Consumer complaint received 2019-08-17
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: Their investigation did not fix an error on your report

Complaint:
In XX/XX/XXXX I noticed several incorrect items on my credit reports which I wanted to have corrected. I received a reply in XX/XX/XXXX with the results and nothing I had requested was addressed. I asked for specific account information with my signature showing that these items were mine and if so, I would gladly handle them. They only replied with the fact that they were mine. I contacted the company that said they were mine and they couldn’t verify yet they said they would not remove it unless I paid. The primary issues were the child support enforcement which is the same account and shows up 3 times with negative information and was killing my score. I spoke with the CSE and they corrected the information as current never late. Credit reporting agency would not correct even after sending them the information from CSE. Another issue was XXXX  which was a medical debt which was not mine either. The dates don't match for anytime I had been in the hospital and I had insurance at the time they said that. Yet they strong-armed me again. Bully tactics. "pay or it will stay". After that complaint I received another dispute result on XX/XX/XXXX showing 7 XXXX accounts. All of which total XXXX. Coincidence? I think not. They wouldn't remove or agree that they were duplicates. I have sent multiple requests and attempts. I eventually just paid the XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX, that said I owed money in order to help my credit score so I could get a mortgage and provide a better home for my family. The XXXX XXXX issue was eventually removed due to them not being able to verify that it was mine and yet it showed back up just the other day in my Equifax report. We have XXXX  young children under the age of XXXX and can afford a mortgage but due to the change in score we were no longer able to qualify for the initial XXXX and went to XXXX and finally ended up receiving a denial letter and are not able to buy the house (attached). I went from an 800+ to below 600 due to the bully tactics of the "creditors" and the improper reporting of the Credit reporting agencies. I was able to get my score back up to a mid-700 in early XX/XX/XXXX but I can’t go any higher because the child support shows up as a collection and seriously impacts my score. As of now my score has dropped to a low 600 and I'm seriously having troubles securing a mortgage and I'm paying a ton of money due to increased interest rate on all of my other items. I have never been late on a payment nor do I owe anyone. Also, some of the items would be deleted and then added right back on within a few months. Then I would have to start this entire process over again. I have spent a ton of time and money trying to handle this and I’m at my limit. Credit reporting agencies need to be held accountable for their actions. I am also filing suit against them. To this day I am still battling them to remove the CSE.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation