Consumer complaint received 2022-06-07
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: PA
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: Written notification about debt
Sub-issue: Didn't receive notice of right to dispute

Complaint:
Following my previous CFPB complaint ID : XXXX. 

XXXX has remained unresponsive. Direct calls to this collection agency are unsuccessful. After submitting another complaint with the CFPB, XXXX, the organization replied just introduce another service provider. 

It is unfair for XXXX to damage a consumer 's report without following the fair debt collection practices act. XXXX claims to have the reported account since XX/XX/XXXX. However, there was no contact with the consumer before making a report to the credit bureaus. 

See below for a follow up complaint against XXXX : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX reported a debt to my credit report in XX/XX/XXXX in the amount of {$4500.00}. XXXX claims that they hold this account since XXXX of XXXX. However, the company did not call, mail, or email me about this debt to allow me the opportunity to dispute it or resolve it before reporting it to the credit bureaus. After several calls to XXXX, I finally spoke with an agent who was not willing to provide much information over the phone and advised that a verification notice would be mailed to me. It was not until I contacted this organization that they finally communicated with me. Since I received the notice I have called XXXX at least ten more times at XXXX, and I am continuously directed to their voicemail. There is no live agent to speak with. 

Please note the account was reported to the credit bureaus before my first and only conversation with XXXX. The impact on my credit report triggered my research about the organization and my contacting them. 

According to CFPBs debt collection rules, the debt collector is required to communicate with a consumer in person, via phone, email, or via mail, then wait a reasonable amount of time before reporting to credit bureaus. XXXX did not communicate with me before reporting this account to the bureaus thus XXXX failed to follow appropriate CFPB guidelines. 

I previously submitted complaint ID : XXXX with the CFPB to follow up on this collection account and XXXX failed to provide more context on their collection practice and why I was not contacted since XXXX. Instead, XXXX advised that a new service provider : XXXX XXXX XXXX, is to be contacted about this debt. XXXX also claimed that I provided a cease-and-desist to the new service provider when they contacted me. 
Again, I could not even communicate with XXXX, how am I expected to know that another collection agency is attempting to collect on this debt? I have no documentation pointing to a new service provider. I learned about this because I initiated a dispute process with CFPB. Otherwise, I would have never known that a new agency is now involved. 

I plead with CFPB to look further into this issue as XXXX failed to follow fair debt collection practices. 

-Why was the consumer not contacted since XX/XX/XXXX? 
-Why was the account suddenly reported to the consumer 's credit report in XX/XX/XXXX without calling, emailing, or mailing any letters or invoices since XX/XX/XXXX? 
-Why does the consumer report state that the account is opened in XX/XX/XXXX, when in reality it started to be reflected in the consumer 's report in XX/XX/XXXX? 
-Why is a new service provider being introduced after XXXX failed to communicate with the consumer since XX/XX/XXXX? Did XXXX receive authorization from the consumer to transfer this account to another service provider?

-Why does the consumer report still name XXXX however, the organization claims a new collection agency is managing the debt? 
-Is it an acceptable practice to damage a consumers report by reporting a debt for which the consumer was not timely notified about nor allowed to pay before being forwarded to the credit bureaus? 

All these questions need answering as these are the gaps XXXX practices created.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation