Consumer complaint received 2020-09-22
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: TX
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt is not yours

Complaint:
XX/XX/XXXX To : Consumer Financial Protection Bureau XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX, IA XXXX Office of the Attorney General Consumer Protection Division XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, TX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX, Pennsylvania. XXXX Equifax XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX, Ga XXXX XXXX ( Member Id. XXXX ) XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, Texas. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX ( Account number XXXX Collection opened XX/XX/XXXX Balance on XX/XX/XXXX {$200.00} ) XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, Tx XXXX Re : XXXX XXXX XXXX, Complainant DOB : XXXX/XXXX/XXXX SSN : XXXX Prior CFPB Complaints : XXXX : ( XX/XX/XXXX ) XXXX : ( XX/XX/XXXX ) Notice of Dispute for Debt Not Due Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act Complainant, XXXX XXXX XXXX, a resident of XXXX XXXX, XXXX County,  Texas, brings before the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) this Complaint against XXXX  XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ), Equifax Consumer Information Services ( Equifax ),  XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX ( XXXX ), Consumer Reporting Agencies, collectively referred to hereinafter as ( CSAs ), XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ), XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) for : a. The reinsertion in his consumer files by the CRAs of previously deleted items of information, unverified and uncertified for accuracy furnished by XXXX, that Complainant is  indebted to XXXX to the sum of $ {$200.00} without notice to Complainant of the reinsertion within five ( 5 ) days of the reinsertion, in violation of 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 5 ) ( B ) ( i ) ( ii ) and, further, to b. Dispute the validity of the reinserted information as provided pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 1692g, and in  support hereof presents : 1. On or about XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX, a third-party debt collector, opened a collection action on behalf of its principal, XXXX, to collect a balance allegedly due XXXX by Complainant to the sum of {$200.00}. ( See : Account No. XXXX ). On or about XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX reported its collection action to the CRAs for inclusion in Complainants consumer files. 
2. On XX/XX/XXXX, Complainant registered Complaint with this agency against the XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, a third-party debt collector, seeking resolution for the exact same issue. ( See : CFBP ID. Nos. XXXX and XXXX ). 
3. Upon reinvestigation it was determined that I was not indebted to XXXX to the sum of {$200.00} XXXX and the information was DELETED from Complainants consumer files with the CRAs and remained so until XX/XX/XXXX. 
4. The only difference is that upon those complaints the third-party debt collector acting on behalf of XXXX was XXXX and not XXXX. The fact remains, however, that the information furnished the CRAs regarding Complainants alleged indebtedness to XXXX is the same information that was determined to be inaccurate and deleted from consumer files. 
5. Annexed hereto is a copy of CFPC Complaint submitted on XX/XX/XXXX. For the reasons assigned therein I DISPUTE and REASSERT that the information furnished the CRAs by XXXX   to as to my indebtedness to XXXX  is inaccurate, false, misleading, unverified and AGAIN warrants REMOVAL from Complainants consumer files with the CRAs. 
Pursuant to the terms of 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 5 ) ( B ) ( i ) ( ii ), CRAs are obliged to adopt reasonable procedures to prevent the reinsertion in consumer files previously deleted items of false, inaccurate, and unverified information uncertified for accuracy furnished by debt collectors and other furnishers of information. 
6. As the reappearance and reinsertion of information regarding Complainants indebtedness to XXXX   into Complaints consumer files appears to be an annual event ( every XXXX like clockwork, with  the only difference being the identity of the debt collector ), Complaint asserts that the CRAs have willfully and negligently breached their obligations to adopt reasonable procedures to prevent the reinsertion in consumer files previously deleted items of false, inaccurate, and unverified information uncertified for accuracy furnished by debt collectors and other furnishers of information in violation of 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 5 ) ( B ) ( i ) ( ii ).

7. The foregoing considered : Complainant respectfully requests : ( a ) Reinvestigation to determine the veracity of the information subject to this dispute. 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ). 
( b ) SUSPENSION of collection activities with respect to the alleged debt, pending final disposition upon re-investigation. 15 U.S.C. 1692g ( b ).

( c ) Deletion from my consumer files the disputed information of my indebtedness to XXXX as provided to Equifax, XXXX, and XXXX consumer agencies by XXXX. 
( d ) The CRAs cease and desist from reinserting into Complainants consumer files previously deleted items of information regarding Complainants indebtedness to XXXX irrespective of the identity of the debt collector. Riding upon this merry-go-round every year regarding a BOGUS debt claim is getting OLD. Moreover, its illegal and constitutes HARRASSSMET under the terms of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Neither any other Complainant nor I should have to endure this scenario year-after-year. 
8. The CRAs, XXXX and XXXX are hereby put on notice that if SUSPENSION of collection activities, including the removal from Complainants consumer file of the previously deleted information complained of, are not effected withing thirty days of receipt of this Complaint, suit will be filed for damages, injunctive, and other available relief in a court of competent jurisdiction. Again, this manure needs to STOP. 
9. A copy of this Complaint is being submitted to the Attorney General for the State of Texas for receipt and treatment as a consumer complaint before that Office as permitted by law. 


Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation