Consumer complaint received 2022-10-21
Company: FAIR COLLECTIONS & OUTSOURCING, INC.
State: AE
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: Their investigation did not fix an error on your report

Complaint:
I recently submitted several online disputes with the credit bureaus for an account Fair Collections and Outsourcing that is reporting and retaining inaccurate and/or inconsistent information on my credit profile. I have undergone multiple investigations with the bureaus on this account and the resolve is the same : the information I challenge is just updated by the furnisher. I contacted XXXX and XXXX XXXX departments on XX/XX/XXXX, after receiving my latest XXXX dispute results on the account and was told, the CREDITOR is the one that updates the information to us that is contained in your file. Despite me stressing to the representative of the accounts erratic and paradoxical reporting, the XXXX representative sternly stated, this account and any information contained can not be deleted and must remain for 7 years. 

To my knowledge, it is federally unlawful a creditor to furnish/update any information on ones credit profile without doing a proper investigation. Regulation V of the FCRA upholds creditors to implement proper policies and procedures regarding the accuracy AND integrity of the information furnished to CRAs, specifically as it relates to the handling on indirect disputes, in which my previous complaints are. The results of my most recent dispute proves that Fair Collections and Outsourcing continues to unlawfully furnish inaccurate and treacherous information that they provide to CRAs, and I have deemed it irreconcilable at that level. 

From my reading and understanding of FCRA stipulations, I gather that creditors are able to decide which credit bureaus they report to. Likewise, FCRA also outlines that when a creditor is reporting to more than one bureau, the information reported must be the same and true across all CRAs. I understand that the reporting compliance is not the responsibility of the credit bureau however IT IS the bureaus responsibility to immediately investigate any disputes presented. I am unsure if my previous investigations were expedited and/or automated, but it is evident that Fair Collections and Outsourcing has FAILED to uphold this duty and properly verify the information. 
I have submitted two disputes regarding Fair Collections and Outsourcing with each bureau since my initial despite on XX/XX/XXXX. The disputes have been closing at an exceptionally expedited turnaround which signals to me that the information in my dispute is not being handled properly. It is impossible for Fair Collections and Outsourcing to have conducted any reasonable investigations of my indirect disputes. 

Initial Dispute on XX/XX/XXXX : On XX/XX/XXXX, I filed an account dispute on the basis of balance inaccuracies and account status. The payment statuses were not consistent as there was a mix of PAID and UNPAID statuses. There was also untruthful balance reporting across the CRAs. I noted this concern to XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a notification from XXXX XXXX that stated Great! A Collection was closed. Between XX/XX/XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX, your FAIR COLLECTIONS & O collections account was reported as closed. 

Misreporting Findings on Sunday XX/XX/XXXX ( XXXX XXXX ) : I checked my credit report on various sites throughout the day. At XXXX AM when I checked my report via XXXX XXXX it stated I had XXXX collections/public records and that this rating was based on [ my ] credit report information from XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. At XXXX AM, I checked XXXX which reflected the Reported and Closed dates as XX/XX/XXXX. There were no comment remarks on my file at the time. I was still actively on XXXX XXXX and saw that XXXX information updated at XXXX AM. The following changes were made to my account : Last Reported XX/XX/XXXX ; Account Status Open ; Opened Date XX/XX/XXXX ; Closed Date XX/XX/XXXX ; Date of Last Payment XX/XX/XXXX ; Balance - {$4300.00} ; and High Balance - {$6000.00}. This information from XXXX was COMPLETELY INACCURATE! I would like to mention there was NO TERM mentioned by Fair Collection and Outsourcing at this time. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a notification from XXXX XXXX that stated XXXX! A XXXX was closed. Between XX/XX/XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX, your FAIR COLLECTIONS & O collections account was reported as closed as a change on my XXXX report. The discrepancy in the Date Closed is due to XXXX purposefully reporting incorrect information. 

Genuinely confused by XXXX XXXX ( which only shows XXXX and XXXX ), I checked my XXXX app. My Experian Credit Report reflected the following as of XX/XX/XXXX, at XXXX AM : Account Type Collection ; Status Updated XX/XX/XXXX ; Balance Updated XX/XX/XXXX ; Terms 1 Month. The status on the account at this time was read, XXXX, was a collection account, insurance claim or government claim or was terminated by default. A comment was also placed which read, Account information disputed by consumer. This comment acknowledges my initial dispute regarding the balance and therefore the balance was removed from my XXXX report. 

Changes in Reporting on XX/XX/XXXX : When I pulled my credit report on XX/XX/XXXX, I noticed that the information on my files with XXXX and XXXX was updated with the following remarks : Account information disputed by consumer, meets FCRA requirements and Customer disputed account reported by subscriber. The date reported on XXXX and XXXX for this account is XX/XX/XXXX, with the DOLA of XX/XX/XXXX. At this point, the account files for XXXX and XXXX showed a {$0.00} balance and the status of PAID. There were no remarks and/or reporting made to XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. I noticed a significant misreporting ( inaccuracy ) for the XXXX on Experians file. It states the XXXX as XX/XX/XXXX, with a balance status of PAID. This account had a remaining balance of over {$3000.00} on XX/XX/XXXX. Please see the attached document receipts from XXXX which are consistent with my complaint that the files XXXX for this report and ANY last payments is wrong. 

Dispute Reinvestigation : When I pulled a report for XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, the status update reflected XX/XX/XXXX with a Balance Updated date of XX/XX/XXXX, which opposes the XX/XX/XXXX, balance update from the previous pull. I checked XXXX via XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, and it showed that the subsequent dispute on the account ( which was submitted XX/XX/XXXX, to XXXX via fax ) was ready. This report reflected a closed date of XX/XX/XXXX. There is NO WAY that XXXX processed my dispute and conducted a thorough reinvestigation in less than XXXX DAYS! 

I looked at a list of creditors that have reported to or inquired about my credit report and XXXX is listed TWICE! There was only ever ONE account reported with them as the creditor on my file which makes me believe they might have removed and re-added their account to my profile as a recent account update reflects a payment history for XX/XX/XXXX. Such notation is also the ONLY notation listed in the payment history and therefore looks to be used as a tactic to reset the DOLA and prolong my statute of limitations. FCO SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO THIS! Prior to today, I do not recall there never being a payment history in any of the months the account was listed on my account. I believe with me challenging their results, FCO is now unlawfully retaliating as they CONTINUE to violate my consumer financial protection rights. 

I have included screenshots of the inconsistencies, bearing proof that the account information was in fact inaccurate AND inconsistent at the time of my initial dispute AND thereafter, therefore this account should not have been retained and shall not remain on my credit profile given these factual discrepancies. Furthermore, the constant changes and failure to report truthfully and accurately across ALL CRAs whom they are reporting to leads me to believe these are intentional violations of my consumer protection laws. 

I sought to have the subject account deleted from my credit report after realizing FCOs failure to accurately list this item. I noticed in the reinvestigation that the account was instead updated and not deleted as requested. Such misreporting has severely hindered not only my chance of acquiring new tradelines but has resulted in me being denied on several apartment rental applications. This discrepancy and their failure to properly verify and remove the account from my credit report due to proven misreporting is immensely impacting my livelihood and ability to secure housing for myself. I would like to avoid falling into another personal tragedy and/or financial hardship. 

On Sunday XX/XX/XXXX, I received an email from XXXX a third party screening company used by an apartment company I applied for named XXXX XXXX XXXX. The email stated that I needed to resolve the balance of {$6000.00} with The XXXX, the original creditor in whom FCO supposedly collected for. I find it a bit bizarre that FCO collected money on the original creditors behalf for MONTHS with no mention to them that payments were being made towards the balance. I spoke to The XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, after receiving the email from XXXX. She verified the information from the email : my account had a balance of {$6000.00} due and that I would need to contact FCO to make the payments as the account was in collections. I would like to note that when the account went into collections, I received NO correspondence from FCO regarding an account. It wasnt until I checked my credit report on a whim that I noticed this derogatory item. Not only am I being hindered behind FCOs failure to be transparent in their reporting to the CRAs, but their failure to even communicate with the original creditor they are collecting for has resulted in my apartment application being DENIED! My application was declined for reasons based in whole or in part of the information obtained from the CRAs. I have spoken to previous leasing offices who have informed me that the denial was because of the unresolved outstanding balance within the collections section of my report. FCO is the ONLY account there!

I had a chance to relook at the screenshots of my XX/XX/XXXX credit report for all three bureaus and noticed yet again inconsistencies with this accounts reporting. From my reading, for any account on a credit report, the Account Type MUST be the same across all three bureaus. Additionally, collection accounts SHOULD NOT have a payment history and the account should not report monthly. The Term for XXXX is inconsistent with the other bureaus ; there should not be any terms on a collection account as it is a dead account. The XXXX Updated date is also inconsistent with the other bureaus. 

All of this information should be the same across the bureaus and is not. Thus, it clear that the information being furnished is wrong/fraudulent! Despite the multiple investigations conducted on this account, the persistent un-synthesized and collected inconsistencies furnished have made it impossible to determine the accuracy and integrity of the information in FCOs reporting. 

I am moving in XXXX weeks and have not been able to secure adequate housing because of FCOs non-compliance reporting. After several attempts of trying to resolve the issue with FCO via the credit bureaus, I am frazzled beyond belief and have placed all faith into CFPBs hands! I beg the immediate removal of this account from my credit profile across ALL bureaus due to FCOs multiple violations. I also beg that FCO be held accountable for their failure to uphold their regulations as a furnisher!

I have attached my identification card as well as my most recent bank statement for verification. PLEASE restore my hope and full faith that credit reporting agencies do in fact ensure maximum effort to protecting me from misleading and harmful information or entity on my credit profile.

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