Consumer complaint received 2016-06-25
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: GA
Product: Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on credit report
Sub-issue: Account status

Complaint:
Social Security has reported that I am in " serious delinquency '' as stated on my credit report - I am not delinquent one day they have failed to apply checks in a timely manner. I have paid {$50.00} more than my monthly payment every month and always send a check on the last of the month as stated in my terms. SS has often taken up to 90 plus days to clear my checks and at the same time send me a letter advising me of how late I am. I call and get told to be patient the letters are generated by a computer and even though they are behind they can not stop letters saying that I am late paying. I have tried sending the check myself and thru bill pay where the check is sent by my bank, but they still take an unreasonable amount of time. I had my bank, actually XXXX banks call SS to see if there was a way to pay directly from my bank to theirs to no avail. 
I pay to the XXXX, XXXX location, but last XXXX XXXX, XXXX I went to the local office in XXXX, XXXX, waited quite a long time then after 45 minutes of questioning me and reassuring {$600.00} of a previous check written in XX/XX/XXXX ( to cover XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX bills ) was lost. I wrote a new check # XXXX for {$600.00}, ( which this check cleared on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX ) to cover for the months of XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX. On XXXX XXXX, XXXX, the check SS told me was lost and no where in their system and I needed to make it good cleared that exact same night on XXXX XXXX, XXXX! The check ( # XXXX from bill pay with XXXX XXXX XXXX ). The check I sent for XXXX XXXX payment was cleared on my XXXX SS statement. XXXX confirmed receipt by SS on XXXX XXXX, since I sent thru bill pay I do not have an actual date SS cashed the check, but it showed up paid on my XX/XX/XXXX SS statement. 
I sent a handwritten check # XXXX for {$300.00} on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX, # XXXX for {$300.00} on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX, and # XXXX for {$300.00} on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX as of this date none have cleared. Since none of the checks have been applied to my account SS considers me seriously delinquent. I received another past due letter and called twice, the first time a gentleman told me they were behind 8-9 months on XXXX payments. I explained what happened in XX/XX/XXXX when I made up for a " lost check '' and then the " lost '' check was cleared against my account the same day. He advised me not to cancel the checks, but to give them time to get caught up and apply the checks I had already sent. He said SS were now accepting phone payments and I could pay future bills by phone or auto draft. I agreed to do that for future payments. 
My wife and I then applied for a loan and found out SS had turned the account over for collection! I called and was told again it was something they did not generate, but the computer automatically did even though they are behind on applying payments. I was told there was nothing I could do but be patient and allow them time to apply payments, but they did not have anyone in SS that could correct any problems it was causing my credit. It cost me a higher interest rate!!!!!! for their lack of applying my payments. To my frustration I called the local SS office in XXXX and was told the only way they could help was to prove SS in XXXX had my checks or I could come up to their office in XXXX and pay the past three months again. I explained I did not have the money for SS to take my money twice as SS in XXXX and XXXX had done in XXXX XXXX. Nor do I have any way to prove my checks are in XXXX because they do not process their checks in a timely manner. I also sent SS in PA a letter with my XXXX/XXXX/XXXX payment, but was told it would take approximately 6 months for them to respond - I wrote questioning why my checks had not been applied to my account. 
I need to find someone willing to help so I am turning to you - PLEASE HELP ME! As you can see by my credit report, I pay my debts on time. I always pay what I owe. Thank you.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation