Consumer complaint received 2017-04-19
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: CA
Product: Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on credit report
Sub-issue: Reinserted previously deleted info

Complaint:
I have been a XXXX customer for the last 18 years and I have never been associated with any product or service from XXXX. <P/>I pulled a tri-merged report in XX/XX/XXXX in order to require vital financing for my business. I was surprised to see a charge off/collection account being reported by a debt buyer - XXXX XXXX XXXX - stating it was for a XXXX account in the amount of {$600.00}. This account was reporting on all three bureaus. <P/>On XX/XX/XXXX a letter was drafted and mailed, via certified mail with return receipt and signed for on XX/XX/XXXX, stating : " This is a formal notice that your claim is disputed. I am requesting validation, made pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Please note that I am requesting " validation '' ; that is competent evidence bearing my signature, showing that I have ( or ever had ) some contractual obligation to pay you. '' Full letter will be attached. <P/>Absolutely no response to this communication so a follow up letter was drafted on XX/XX/XXXX and mailed, via certified mail with return receipt and signed for on XX/XX/XXXX, stating : " This letter is a follow up to my original letter dated XX/XX/XXXX regarding an inaccuracy on my credit reports, regarding account # ****, which you claim I owe {$600.00}. Upon further investigation, I have retained new copies of my credit reports, and noticed that you did not furnish the credit bureaus with the required disclosure, within the period required by law. You are required by federal law to place a " notice of dispute '' on my account within 30 days of my dispute, which you signed for on XX/XX/XXXX. '' Full letter will be attached. <P/>Again zero communication from this collector. I did however, notice that the account had been removed from Equifax on XX/XX/XXXX and from from XXXX and XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX.  This was great news, but short lived. The company immediately re-inserted the account now as a new collector - XXXX, XXXX/XXXX, with a new address - no longer in XXXX, XXXX but XXXX, XXXX and a new account number. This was now showing as a new collection account and had a very dramatic negative impact on my profile, my ability to gain vital financing for my business, and ultimately my personal and family finances. <P/>This re-insertion was done unlawfully as the consumer was not notified within 5 days of the re-insertion to my report. I sent a re-insertion letter to XXXX and the three bureaus to dispute the re-insertion and requested that they comply with the provisions of FCRA SOS 611, Procedure in case of disputed accuracy [ 15 U.S.C. SOS 1681i ] - Full letter will be attached As expected no response or communication from XXXX. The bureaus took it upon themselves to create disputes. The result of these disputes were that XXXX " verified '' to the bureaus the legitimacy of this account. I never received the documentation or information used for this verification. <P/>I was instructed to dispute with the Bureaus directly. I have done this and the bureaus continue to " verify '' the account as valid through XXXX. I have now asked multiple times for the documentation or information provided to the bureaus to validate the legitimacy of this account and to date have received nothing from XXXX and Equifax, XXXX or XXXX have only provided statements like, " verified, " remains '', " updated '', etc. no evidence of validation. <P/>I find it a bit odd that I have had zero communication from XXXX in 10 months and yet the bureaus can continue to verify this account without providing any supporting information to the claims of the accounts validity. <P/>The lack of communication from XXXX has proven my suspicion that this is an erroneous and fraudulent attempt by a predatory collector to extort funds from consumers. There is a XXXX on the FTC Banned Collectors List, is this them??!

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation