Consumer complaint received 2016-06-17
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: AZ
Product: Credit reporting
Issue: Credit reporting company's investigation
Sub-issue: Inadequate help over the phone

Complaint:
I requested via certified letter on XXXX XXXX, XXXX, for each CRA to remove a public record from my credit reports. The public record is a released tax lien from XXXX. I provided each CRA a copy of a letter from my XXXX Recorder which states that neither he nor his agency has ever verified or furnished my tax lien info to any CRA. I followed up with Equifax on XXXX XXXX, XXXX, regarding a number of disputes about collections on my Equifax Report, and stated that these same collections have been removed by both XXXX and XXXX, and that I want Equifax to remove them as well. The agent entered disputes on my behalf for each collection posted. Great! While I had her on the phone, I simply followed up to see if my certified letter from XXXX XXXX, XXXX, had been received regarding my request to delete the tax lien from my report and, if so, was it being considered. I included in that certified letter to each CRA a copy of a letter from my XXXX recorder as requested by each CRA in order to verify the record, a copy of my DL, SS card, and a utility bill to verify my identity, and a copy of the FTC/FCRA summary report Re : Section 603 ( d ) and ( f ) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, along with a cover letter requesting deletion of this public record as a result based upon this legal statute. The Equifax agent 's statement was a follows ( after putting me on hold for only XXXX minutes ) : " Yes, we have your certified letter and a copy of the letter from your XXXX recorder. But, sir, a letter from a public agency, even if it states that the agency did n't verify with us your public record, we can not remove it without a Letter of Expungement. '' I sited the case law above and FCRA 611 statutes to no avail. I stated that I did as requested by the CRA 's to contact the original vendor and get verification of whether the vendors furnished and or verified public records with each CRA, and that the law is clear on this matter. She replied, " I simply can not remove a public record regardless of what an agency says in a letter stating it did not verify nor furnish the public record. Again, you must seek a Letter of Expungement to legally remove a public record from your credit report. '' I told her I will follow up with seeking counsel on this matter, and thanked her for her service. 

I do n't believe her nor do I believe that a Letter of Expungement is required if the laws are clear regarding public records reported to CRA 's, and the public agency has denied in writing that it ever reporting a public record to each and any CRA, and as a consumer being requested by each CRA to seek such verification from a public agency. I 'm struggling to see why I 'm being denied by Equifax regarding this matter in the face of the legal statutes of Section 603 ( d ) and ( f ) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The AZ Revised Statutes regarding prohibition of publishing of records, such as my tax lien ( and a bankruptcy I have from XXXX ), are also very clear -- A.R.S. XXXX ; XXXX ; XXXX ; and XXXX.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation