with a consumer who asks them to verify this company had my permission to gain this information refuses to verify accuracy? That doesnt sound fair at all. Its not fair. The Fair Credit Reporting Act, Section 604, explains in laymens terms that a creditor shouldnt have access to a consumer 's credit information unless the individual himself gives written permission, or unless credit access is court ordered or requested by a state or local government agency in relation to child support. If this is the law then it only makes since that the CRA must gain this information from the agencies it gives my credit report to, or at minimum request this information from the creditors to verify a consumer dispute. Equifaxs bold stand point was that it isnt there job to do so and that the fact that it is on my credit report means they have no obligation to investigate it. An the supervisor said it several times on the recorded line. I asked for clarification several times on the recorded call to ensure that she understood not only my question but her response to my question while repeatedly referencing the law that requires that they investigate. I asked the supervisor if it isnt their obligation to investigate What took place from XX/XX/XXXX when I was told by both she and the previous representative my investigation was open till XX/XX/XXXX when I was again told by both representatives that my investigation was closed? She danced around the question but eventually settled on there was no investigation. After getting nowhere for a time longer then necessary I had had enough. I asked to speak to the Supervisors Supervisor. There was about a 6 min wait and then a gentlemen came on the line. I asked if he was informed about the contents of my previous conversation. He said yes. I waited for the problem solving, helping, getting to the root of the misunderstanding demeanor to kick in..that didnt happen. This was the gentlemen in my opinion they bring on the line to end the call. By this point I told him that I was going to record the call. He got immediately authoritative and tried to give me a warning. As a company you can ask and request anything from a customer and you should if there is something you require. But Im not in business willingly with the Credit Bureau. I have no choice. They collect my information and furnish it to all who ask and if I want to be approved for anything in life without having cash in hand Im at the mercy of them.to an extent. I will not tolerate disrespect and down talking from anyone as Im not a child and I give everyone that respect. But I had enough, we were on the phone for all of 1 minute. He was not trying to solve my issues, answer any of my questions quickly ended the call by blind transferring me into the Dialer. It should never get to this. Ever. I want to dispute inaccurate inquiries and the company who holds my inquiries ( Equifax ) as part of my credit file will not verify creditors/individuals who they furnish my information to had the right/permission to view my file in the first place by investigating their ability to pull my file? This is unlawful. Im contacting the CFPB to file a complaint in hopes that Equifax will indeed do their job and investigate my claim, send notification and findings of the investigation and if the inquiries are to stand, show proof outlined in the FCRA/CRA of how the inquiries were verified. Furthermore, if it is Equifaxs stance that they will not investigate inquiries because all inquiries are valid as soon as a consumers report is accessed, they dont dispute inquires and they dont have to then I would ask them to reconsider. My credit score doesnt stand to gain much from inquiries falling off my credit report, but I dont think its fair that a Credit reporting agency wont at least take the time to hear a customer and to reasonably assume that if they are contacting them over and over through many different channels then there is a concern that should be reasonably addressed. I confirmed that my investigation was completed so I look forward to hearing back from Equifax with proof that the inquiries are either valid with proof of validity not just them saying it is valid because its on my report or the inquiries being removed if unverified. My credit is extremely important to me and I plan on preserving it as best as possible. Please respond to this complaint at your earliest convenience. As well since I have also verified with your representative that this letter I was mailed was indeed in error, I look forward to written correspondence about my dispute.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation