Consumer complaint received 2021-04-02
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: WV
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Improper use of your report
Sub-issue: Reporting company used your report improperly

Complaint:
XXXX  Inaccurately posted information regarding an account that I do not own My mother is XXXX, and her health is failing. She has been losing her XXXX over the past few years, as well as having mobility issues. On XX/XX/XXXX, my mother and I prepared 'Power of Attorney documents with her attorney. We did this so that I may help her pay her bills on time as her health failed. 

She had ( 4 ) bank credit cards, of which we tried to submit the 'Power of Attorney papers to them to give me legal access to sign and care for my mother 's accounts. In every case scenario, the banks ' customer support representative told us that it was wiser to add ( me ) as an authorized user to my mother 's account rather than use a power of attorney. Only one bank requested both POA papers and added me as an 'authorized user ' too. 

Before I agreed, I specifically asked each bank 's representative 'if adding me to my mother 's account as an 'authorized user ' would in any way affect my credit? ' Every bank representative we spoke with said the same thing. 'No, it would not ; they also indicated that it was not possible to allocate my mother 's debt to my credit report without my social security number and signature. They clearly defined that I was not a joint owner, rather an 'authorized user, ' which would enable me to make purchases, pay her bills, and help her handle her expenses, etc. All acknowledged that I was not financially responsible for the debt as an 'authorized user. ' They all told me this was the 'best path ' to assist my mother, noting in the conversation by phone that it would not impact my credit in any way. 

In each case, I heard the same from all ( 3 ) banks, and recently from a ( 4th ) bank, we just added me as an 'authorized user ' only three weeks ago. All of them clearly stated that it would not impact my credit in any way, that I was not responsible for the debt in any way.

Since I've been paying my mother 's bank cards over the past five years, I have never seen any of the debts/cards posted on my credit report. All was good, and I continued to help my mom pay her bills on time. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I applied for credit with a high credit score and a low debt to income ratio, confident that I would obtain credit for the loan I wanted. I was denied. I was shocked, and it prompted me to get my credit report from all three agencies. 

I was shocked that my credit score dropped from XXXX to XXXX in just one month, XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX. Nothing I did could have caused such a severe drop ; I knew something was wrong. 

Once reviewed, I found that ( 4 ) new revolving accounts were added to my account, making my debt to income ratio go from 23 % to nearly 97 %. Adding my mother 's bank card accounts to my credit report added {$52000.00} to my debt, which is being reported as part of my current 'debt to income ratio ' with all three agencies. I was denied credit for a major purchase because of this inaccurate information, and my credit score fell 59 points in less than 30 days. 

I contacted each of the four banks this week ( Week of XX/XX/XXXX ) and spoke with representatives about this problem. Each bank gave me that same response : they said, 'it should not impact your credit ; the debt is not yours - we're only showing you as an authorized user. ' When I explained that the credit reporting agencies allocate the {$52000.00} total debt to my debt to income ratio - they dismissed me, acting as if I was not giving them accurate data. I had the amounts and gave each one the specific amount allocated on my credit report by them - and they had no answers to explain why this is happening. I further asked if you remove me from my mother 's account ( s ) will this remove your charge account from my credit report? They said yes, and I confirmed by phone for them to remove me from the charge account. However, I do not think this will solve my problem. 

I am deeply concerned about the impact of this on my credit report and score, as none of this debt is mine. My score dropped 59 points, all because these four banks added my mother 's debt to my credit report. The impact is catastrophic. I work very hard to maintain excellent credit, and in just a few weeks, these ( 4 ) banks have done irrefutable damage to my credit. 

Furthermore - I do not know if those charge accounts being removed from my credit will result in my credit score being fully restored to my XXXX ratings as of XX/XX/XXXX, or ( XXXX XX/XX/XXXX ) or not. There is no other reason my score should have dropped by 59 points in 30 days. 

I hope that the ( 4 ) banks and the ( 3 ) credit reporting agencies would, in good faith, undo the damage to my credit. I report my credit to government agencies for my business, and the impact here could cost me future revenues and my livelihood. 

In every case in this scenario, the banks ' representatives assured me that being added to my mother 's account as an 'authorized user ' was more accessible, better, and faster for everyone than submitting the power of attorney papers. They also assured me it would have no impact on my credit, credit scores, or credit health. I find now ( years later ) that this is entirely not true, and my credit has taken an enormous hit because of their actions. 

I seek for all of these accounts to be immediately removed from my credit reports as inaccurate information. I also want my credit score to be restored to what it was before these ( 4 ) banks began wrongfully adding this debt amounts to my three credit reports.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation