Consumer complaint received 2016-11-20
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: TN
Product: Credit reporting
Issue: Credit reporting company's investigation
Sub-issue: Inadequate help over the phone

Complaint:
I am trying to have my Chapter XXXX Bankruptcy removed 1 year earlier than normal. In the long run, I want to educate and enlighten the American consumer, so that they are not victimized by what I believe may well be an industry, and companies guilty of violating US Anti-Trust code. I am considering filing a suit against XXXX, Equifax and XXXX. 
I am an educated, experienced consumer that personally was forced to file a Chapter XXXX under Title 11 in XXXX, due to my retail operations failing. PER THEIR DISCRETIONARY RULES, it is to come off my credit reports in XXXX. I am asking them to be human and remove it now. I am a XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ) and a XXXX. In short, I XXXX. 
I know that you know that it is the " rule of thumb '' that all of the " Big XXXX '' place chapter XXXX 's on consumer reports for seven years, and for chapter XXXX 's it is ten years. This is " part and parcel '' of everyday business in the Credit Reporting Agency world. However, both as a XXXX XXXX, and then when it happened to me, I have always wondered why? Why 7 and 10 years respectively? I have combed through both Title XXXX and the FCRA, looking for any statute that stipulates bankruptcies MUST be placed on a consumer 's report for these time periods. When I called all XXXX of the " Big XXXX '', they all gave me the same answer- '' the FCRA says we must do so ''. Either they were mistaken, or are trained to give this response. After hours of research, and closely reading the FCRA, what one finds is the XXXX and 10 years are the maximum that a Credit Reporting Agency can leave a bankruptcy on a consumer 's report. Assuming that these XXXX conglomerates are aware of the proper interpretation of the FCRA, it begs the question why would they do this? Why would they intentionally extend the time frame to the very maximum that the FCRA has granted them? Certainly, they clearly have been given the right to. But they have NOT been mandated to do so. I believe the answers to these questions are multi faceted. Obviously, the reason would be profit driven. Why is this decision left in the hands of the XXXX organizations that stand the most to gain from reporting such negative information as long as they possibly can? Furthermore, I would submit for consideration, that these " XXXX XXXX '', have intentionally caused as much harm as possible to the American consumer, in order to sell other products that they offer. I believe that these Credit Reporting Agencies have indulged for years in practices that, while technically legal, have also intentionally harmed as many American consumers as possible, which at the very least is unethical and possibly IS illegal under Federal Anti-Trust law. From the actual website of the CFPB : Source : XXXX " How long does information about me stay on my consumer report? 
Updated XXXX/XXXX/XXXX " Consumer reporting agencies are required by law to remove most negative information about your account after seven years, which generally means that if you find an item in their report that is older than seven years you should dispute that information. 
Note that consumer reporting agencies are not required to remove information about bankruptcies for ten years and that civil suits, civil judgments, and records of arrest can stay on for seven years or until the governing statute of limitations has expired, whichever is the longer period. 
Consumer reporting agencies can always choose to delete data earlier than required by law. ''

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief