Consumer complaint received 2018-04-16
Company: Experian Information Solutions Inc.
State: NY
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Improper use of your report
Sub-issue: Credit inquiries on your report that you don't recognize

Complaint:
I leased a credit card terminal through XXXX XXXX XXXX   and their credit card terminals which were sent to me were defective and did not function properly. As a small business owner, this was extremely detrimental to my business. I lost many sales due to the defective terminals.

Since XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX has been sending me UNFILED copies of complaints threatening to sue me. They have also been calling me and harassing me to make the payment.

This was my daughter 's complaint log which she recorded in real time : Complaint LogXX/XX/XXXX- called XXXX XXXX asking them to cancel the contract bc we dont want to use the defective terminal anymore. They said that we have to pay the remaining {$900.00} on the K and they wouldnt give us any information on where to send back the CC terminal. I told them Im not paying the remaining amount on the lease because the terminal didnt work half the time and weve called and complained to chase payment tech a few times who tried to help us with IT issues but they never fully worked or fixed the terminal.

XX/XX/XXXX- received a copy of the K from XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX mom called XXXX XXXX and they said to mail back the terminal. They said they handle the equipment aspect of the leasing. I advised her not to send the defective terminal until we get a release from the K.

XX/XX/XXXX called AG office to follow up on complaint ( File Number XXXX ). They said it takes about 4 weeks to assign the file to someone.

By XXXX time in XX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX stopped taking payment from the account XX/XX/XXXX XXXX  took out XXXX   from bank account o On the same day we called XXXX  to dispute the payment XX/XX/XXXX XXXX  took out XXXX  This is the letter that I sent to them : XX/XX/XXXX Dear Sir or Madam, We received a letter dated XX/XX/XXXX from your Collection Department requesting a payment of {$83.00} for an Equipment Finance Lease Payment.

However, you are aware that we have had regular and frequent technical malfunctions with our credit card terminal ( s ) since we received the terminal ( s ) in late XX/XX/XXXX. The machines were defective because they would freeze randomly and also upon the initial processing of customers credit cards.

The malfunctioning credit card machine which your company leased to me caused me to lose business because the machine would fail to function when I tried to process credit or debit cards. I called customer support at XXXX XXXX  which was my credit card processing company.

From late XX/XX/XXXXthrough late XX/XX/XXXX, we have had to exchange our terminals for different/other terminals from your company through XXXX XXXX. I have had to exchange terminals on at least two occasions. Thus, my business was left without a means of processing credit card transactions for weeks at a time on at least two different occasions. Many sales from my shop are by credit or debit card transactions. I have lost business because the credit card machine which your company has provided me did not function as promised and was defective.

I never received fully functioning, defect free terminals for my business from your company. Due to the defective and malfunctioning terminals which your company leased to us in the above mentioned time period, my business has lost several sales due to my inability to process credit card transactions.

Furthermore, I called your company and spoke with a representative in XX/XX/XXXX informing her of the defective terminals we received and how we were losing business because the leased terminals were not functioning as promised. Your company informed us that we had to pay the remaining {$900.00} of the lease agreement if we wanted to cancel the agreement. Our response was that we refused to pay the remaining amount on the lease when the leased equipment did not function properly and actually malfunctioned for the most part resulting a loss of business for my shop. I tried to get information on how to return the credit card terminal. However, your representative refused to provide me with the information to send back the terminal.

Your company charged me {$39.00} every month for this leased equipment. We tried to end our agreement because your company provided us with malfunctioning equipment which cause my business to lose sales.

In XX/XX/XXXX, I filed a complaint with the New York Attorney Generals office. By XX/XX/XXXX, your company stopped taking payment from my account. No payment was taken from my account fromXX/XX/XXXX until XX/XX/XXXX

OnXX/XX/XXXX, your company took out a lump sum of {$190.00} which I, nor any of my agents, employees or officers, have never authorized. On this same day, I disputed the transaction with my bank. I dont know what this charge was for. After five ( 5 ) months of no charges, your company charged this unauthorized amount to my account. On XX/XX/XXXX, your company charged my account an addition {$39.00}. In this letter dated XX/XX/XXXX, I received a letter from your collection department requesting an additional {$83.00}.

I am no longer using the credit card terminal which your company leased to me because IT DOES NOT FUNCTION AT ALL. Your company leased my business DEFECTIVE terminals which caused me to lose business.

I refuse to pay for a credit card machine that never functioned properly or as expected and caused me to lose sales and business.

I put a stop against your company on my bank account.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- - In XX/XX/XXXX, they reported this to the credit reporting agency damaging my credit.

I disputed the charge on XX/XX/XXXX.

On XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX made an unauthorized inquiry into my credit. This inquiry was made without my permission, consent or knowledge. When I called to ask why they made this inquiry, they claimed that they were authorized as per the lease agreement.

They are damaging my credit by making this inquiry. I have not had any business dealings with this company since XX/XX/XXXX. They should not be making inquiries into my credit. It is my belief that they are doing this in retaliation.

I still have the defective terminal in case I need it for evidence to prove the defect. XXXX XXXX XXXX

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation