Consumer complaint received 2021-08-22
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: OH
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:
During the later portion of XXXX concerns over the Covid-19 Pandemic began to impact consumers like myself to make payment for their bills on time. As such by XXXX most states were shut down and shuttering at home. Working as a XXXX  my position was phased out and was able to receive the PUA starting in XX/XX/XXXX. During that time Several bills were passed to help consumers not suffer adverse affects from late payments and such during this time period every single sub-prime credit card account that was opened reported every late payment, over the limit amount and other adverse actions that was a major ding on my score. I called each company and explained the situation which led to three accounts being abruptly closed and stating they were closed due to NSF fee 's which was related to waiting on XXXX payments. During this time of XX/XX/XXXX not one credit card company made me aware of any of their programs that were available to help maintain credit scores which at the time mine was in the XXXX range and within one week it dropped to XXXX and currently it remains in XXXX range. I have paid the accounts down and in some cases there are XXXX balance but not once have this information to reported to the agencies and nor have the agencies updated their records. I have received letters stating that the dispute letters are fraudulent even when ID and Social Security number has been provided. Another round of dispute letters have been sent off on my behalf and again the accounts are listed as verified and I disagree with their finding. They never sent anything stating how the account information was verified and if that was true than the Cares Act and Hero Act laws would have forced the credit card companies to remove all late and over the limit payments because it is the law. To never make a consumer aware of programs that could have keep their accounts in good standing is a violation of ethical and transparency practices but certain areas in every state if it is a high level of minorities we are subjected to practices that is difficult to over come. If I use my credit cards then a ding for high credit card usage even if I pay it off in several days before the new billing cycle begins. I am still waiting for an update to my credit report to show where the account balance was XXXX never posted to the credit agencies until after I had to use the cards for a large payment again score dropped 14 points. Credit card company states they report once a month reporting agencies state the information is correct even though no proof is provided on how it was verified. I have been declared permanently disable and all student loans are to be removed two of the three agencies have removed them and debt to income ratio has improved but one agency has not removed them but simply list them as closed because the lender has closed its doors. Every single action that transpire with the usage of my credit cards goes directly to the reporting agencies except when the actions are positive then that action is reported only once a month and nothing is done about the lack of offering families in predominantly minority areas programs during the pandemic assistance to stay ahead of financial ruin. This is not a rant but is true due to several articles that have been written in the XXXX XXXX XXXX about minorities being denied housing loans and the XXXX  XXXX article that addresses how marginalized minorities to banking institutions that take advantage through higher fees, more check cashing institutions than banks and payday loan companies throughout the inner-cities. I have read both the Cares and Hero Act 's laws and what I am experiencing is illegal and if not resolved the next step is legal actions to bring these forms of practices to the fore front of every community that experience such practices.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation