Consumer complaint received 2017-09-27
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: Investigation took more than 30 days

Complaint:
Equifax is refusing and in willful noncompliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act concerning my rights. Although I have documented & recorded all of my efforts to correct erroneous information being reported by Equifax, my family has endured the negative and damaging effects of Equifax 's refusal to get in compliance. I have exhausted all avenues, and am hoping I get some help going through CFPB before utilizing my legal rights and avenues. 

I have sent countless CERTIFIED NOTARIZED letters & other supporting documentation to Equifax & yet they still refuse to get in compliance. Equifax has stated countless times they have verified several erroneous accounts on my credit file, without providing me with the proper documentation I have requested. Instead each time I bring this information to their attention they just simply state they will do another investigation & still refuse to provide the documentation I have requested, in turn giving them more than the 30 days they were allotted to do the investigation properly the first time. In addition the numerous times I have requested this information I have properly identified myself by providing my valid driver license showing an address that matches up with my address showing on my credit report, a copy of my social security card, and a utility bill, yet they still will not. 

The Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) requires the Credit Bureaus to have PHYSICAL COPIES in THEIR files of documentation to support each account being reported. NOT THE CREDITOR, THE BUREAU! Under the FCRA, Credit Reporting Agencies XXXX EQUIFAX XXXX must provide a copy of the verifiable original creditor documentation if it is requested properly by the consumer. Since Equifax can not provide proof of verification to me in the form of a physical contract document per my written request to do so the account is classified as UNVERIFIED and under the FCRA all UNVERIFIED accounts MUST BE DELETED. *The FCRA requires that all Credit Reporting Agencies or CRAs VERIFY ALL INFORMATION received from creditors BEFORE this information is added to my credit file. Proper Verification According to case law : the CRA/Bureau must have copies of the ORIGINAL SIGNED APPLICATION in THEIR FILES! FAIR CREDIT REPORTING ACT ( Specifically Section 609 on Page 35 ) : FCRA 609. Disclosures to consumers [ 15 U.S.C. 1681g ] ( Page 35 of the FCRA Included ) : ( a ) Information on file ; sources ; report recipients. Every consumer reporting agency shall, upon request, and subject to 610 ( a ) ( 1 ) [ 1681h ], clearly and accurately disclose to the consumer : ( 1 ) All information IN THE CONSUMERS FILE at the time of the request. Since I as the consumer have asked the Bureaus/CRAs to VERIFY the information being reported on my credit report, IN WRITING AND PROPERLY IDENTIFIED MYSELF ( Drivers License, Social Security Card & Utility Bill ) EQUIFAX is required to disclose the documents in which they are required to have on file ( original signed application ) or remove them immediately! FCRA 609 ( Page 37 ) ( 2 ) Summary of rights required to be included with agency disclosures. A consumer reporting agency shall provide to a consumer, with each written disclosure by the agency to the consumer under this section E ) a statement that a consumer reporting agency is not required to remove accurate derogatory information from the file of a consumer, UNLESS the information is outdated under section 605 or CAN NOT BE VERIFIED. 603. Definitions ; rules of construction [ 15 U.S.C. 1681a ] ( Pages 3-7, FCRA ) g ) The term file, when used in connection with information on any consumer, means all of the information on that consumer recorded and retained by a consumer reporting agency regardless of how the information is stored. ( 2 ) Verification ( Page 7 ) ( A ) that the consumer continues to meet the specific criteria used to select the consumer for the offer, by using information in a consumer report on the consumer, information in the consumer 's application for the credit or insurance, or other information bearing on the credit worthiness or insurability of the consumer ; or ( B ) of the information in the consumer 's application for the credit or insurance, to determine that the consumer meets the specific criteria bearing on credit worthiness or insurability. 

Equifax refuses to provide me the proper proof of verification I requested. I have also called and spoke to several representatives only to be placed on hold for hours at a time and countless dropped calls. I have requested the method of verification for several accounts, because after speaking with several of the erroneous accounts listed on my file I have learned these creditors do not have verification documentation showing the erroneous behavior being reported. I even had a creditor who has on numerous attempts try to get the damaging information removed, but even there efforts were unsuccessful. When I informed the Equifax rep over the phone of this information I was just told I would have to take that up with the creditor. I once again said I tried and they do not have documentation to provide me, so pretty much I was stuck. I informed the rep that in accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act it is Equifax 's duty to consider ALL information provided by me in my dispute & me informing Equifax that the creditor does not have the proper signed contractual agreement is part of the dispute & should have been considered. 

I am not contractually obligated the following collection accounts & erroneous information. I have sent written notification to Equifax via certified mail to have accounts verified on several occasions. They sent me a notice back stating the accounts were verified and will remain on my credit report however they did not send me a copy of a signed contract showing that I owe this debt or that I had a late payment history for the accounts I specified below : *XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX *XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX *XXXX  XXXX *XXXX  XXXX *XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX *XXXX XXXX XXXX Late Payment history NOT VALID : *XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( late payment history ) XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX late payment history ) *XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( late payment history )

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation