Consumer complaint received 2021-03-03
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:
I sent a dispute to the credit reporting agency in regards to some inaccuracies I found on my credit report on XX/XX/XXXX. According to the FCRA, credit reporting agencies must follow reasonable procedures to ensure maximum possible accuracy, ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX WL XXXX, at XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX, XXXX ) ; XXXX v. XXXX, XXXX XXXX. Appx. XXXX ( XXXX XXXX. XXXX ) ). At this time, Ive provided the information to the credit reporting agency on XX/XX/XXXX and they have failed to conduct that reasonable investigation which indicates a violation of the act ( XXXX v. Equifax Info. Serv., XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX ( W.D. XXXX XXXX ) ). 
In my dispute to the credit reporting agency on XX/XX/XXXX, I explained my dispute in detail and requested for an investigation to be conducted regarding the information on my credit profile. In my research, one court noted : [ t ] he standard of conduct by which the agencys action is to be judged is deeply rooted in the law of negligence : what a reasonably prudent person would do under the circumstances. ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX ( XXXX  XXXX XXXX ), citing XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX, XXXX ( XXXX. XXXX XXXX ), affd, XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX  XXXX ) ). 
I want to see what that the credit reporting agencys procedures are reasonably designed to prevent inaccuracies, but also whether the agency actually followed its own procedures. ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX  XX/XX/XXXX ) ). It is not enough that a CRA have procedures in place. The employees must follow those procedures in each and every report they prepare ( 15 U.S.C. 1681e ( b ). See XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX, XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ) ( CRAs failure to following its own procedures for matching consumers with common names was evidence of willfulness ) ). The CRA must not just have reasonable rules, but the employees must strictly follow those internal CRA rules. ( XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX ( E.D. La. XXXX ). Cf. XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX. XXXX XXXX WL XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX ) ( fact that furnisher ignored its own policy and procedure manual could raise issue of fact as to whether it conducted reasonable investigation ) ). 
In XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, the XXXX XXXX explained that a consumer satisfies their initial burden by presenting evidence tending to show that the CRA published a consumer report containing inaccurate data. Ive done this on XX/XX/XXXX. 
Per the settlement with a multistate group of Attorneys General, ( Assurance of Voluntary Compliance/Assurance of Voluntary Discontinuance, In the Matter of Equifax Info. Serv. L.L.C., XXXX XXXX. XXXX, XXXX. , and XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) ( XXXX ) ( XX/XX/XXXX ) ), and supervision by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau XXXX the system was somewhat reformed, but serious deficiencies remain ( Chi XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX , Automated Injustice Redux : Ten Years after a Key Report, Consumers Are Still Frustrated Trying to Fix Credit Reporting Errors ( XXXX XXXX, XXXX ) ). 
In my research, according to FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ), the credit reporting agency must conduct a reasonable reinvestigation to determine whether the disputed information is inaccurate and record the current status of the disputed information, or delete the item from the file..... before the end of the 30-day period beginning on the date on which the agency receives the notice of the dispute from the consumer or reseller. Since I mailed the letter, Ive allowed 5 days for mail time to the credit reporting agency which would mean the credit reporting agency, according to my calculations, had until XX/XX/XXXX to provide their response to my investigation.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation