Consumer complaint received 2023-10-14
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: ID
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem
Sub-issue: Their investigation did not fix an error on your report

Complaint:
Attached you will find correspondence from Equifax dated XX/XX/, demanding extensive documentation to verify my identity. This demand came despite the fact that Equifax had initiated contact with me at my established legal address, information they have correctly listed on my Equifax credit report for several years. I find this ongoing situation to be both baffling and deeply frustrating. 

Notably, this letter arrived in my mailbox on XX/XX/, a full 11 days after its creation. This discrepancy in timing raises further questions about Equifax 's operations and their ability to handle sensitive information securely. 

The audacity shown by Equifax, demanding verification from me, particularly after permitting a company to re-age a debt on my credit file following a XXXX  XXXX discharge 19 months ago, is deeply disheartening. Equifax only corrected this after three disputes, but not without appending their own disparaging remarks about me. Even more confounding, they misclassified my discharge as XXXX  XXXX, a category intended for farmers involving partial repayment of debts. This raises serious concerns about Equifax 's internal processes and their capacity for accurate reporting. 

These actions have not only impacted my financial opportunities but have also taken a toll on my personal life as a divorced mother of two. The time and emotional distress caused by Equifax 's mishandling of my case are significant and can not be overlooked. 

Equifax 's alleged struggle to accurately identify me, despite having my XXXX  XXXX bankruptcy, correct name, and address correctly listed on my credit report, leads me to believe that their actions may not be the result of mere oversight or confusion. Instead, it appears they may be engaging in behavior that could be deemed as willfully illegal, potentially to justify their unprofessional conduct. 

Naturally, I am fully prepared to confirm my identity through the proper legal channels, and if it requires, I will escalate this matter beyond small claims court. It is imperative to underscore that I do not owe Equifax anything in this matter, and I will not acquiesce to demands that are audacious, unwarranted, and unjust. Considering Equifax 's consistent failures to resolve this simple matter, one must question why anyone would entrust them with their personal documents. I, for one, will not be sending them anything. 

Therefore, to Equifax 's request for two forms of identifying documents, I respond with a resounding " no, and definitely not. '' Equifax has had ample time and opportunity to rectify their mistake, yet they have not only failed to do so but have also attempted to shift the blame onto me. 

I have initiated legal proceedings against Equifax in small claims court, and while this step hardly seems sufficient given the gravity of the situation, it is a necessary one. I want it to be unequivocally clear that Equifax is solely responsible for this situation, and I bear XXXX percent of the blame. XXXX XXXX made the sudden decision to re-age my prior debt to them, a full 19 months after my XXXX  XXXX discharge, simply because they observed my approval for two credit builder credit cards. Equifax stands alone among credit reporting agencies in permitting such behavior. Furthermore, Equifax engaged in similarly wrongful actions and intimidation throughout this process. They have positioned themselves as aggressors against a party they victimized, and they must face the consequences of their actions. This behavior is indefensible, and they must be held accountable.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation