Consumer complaint received 2019-06-12
Company: Experian Information Solutions Inc.
State: CA
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:
Hi there, I submitted a request to Experian in XXXX of this year to remove a derogatory item from my credit report. They closed the dispute and issued a report ( # XXXX ) but provided no additional information, nor did they address my claim, nor remove the incorrect item from my credit report. Worse, they increased the dollar amount of the incorrect item. It didn't seem like anyone actually looked into the dispute. 

I'll recap the details. In XX/XX/XXXX I joined the XXXX XXXX XXXX and was stationed in XXXX for 2 years. Before departing I contacted all my student loan lenders and obtained waivers for the 2 years I would be doing volunteer service abroad. All my lenders agreed that my loans were eligible for deferment under the XXXX XXXX program. I submitted the signed paperwork before leaving the country. 

In XX/XX/XXXX, a month into my foreign service, one of the lenders ( XXXX ) emailed and said that they were mistaken, and that since the loan was a private loan ( not a government loan like the others ) that it was not eligible for deferment. I replied and told them that there was no way I could pay as I was doing 2 years of public service in XXXX, and did not receive an income for this work. They replied that there was nothing they could do, but that I could apply for an economic hardship deferment, which I did and which they declined. They basically marooned me without a way to pay, after telling me before my departure that I would qualify for the deferment. 

I followed up several times with them during those first few months abroad, and then they never responded after declining the economic hardship. 

When I finished my service in XX/XX/XXXX, I returned home and received a summons from a law firm in XXXX XXXX. This was the first I had heard that they had charged off the account. I responded to the summons, explained the situation, and immediately began paying the loan back, even though the payments they required are {$750.00} per month, which makes it very difficult for me to pay my basic living expenses. I was always under the impression that I would be able to pay my loans back on the income-based repayment plan, which would be 10 % of my income, which would be about {$350.00} a month, which I could afford. 

I have not missed one payment since my return, and I intend to continue paying the loan back, but I strongly disagree with the derogatory remark on my credit report, as this is preventing me from getting a loan for a newer and more dependable vehicle, which I desperately need to keep working. 

I just believe that it is unfair the way this played out, and that in essence I have been been financially punished and had my credit eroded from 1 lender who made the mistake themselves, all while I was doing public service work. If I had known that they wouldn't defer the loan, I would have waited until a later time to join XXXX XXXX. 

I greatly appreciate any assistance you can provide in helping me to get the unfair remark removed from my credit reports. I'm a bit concerned about how difficult it will be to work with the other 2 credit bureaus, if Experian 's non-responsiveness is any indicator. 

Please feel free to contact me for any information at all. I have copies of the emails I sent to the lender before and after departing, as well as proof of all payments since my return, and the information I submitted to Experian to open the dispute.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation