Consumer complaint received 2023-08-05
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: MI
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:
XXXX XXXX can not collect on a discharge debt. This is now considered a certificate of indebtedness which is income per the IRS and can not be reported. 

The balance should be refunded to me the consumer. I am now requesting XXXX XXXX to refund the remaining balance. 

XXXX XXXX agreed not to release my financial information to non affiliates and Equifax is not an affiliate of XXXX XXXX. The only true bureau is the CFPB. They do NOT furnish consumer reports. 

1026.11 Treatment of credit balances ; account termination. 
( a ) Credit balances. When a credit balance in excess of {$1.00} is created on a credit account ( through transmittal of funds to a creditor in excess of the total balance due on an account, through rebates of unearned finance charges or insurance premiums, or through amounts otherwise owed to or held for the benefit of the consumer ), the creditor shall : ( 1 ) Credit the amount of the credit balance to the consumer 's account ; ( 2 ) Refund any part of the remaining credit balance within seven business days from receipt of a written request from the consumer ; ( 3 ) Make a good faith effort to refund to the consumer by cash, check, or money order, or credit to a deposit account of the consumer, any part of the credit balance remaining in the account for more than six months. No further action is required if the consumer 's current location is not known to the creditor and can not be traced through the consumer 's last known address or telephone number. 

( b ) Account termination. 

( 1 ) A creditor shall not terminate an account prior to its expiration date solely because the consumer does not incur a finance charge.

( 2 ) Nothing in paragraph ( b ) ( 1 ) of this section prohibits a creditor from terminating an account that is inactive for three or more consecutive months. An account is inactive for purposes of this paragraph if no credit has been extended ( such as by purchase, cash advance or balance transfer ) and if the account has no outstanding balance. 

( c ) Timely settlement of estate debts ( 1 ) General rule.

( i ) Reasonable policies and procedures required. For credit card accounts under an open-end ( not home-secured ) consumer credit plan, card issuers must adopt reasonable written policies and procedures designed to ensure that an administrator of an estate of a deceased accountholder can determine the amount of and pay any balance on the account in a timely manner. 

( ii ) Application to joint accounts. Paragraph ( c ) of this section does not apply to the account of a deceased consumer if a joint accountholder remains on the account. 

( 2 ) Timely statement of balance ( i ) Requirement. Upon request by the administrator of an estate, a card issuer must provide the administrator with the amount of the balance on a deceased consumer 's account in a timely manner. 

( ii ) Safe harbor. For purposes of paragraph ( c ) ( 2 ) ( i ) of this section, providing the amount of the balance on the account within 30 days of receiving the request is deemed to be timely.

( 3 ) Limitations after receipt of request from administrator ( i ) Limitation on fees and increases in annual percentage rates. After receiving a request from the administrator of an estate for the amount of the balance on a deceased consumer 's account, a card issuer must not impose any fees on the account ( such as a late fee, annual fee, or over-the-limit fee ) or increase any annual percentage rate, except as provided by 1026.55 ( b ) ( 2 ).

( ii ) Limitation on trailing or residual interest. A card issuer must waive or rebate any additional finance charge due to a periodic interest rate if payment in full of the balance disclosed pursuant to paragraph ( c ) ( 2 ) of this section is received within 30 days after disclosure.

248.124 Reasonable opportunity to opt out.

( a ) In general. You must not use eligibility information that you receive from an affiliate to make marketing solicitations to a consumer about your products or services unless the consumer is provided a reasonable opportunity to opt out, as required by 248.121 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( ii ).

( b ) Examples of a reasonable opportunity to opt out. The consumer is given a reasonable opportunity to opt out if : ( 1 ) By mail. The opt out notice is mailed to the consumer. The consumer is given 30 days from the date the notice is mailed to elect to opt out by any reasonable means. 

( 2 ) By electronic means.

( i ) The opt out notice is provided electronically to the consumer, such as by posting the notice at an Internet Web site at which the consumer has obtained a product or service. The consumer acknowledges receipt of the electronic notice. The consumer is given 30 days after the date the consumer acknowledges receipt to elect to opt out by any reasonable means. 

( ii ) The opt out notice is provided to the consumer by e-mail where the consumer has agreed to receive disclosures by e-mail from the person sending the notice. The consumer is given 30 days after the e-mail is sent to elect to opt out by any reasonable means. 

( 3 ) At the time of an electronic transaction. The opt out notice is provided to the consumer at the time of an electronic transaction, such as a transaction conducted on an Internet Web site. The consumer is required to decide, as a necessary part of proceeding with the transaction, whether to opt out before completing the transaction. There is a simple process that the consumer may use to opt out at that time using the same mechanism through which the transaction is conducted.

( 4 ) At the time of an in-person transaction. The opt out notice is provided to the consumer in writing at the time of an in-person transaction. The consumer is required to decide, as a necessary part of proceeding with the transaction, whether to opt out before completing the transaction, and is not permitted to complete the transaction without making a choice. There is a simple process that the consumer may use during the course of the in-person transaction to opt out, such as completing a form that requires consumers to write a yes or no to indicate their opt out preference or that requires the consumer to check one of two blank check boxesone that allows consumers to indicate that they want to opt out and one that allows consumers to indicate that they do not want to opt out.

( 5 ) By including in a privacy notice. The opt out notice is included in a GLBA privacy notice. The consumer is allowed to exercise the opt out within a reasonable period of time and in the same manner as the opt out under that privacy notice.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief