Consumer complaint received 2023-03-03
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: TN
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:
I got a loan from XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX in the amount of {$3800.00} plus finance charges, I started making payments after that on the dates and amounts to follow : XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX, XXXX XXXX  XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXXXXXX XXXX, XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX  XXXX, In between the late payments that started I called to explain my lateness and tried to make payments to catch up my late payments due to COVID, I was presented with a refinance of the loan, adding more money to my balance, but not receiving any of the refinanced loan money, it was simply going to be applied to my balance. I did not accept this offer, because I wasnt trying to add to a balance I was already struggling to pay, I was looking for some type of forbearance and relief from threats of collection and being sued. Well, on XX/XX/XXXX, I was served with a garnishment order, I do not even remember being served or notified of a court date for a garnishment hearing. An Attorney for XXXX XXXX then emailed the funeral home on XX/XX/XXXX, regarding this garnishment order that was served to me asking me to advise her of the dates and amount of any deductions that would be withheld and remitted to the courts. A response was given on XX/XX/XXXX with the following dates/amounts : XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX, XXXX XXXXXXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX totaling XXXX to be mailed on XX/XX/XXXX. Those funds were never deducted or remitted to the courts. On XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXXXXXX XXXX, the attorney for XXXX sent another email regarding payment not received, and citing failure to comply to judgment. On XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXX payment was made in full for the total amount of the garnishment order of {$4600.00} + XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX totaling {$4700.00}. At this point I think this over and done with and I am finally free of the stress and threats. Well in XX/XX/XXXX, I applied for credit to try and get funds to pay off other loans I needed to take care of and was denied due to the reporting status that I had a balance with XXXX XXXX of {$3800.00} reported In XX/XX/XXXX ; no other payment history or amounts, since XXXX of XXXX, showing {$200.00} payment, all other months since XXXX were either blank or showed NR ( not reported ). I then filed a disputed with Equifax on XX/XX/XXXX disputed the balance, status, and advising that this account was paid off in full. I tried to upload the payment receipt and the website would not let me upload the PDF that was well below the file size, it was a one page receipt ; so I submitted it without the receipt copy. On XX/XX/XXXX, the investigation was marked as complete, but no change to the credit report. I had missed the time-frame to review the investigation report by the time I checked it. So, on XX/XX/XXXX, I filed the dispute again for the same thing, stating that I did not have a balance with this XXXX XXXX, that I had paid {$4600.00} plus the service fee to the courts garnishment order and the site still would not let me upload the payment receipt. On XX/XX/XXXX I saw the notification that the investigation was complete, I opened in on Equifaxax.com dashboard and it came back that XXXX XXXX verified that the information was accurate and true, so it would remain on my credit report. I submitted the same dispute again on XX/XX/XXXX, this time it allowed me to attach the payment receipt and I disputed for the same reasons as before. While waiting for the investigation to be done and completed, I called XXXX XXXX collection number on XX/XX/XXXX and explained to the lady XXXX the situation, regarding the reporting to the credit bureaus, that I had disputed this twice and it keeps coming back that the company she works for is reporting the information as accurate and that I owe the {$3800.00}, despite the fact that it had been paid off on XX/XX/XXXX. She told me that I needed to call the local finance office with this issue. I advised her that I was given this number to call and that I had already talked to that office. She then told me that she would forward this information over to the litigation manager, XXXX XXXX and I should receive a call back in a few business days. She said that if I didnt receive a call back, to call her back at her extension which she provided for a follow up of my issue. I never received that call back. I called the number and extension XXXX gave me to check on the status of my issue and to let her know that I never received that call from the litigation manager and her phone line was not answered the three times I called, nor did she return my voicemails left. On XX/XX/XXXX, Equifax marked the dispute completed, I opened it and it was the same as the 2 previous disputes, XXXX XXXX responded as verified true and accurate despite the receipt proof, it remains on my credit report now with a new additional status of Charged Off. At this point I am livid, my vehicle note is falling behind, and I cant get approved for any loan help to pay anything. I then got on the phone and called the local office and went over this whole spill again about my issue with them. The guy that answered the phone then tells me to call that same place again, I told him no one was answering and he should be able to pull up my account. He did so and I answered all of his questions regarding the reported amount of {$3800.00}, charged off, and this isnt trued, it was paid in full to the courts in the amount of {$4600.00}, and still showing open. He pecks on his computer and tells me, no, I see that your balance is {$140.00} and will you paying that off today. I told him I would not, that I do not owe them anymore money, and I would be seeking legal counsel and disconnected the call. I then started compiling all of my information to prepare myself. XX/XX/XXXX, I pulled my credit report, to see the balance amount had been reported on by XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX as owing {$140.00} and charged off. I tried to file another dispute with Equifax and it would allow me to, stating I already I have an investigation going on and cant file while that is not complete. Mind you, I have filed a dispute since the one that was closed on XXXX XXXX XXXX. Today XX/XX/XXXX, I am currently logged into my Equifax dashboard, and it still says I cant file a dispute due to an ongoing dispute in progress, even though the last one I filed was closed XX/XX/XXXX. Currently my credit report generated on XX/XX/XXXX, shows the XXXX XXXX account now closed, with a {$0.00} balance and status reported as PAID CHARGE OFF. This was reported by the Finance company on XX/XX/XXXX. I am ready to move forward and sue this XXXX XXXX and Equifax for the Fair Credit Reporting Act violations and unfair treatment inflicted upon me. The account was never charged off, it was never in Collection status, it took 2 years for them to change anything and when they did, they reported that I owed them {$140.00} and reported the account as charged off and currently shows as Paid Charge off. This needs to be corrected and removed to only show as PAID.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation