Consumer complaint received 2017-05-22
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: PA
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem
Sub-issue: Their investigation did not fix an error on your report

Complaint:
After I filed bankruptcy in  XXXX , I chose to not open any credit card account again, and was surprised to receive a credit card in the mail from   XXXX   XXXX  . I did not apply for the card, and actually thought there must have been a mistake on the part of   XXXX   XXXX   to even send the card to me, because of the bankruptcy. I had been told that after bankruptcy car dealers and other companies would be more likely to offer me credit, and I did receive offers from car dealers after the bankruptcy was discharged in  XXXX . However, if any credit card offers were to be extended to me after the bankruptcy, I expected the best offer would be a secured card.     I recall the day I received the credit card in the mail from  XXXX . I read the paperwork with it and saw that it was not a secured card, and, still thinking there must have been a mistake, as surely it would n't be a non-secured card, I dialed the number on the card, listened to the phone prompts and pressed the appropriate number keys to activate the card, believing that I would discuss the card interest rates, any fees, late charges, etc. with someone at   XXXX   XXXX  .     I then called   XXXX   XXXX   and spoke with a representative who gave me information about the fees, etc. I informed her that in light of the costs to have the card and use the card, I was not interested. She said something to the effect of it was too late, because I had activated the card. I told her that I was not going to use the card, did not want the card, and I repeatedly told her that I wanted to cancel the card immediately. She laughed, and argued with me that I could n't cancel the card. I repeated again, several more times, that I wanted to cancel the card and that I would not use the card. Ultimately, after not receiving  ANY  monthly billing from   XXXX   XXXX  , I received a bill for over {$800.00}. I recall receiving the bill for over {$800.00} and thinking, " what scammers they are! '' The bill was on one page and appeared more like a collections letter instead of a credit card billing statement.     Last year, I checked my credit reports and saw that   XXXX   XXXX   was listed as a collections account. I submitted disputes of the   XXXX   XXXX   account to  XXXX , Equifax and  XXXX , but none of these  3  credit reporting businesses have removed the bogus   XXXX   XXXX   entries.     The credit report I received from  XXXX  on   XXXX   reads, " Maximum Delinquency of 120 days in  XXXX  for {$250.00} '' and " Date Closed :  XX/XX/XXXX  '', but the  XXXX  report I received  XX/XX/XXXX  reads 120 days past due   XXXX   XXXX   and 120 days past due   XXXX   XXXX  , and the Equifax report I received  XX/XX/XXXX  reads 120 days past due   XXXX   XXXX   and 150 days past due   XXXX   XXXX  .     The Equifax report reads, " The tables below show up to 2 years of the monthly balance, available credit, scheduled payment, date of last payment, high credit, credit limit, amount past due, activity designator, and comments. ", but there are n't actually any such tables on the report.      XXXX  report reads "  Date Opened  :  XX/XX/XXXX  ''.   XXXX   report reads "  Date Opened    XXXX   XXXX   XXXX  . Equifax report reads "  Date Opened    XXXX   XXXX   XXXX  .     Al l 3 cr edit reporting businesses report Charged off - {$830.00}. I never made any purchase with the card. I never used the card. I informed   XXXX   XXXX   I did not want to use the card, would not use the card and I repeatedly told   XXXX   XXXX   to cancel the card.     I believe the " Maximum Delinquency of 120 days in  XXXX  for {$250.00} '', as indicated on the  XXXX  report, may represent an annual fee, or perhaps monthly service charges or other scammy fees that   XXXX   XXXX   chose to bill me for in spite of my demanding the card, which I did not ask   XXXX   XXXX   for, be cancelled.     Most importantly, I want to repeat that   XXXX   XXXX   did n't send me any billing until the notice of over {$800.00}. Combine that with the   XXXX   XXXX   representative laughing about my having activated the card and her having " a power '', apparently, to refuse to cancel the card in spite of my repeated requests that she do so, and my never having used the card...     How can   XXXX   XXXX   get away with this deviousness? This is totally outrageous. Including the problem of reporting it to th e 3 c redit reporting businesses only to learn those businesses are n't investigating as they should and demanding proof of debts that   XXXX   XXXX   submits.     The entire debt is totally bogus and so far   XXXX   XXXX   has gotten away with having it erroneously displayed on my credit reports from those  3  businesses - -  XXXX , Equifax and  XXXX .

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation