Consumer complaint received 2022-08-24
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: GA
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:
This complaint is lodged after exhausting all other efforts to resolve these issues with Equifax Credit Bureau. 

Starting roughly in XXXX, or just prior to XXXX, I discovered numerous fraudulent accounts, and accounts that were highly inaccurate reported on my Equifax Credit Report. I began disputing the accounts and at first, the removal of those inaccuracies seemed to be happening without problems. 

I noticed that my name was being reported on the credit report in various versions and spellings, some of which were grossly wrong, such as listing my middle initial as G or listing only the last half of my last name as XXXX or the first half of my last name, XXXX and placing XXXX  which I've Never used or associated myself with. 

When disputing these, sometimes they would remove them and other times they would send me an update saying the issue was corrected but going back to the credit report, it was not corrected, and when calling them they would say that it doesnt affect your credit score so it doesnt really matter. 

I would ask numerous times to speak to a supervisor and it always resulted in the same excuses. I asked to speak to a manager and was told they would have to have one call me back in like three days. Well, those three days ended up being over 25 requests that never resulted in a call. 

At one point when I was asking about a particular account that was listed on my credit and was inaccurate, Equifax stated it was accurate and allowed the account to remain. I went to the North Carolina XXXX XXXX and it was determinthat ed, I did not owe the creditor money and in fact, they owed me money from a deposit I didnt get back. 

I asked Equifax what information was provided to them in their investigation to determine the debt as accurate and they refused to tell me. I showed proof I didnt owe the debt and they posted an update stating that the collection agency settled the matter with me and I owe like XXXX which was untrue. 

Equifax was informed that the collection agency had stated they didnt have to remove the debt, and the collection agency had stated to me, XXXX up a rope and pay your bill lady, we are not removing it from your credit. 

When these issue has escalated beyond any resolution of the customer service, supervisors, and managers, I asked them for contact information of the corporate office and was told, we dont have any contact information for the corporate office. 

I located a number for the corporate office and asked to speak to someone about the issues because I was getting nowhere with customer service and the woman at the corporate office just transferred me to customer service once again. 

I called back to the corporate office and asked the woman to connect me to her direct supervisor and the woman at the corporate office stated, Oh you want to talk to my supervisor, sure hold on, then transferred me back to customer service yet again. 

I called again a few days later and directly ask for the legal department, as well as specific names of the administration, and the woman just hung up on me. I called back and made it clear ; the customer service is no longer an appropriate place to transfer my call and the woman stated, well that is all you're going to get and then transferred me back to customer service. 

I asked who her direct supervisor was and she stated it was none of my business and hung up on me. This has happened at least twenty times since XX/XX/XXXX. 

I asked for the emails for the following Leadership of Equifax, beginning with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, who is supposed to be the Corporate Vice President / Chief Legal Officer, as well as XXXX XXXX, Chief Executive  Officer and was told first name ( dot ) last XXXX and I attempted to email those individual and the emails all bounced back. 

The primary purpose of my trying to contact the Leadership or the Corporate office is because, after Equifax compelled me to send them a copy of my drivers license and social security card, I did so and the woman on the phone came back and said Oh, you're not ( ***** ), naming other people 's names and immediately stating that I must have changed my name and asking, did your change your name? 

When I indicated that she was provided with my valid drivers license and social security card and that I wanted to know where she was getting the incorrect information, she just went into explanations of Maybe school records or Maybe other public records and I insisted that she disclose where such information was coming from, she just indicated Data Collectors and Brokers but refused to indicate precisely where so that I was able to go out and correct the information. 

I was also told that credit accounts provide my information and when I said it was incorrect, she just said, Sorry, thats what we have on file I have asked about the Data Breach as I was impacted by both XXXX and XXXX and was hung up on at least three times over the past few months. I was also told that it wasnt a bad breach, it didnt cause identity theft, etc., and yet when all of these accounts pop up that are not mine, or I get calls from agencies looking for payment of things like a purchase in Texas where I have never lived, Equifax indicates it's not their problem. 

I have confronted Equifax about telephone calls I have received from Student Loan Forgiveness and Tax Resolution Companies, as well as several other calls from Marketers who indicate my information was provided to them by Equifax and other credit bureaus, and when told that I have no Tax Debt or Student Loan, I was told, well Equifax only markets the information to those who have those credit issues, which I would have never consented to release of my information in the first place. 

I have received not less than 1600 calls since XX/XX/XXXX, as a result of all three credit bureaus, all of which are documented. 

These issues have gone in so many different directions that it will be difficult to decide which category this really needs to fall into. It relates to improper use of my identity, refusal to allow corporate office to be involved, and refusal to speak to someone in the United States that can deal with these issues. Refusal to remove credit inquiries and credit accounts that are more than XXXX XXXX XXXX, which is an account that was paid in full anyway. Equifax states it will remain on my credit for another 10 years. REALLY? and that is after being on my credit for more than seven years already. 

It is my position that Equifax has misused my personal information and has caused a tremendous amount of financial and other damage to me.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation