Consumer complaint received 2019-12-20
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: PA
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Sub-issue: Account status incorrect

Complaint:
Dear CFPB : I am hoping that you can help me get some relief. I have been inaccurate and unverified information that is continuing to being reported by Equifax, XXXX  and XXXX on my credit reports. I have also disputed these inaccurate/unverified items directly with the creditors. While some inaccuracies were corrected, some still remain. I have been trying to prepare to purchase my first home, and these inaccuracies are KILLING my credit scores, are holding me back from home ownership. I have even called EACH of the bureaus on NUMEROUS occasionsno easy task! I have spent a great deal of time and money ( another hard task as a single mom, solely supporting her children, and working very long hours! ) trying to get these bureaus to follow the laws dictated in the FCRA/FDCPA that protect consumers like me from this, and I ABSOLUTELY CAN NOT BELIEVE how easily the bureaus blatantly disregard them! I believe I have done my job as a consumer, and am being ignored over and over. Therefore, I am hoping you can help meI really can not afford the time or money for an attorney, but if you recommend that route, I guess I will have to. I have tried to include as much evidence as possible, but if there is ANYTHING else I can get to you, please let me know! 

Here is the situation : I started disputing with Equifax, XXXX AND XXXX   after seeing several inaccurate, incomplete unverified, and erroneous accounts they are reporting on my credit report. I requested that they correct the accounts to report ACCURATELY, verify the information they are reporting, provide proof of their results, and correct each violation or delete it off my credit report. 
The bureaud did NOT protect my rights as a consumer by complying with the reporting requirements SPELLED OUT FOR THEM in the FCRA/FDCPA. Their negligent non-compliance is causing me unnecessary harm and damage. Below you will find the specific accounts, with specific details of all of the violations and inaccuracies : Equifax : 1. Portfolio Recovery Assoc/Acct # CAPIT- # XXXX I have disputed this inaccurate information with Equifax XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX ; and XX/XX/XXXX ( sent certified mail, receipt number : XXXX XXXX- see attachment 1 ) and I also disputed directly with the company, too- for the following inaccuracies and violations : The type of account being reported is INACCURATE ( see comments ) ; there is no current status ; no reported date of last activity ; and no reference to original creditor, nor address for me to dispute directly with original creditor ; the date of first delinquency is inaccurate as well, and there is no past due amount owed. ( See attachment 2 and 7 ) As remedy, I would like this account removed and blocked from reporting on my credit report since they are continuing to report false information 2. Portfolio Recovery Assoc/Acct XXXX In the same dispute letters on XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX ; and XX/XX/XXXX ( sent certified mail, receipt number : XXXX XXXX- see attached, attachment 1 ) and I also disputed directly with the company for this account, too ) I disputed another account for similar inaccuracies and violations : The type of account is WRONG ( see comments ) ; there is no current status ; no reported date of last activity ; and no reference to original creditor, nor address for me to dispute directly with original creditor ; the date of first delinquency is ALSO inaccurate as well, and there is no past due amount owed. ( See attachment 3 and 9 ) I would ALSO like this account removed entirely for the numerous inaccuracies and violations of both the bureau, and the creditor/collector. 

TransUnion : I then reviewed my TransUnion report, found more inaccuracies and violations, disputed on similar dates : XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX ; and XX/XX/XXXX ( sent certified mail, receipt number : XXXX-see attachment 4 ) and they too have supposedly investigated and verified the inaccurate information on the following accounts : 3. XXXX # XXXX I repeatedly disputed the inaccuracies reporting in the payment history, which XXXX allegedly verified as accurate.. How can I go from paying on time to 60 days late the next monthit doesnt make sense! And how does the account have a payment status of current The account was closed and transferred in XXXXdoesnt it have to be marked as transferred?!? ). How is the payment status even current? Also, the date updated never changed, PROVING they never even investigated this! ( see attachments 5 and 6 ) Another VIOLATION! 
I would like all the late payments removed from this account, or the entire account removed completely. 

XXXX. XXXX # XXXX I encountered a similar situation with this account, also disputed on : XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX ; and XX/XX/XXXX ( sent certified mail, receipt number XXXX XXXX-see attachment 4 ) TransUnion is continuing to reporting inaccurate late payments that they supposed verified as accurate, an inaccurate date of last activity, and an erroneous current account status, yet the date updated never even changed, PROVING they failed to even investigate!! ( see attachments 5 and 6 ) I would like all the late payments removed from this account, or the entire account removed completely. 
In those same disputes, dated XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX ; and XX/XX/XXXX ( sent certified mail, receipt number : XXXX-see attachment 5 ) I disputed MORE inaccurate information which XXXX continues to verify and report as accurate 5. PORTFOLIO RECOVERY/ # XXXX The balance is inaccurate, and so is the date of last activity! ( see attachments 7 and 8 ) TransUnion is reporting a date of last activity of XX/XX/XXXX, Experian is reporting a date of last activity of XX/XX/XXXX, and Equifax is reporting one of XX/XX/XXXX. ( See attachment 9 ) Obviously, they are trying re-age this account! I have also disputed the past due amount ( how is there a past due amount on a collection to begin with?!? ) I am asking to have this account removed for the numerous inaccuracies and violations, mainly for continuing to willfully and recklessly report false information when notified of the errors, and their failure to correct it! 

6. PORTFOLIO RECOVERY/ # XXXX In those same dispute letters dated XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX ; and XX/XX/XXXX ( sent certified mail, receipt number : XXXX-see attachment 4 ), I disputed this account for an inaccurate different date of last activity, inaccurate balance, a past due amount and inaccurate payment status, yet they CONTINUE to verify it as accurate! ( see attachment 8 and 9 ) I would also like this account removed ENTIRELY for continuing to willfully and recklessly report false information when notified, and their failure to correct it! 

I also disputed the following collection accounts with XXXX  ( sent certified mail, receipt number : XXXX-see attachment 4 ) 7. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX # XXXX 8. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX # XXXX 9. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX # XXXX I definitely do not EVER RECALL having accounts with the reported original creditor. ( see attachment 11 ) After XXXX verified these accounts as accurate, I asked for the method of verification they used to determine the accuracy of their reporting, ( which was on XXXX XXXX, XXXX ) and sent another letter to them disputing the fact that a past due amount is even reporting on a collection account. I STILL have not received a single document, verifying the accuracy of these accounts, yet they CONTINUE to report these! In XXXX   response to my request, stated they verified each account, and continue to report the numerous violations causing me more harm and damage. In addition, although I presented a written request for XXXX to provide and deliver any proof and documentation they collected during their investigation, yet they refused to provide even a single document collected, or any information whatsoever. 

So I went and I disputed these accounts directly with the collection agency reporting them ( sent certified mail # XXXX-see attachment 10 ) requesting validation that these accounts even belong to me, and if so, how these amounts were determined?!? I have NEVER received anything even proving these accounts are mine, yet they continue to report them on my credit report. I then contacted the original creditor who claim they have no knowledge of the accounts in question. I really can not afford to pay them, if they do not belong to me. I have no idea what to do now, and it is really frustrating me! 
I would like these unverified accounts removed, and blocked from ever damaging me again. 

Experian : I then reviewed my Experian report -- and Experian did not fail to correct as many errors as the other 2 bureausthey still failed to correct some inaccuracies I found, and continue to report them after being notified of the errors disputed numerous times, sent on XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX ; via XX/XX/XXXX ( sent certified mail, receipt number : XXXX -see attachment 12 ) I notified Experian of the multiple inaccuracies on the following account : 10. Portfolio Recovery Assoc/Acct # XXXX This is a collection account that I disputed with them for reporting an inaccurate date of last activity, re-aging my account ( see attachment 13 ), along with an inaccurate current status ( see attachment 9. ) ( I also disputed directly with the original creditor, to no avail. ) Yet, 3 times Experian supposedly verified the accuracyIMPOSSIBLE. The status date NEVER changed, proving they did not even bother to investigatea blatant VIOLATION of the FCRA! 
I would like this account removed for these inaccuracies and violations! 
I then disputed the following account with them, for similar reason : 11. Portfolio Recovery Assoc/Acct # XXXX I disputed this collection account with them for multiple inaccuracies/violations, too : mainly reporting an inaccurate date of last activity, which is re-aging my account ( see attachment 14 ), along with an inaccurate current status ( see attachment 7. ) Yet, 3 times Experian supposedly verified the accuracy of this account, tooIMPOSSIBLE again. Also, yet AGAIN, the status date NEVER changed, proving they did not even bother to investigateanother VIOLATION! 
I would also like this account removed for these inaccuracies and violations! 

Finally, Experian continues to report the following account inaccurately, too : 12.  Citizens XXXX # XXXX Like XXXX XXXX disputed both AES/Citizens accounts, and while Experian fixed one account to reflect accurately, this other account is still reporting a late payment history ( See attachment 15 ) They are ALSO reporting a CURRENT payment status of 180 DAYS late! ( See attachments 6 and 16. ) The account has been transferred, so how can they report a current status?!? On top of that, the status updated date never changed either, after claiming they investigated and verified these inaccuracies. It still says XX/XX/XXXX, even those it was last month! How on earth is this legal??? 
Please help me address the non-compliance of Equifax, XXXX and XXXX   and force them to ensure their reporting is ACCURATE, COMPLETE, and VERIFIABLE, so that consumerlike meare not harmed the bureaus failures to follow very clear laws. I appreciate any help/guidance you can offer, as I dont know where to go from here..

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation