Consumer complaint received 2020-08-03
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: Problem with personal statement of dispute

Complaint:
During the months of XXXX, XXXX, and even XX/XX/XXXX and in years earlier, I have tried to resolve the " negative '' and inaccurate reporting of a XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX account that the company continued to mislead the credit bureaus and collectors on the " accuracy '' of the account they claimed that I owed that was opened in XXXX of XXXX. " I never opened a second account with XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX  at any time in XXXX. '' I paid-in-full for the first and only account I had opened all the way back in XXXX. Then in XXXX, I was notified that I suddenly owed for a new account that was allegedly opened in XXXX of XXXX. I asked XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX to provide to me the " documented proof '' of my alleged application that was made in opening this second account in XXXX of XXXX. They " NEVER '' provided the documented proof to me but they kept stating that the account was mine and kept reporting it as a " negative '' 'charged-off '' account on all three major credit bureaus for many years. I made a complaint about this issue regarding the first collection agency they sent after me to collect for this alleged second account. I provided my documented proof to the company and asked them to delete this negatively reporting item from my credit report ( s ). The first collection company stopped pursing me and provided their statement in writing concerning the alleged second account that XXXX XXXX XXXX was reporting since XXXX. I contacted XXXX XXXX XXXX on several occasions throughout the years to have them verify this " BIG MIXUP '' of my first account with this " alleged '' second account but they refused to fix this issue and allowed it to continue to affect my credit score ( s ) /report ( s ) for over 4 years. The account numbers obviously " DO NOT MATCH UP '' but XXXX XXXX XXXX wants to continue to " negatively '' report this alleged second account that I did not open and I want them to STOP reporting this account negatively on my credit report ( s )! 

By XX/XX/XXXX, I attempted to peacefully settle this alleged second account in-full by deciding to accept the settlement agreement offered to me by the second collection agency. The collection agency provided to me a letter confirming that the account was now settled in-full. However, after I contacted XXXX XXXX XXXX to inform them that I accepted the collection agency 's settlement in-full agreement and kindly asking them to delete/remove the reporting of this settled in-full account but the company decided to be willful and " continued to find a way to be even more " maliceful '' towards me by inaccurately reporting the settled alleged second account yet again, " NEGATIVELY, '' so that this alleged second account would continue to affect my credit score ( s ) /report ( s )  for another 2 years. 

I have attached documented proof of the first collection agency 's statement and the confirmed settlement letter provided to me as proof of the account being settled in-full. They collection companies nor XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX  never told me that if I accepted the settlement agreement that XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX would report this alleged second account in charged-off status that would continue to be reported as an account settled for less than the original balance so it could continue to be a " NEGATIVE '' item affecting my credit score ( s ) /report ( s ) for 2 more years. I contacting all three major credit bureaus and they all stated that after investigating this item that it was being reported accurately and would not remove the item until after 2 years. 

I have consulted with three consumer protection attorney's/law firms about this matter and if XXXX XXXX XXXX does not delete this " negatively '' reporting alleged second account that was considered to be settled in-full by the second collection agency they sent after me after filing this complaint, I will take prompt legal action ( s ) against XXXX XXXX XXXX .

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation