Consumer complaint received 2019-06-21
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: MN
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:
Below is the email I sent to resolve a situation that resulted in a late payment credit hit and documents unusual and extra-ordinary lengths I needed to go through to submit a payment online to XXXX XXXX. My late payment is not a reflection of my ability and pattern of on-time payments, but a fault in their online system. Despite the evidence provided, XXXX XXXX refused to correct my credit report. I've also attached a pdf that has the screenshots attached. 

Additionally, when I initially contacted XXXX XXXX regarding the issue, they didn't even offer to do an investigation, and I had to ask to talk to a supervisor, and then someone from another department, and then finally then my case was assigned to another member of the staff. I was told I could call her with questions, but was unable to get a hold of her or get a return call for at least a week and after several attempts. 

When I finally did get a hold of her she told me that she would make an investigation and notify me of her determination by the end of that current week. However, when I asked how she planned to talk to me or get any testimony or evidence that I had, she said that " she did intend to do so '' and that it was " unnecessary. '' So she fully intended to make a determination on my claim without even considering all the evidence. 

Only after I repeatedly explained over the phone that I thought the evidence I had was pertinent did she allow me to send it to her over email. But I have no confidence that she ever read my email as I did not get a written response detailing why my evidence was not sufficient. And finally when she called, it was very hard to hear all of what she told me, but I got that she had denied my claim to correct the credit report and that she seemed to blame the blank where I have my checking account, for an error that was clearly communicated through their website was a " temporary issue '' with XXXX XXXX. 

Below is the formal request and original evidence I provided to XXXX XXXX. 

From XXXX XXXX Case # : XXXX Purpose of Email : Provide evidence that my late payment should be removed from the credit reporting agencies. 

Hi XXXX, Thank you for talking with me today and hearing my concerns and providing a way for me to provide evidence ( I've provided screenshots below ) and testimony regarding the late payment on my XXXX XXXX account and reported as such to the credit bureaus. Now I will briefly explain why, and backed by evidence and logic, it would be just and fair to remove the late payment report from my credit report. Due to no fault of my own, I've been required to take extraordinary steps to make prompt on-time payments, such that I have not had to do with any other bank for the 15+ years I have been making credit or loan payments. 

As I've said, this was not due to any fault of my own, but is due to the technical barriers, caused by the design and function of XXXX XXXX website, which hindered my ability to setup an account using autopay through a monthly transfer from my XXXX XXXX Checking account. When attempting to setup the account I received the error messages " we are unable to add this account because it is not valid for bank-to-bank transfers and payments '' and " We're sorry, your transfer can not be completed at this time, please try again later. '' I believed as the second message indicated, that this was a temporary issues with XXXX XXXX, and not an issue that I could resolve. 

As such, in order to make payments, I did so over the phone. However, over several months, I continued to have issues, and so continued to make payments over the phone. which the bank records and computer forensic evidence would show. These are the extraordinary steps that I took to make my payments on-time because the XXXX XXXX system prevented me from adding my account. 

Was there something wrong with my non-XXXX XXXX  account that, that was my responsibility to correct? No, I fulfilled my responsibility by having my XXXX XXXX Checking Account setup correctly. The evidence of my claim? I used this same account to make payments over the phone, ( had I been given the opportunity I would have setup payments for autopay through the phone as well, but due to the limitations of your system, I could not make more than 2 advance payments ). 

Additional proof that my XXXX XXXX XXXX account was setup sufficiently to make automatic payments, is that I have this same account setup to pay several other creditors. If needed, I can provide evidence of this as well. As I've laid out, out-of-the ordinary steps where taken to be prompt in my payments to XXXX XXXX. And when I saw that I was late on my payment, which I did not realize, until after seeing it on my credit report, I immediately made an over-the-phone payment, and contacted XXXX XXXX to rectify the situation. As the purpose of credit reports are to accurately report my credit situation, including my future ability, and past consistency in making on-time debt payments, and is the primary tool for potential lenders to determine my creditworthiness, I think that is only fair and just, and indeed in the best interest of the credit bureaus, creditors, and others in the credit industry that my credit report accurately reflect that I do indeed make my payments on-time. 

As, laid out above, the late payment that occurred recently is not reflective of my creditworthiness, but reflective of fixes that need made to XXXX XXXX 's financial website. Therefore, I ask that XXXX XXXX make a request to the credit bureaus, to remove " late payment '' that was added to my account, for the reasons indicated above, and so that my creditworthiness is more accurately reflected. Thanks for your time and customer service,

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation