Consumer complaint received 2015-10-06
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: MD
Product: Credit reporting
Issue: Credit reporting company's investigation
Sub-issue: Problem with statement of dispute

Complaint:
I signed up for the Equifax monthly credit monitoring product in XX/XX/XXXX and received my credit score as well as my credit report. After reviewing my credit report I noticed that from XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX ; my credit score was around XXXX and then changed XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX-increasing to XXXX and within an hour ; dropping to XXXX. During the months of XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX ; XXXX accounts were removed from my report, I have paid off XXXX collection accounts, increased XXXX delinquent accounts to current status-paying as agreed, added XXXX credit cards with {$300.00} limits on both ( as of XX/XX/XXXX - received an increase of {$200.00} on XXXX of the credit cards with a current balance of {$480.00} and {$420.00} on the other ) and also consolidated {$95000.00} worth of student loans to XXXX company in XX/XX/XXXX and paid off a state tax lien in XX/XX/XXXX. I also found XXXX other issues on my report so I contacted Equifax in writing and by phone and after XXXX attempts ; they corrected the XXXX items but failed to explain to me why my credit score never changed ( increased/decreased ) since XX/XX/XXXX. The only explanation that they could give me was that the XXXX new account-credit card balances had increased and that there were XXXX medical bills added in XX/XX/XXXX totaling {$1000.00} and XXXX personal school loan {$2400.00} added last year in XX/XX/XXXX that could 've have impacted my score ; however, my score never changed throughout all of this activity. Then on XX/XX/XXXX after verification that they updated my state tax lien release ; my score increased to XXXX. I also applied for a personal loan in XX/XX/XXXX and although approved ; I was told that Equifax reported my score as XXXX ; but once again ; after retrieving my information online through my credit monitoring program ; it showed XXXX. I called Equifax on XX/XX/XXXX to further discuss my credit score and file a dispute and the customer service representative told me that he could not understand why my credit score was reported lower than what was displayed online and why it had never changed ( increased/decreased ) as all of my accounts except for the XXXX mentioned ( personal school loan and XXXX medical bills ) showed {$0.00} balances, released, and current-paid as agreed. He then instructed me to contact FICO because he did not have an explanation for me and did not know what to do. XXXX day later ( today-XX/XX/XXXX ) ; I received my first alert ever by email from Equifax since signing up for this service-stating that there was a change to my credit report based on an a balance increase on XXXX of my credit accounts. I retrieved an updated score and once again ; it decreased to XXXX. 

I am familiar with the XXXX different credit bureaus and their scoring techniques that impact how individuals are rated ; but to not have any increase/decrease with my credit score over a period of almost 1 year and then decrease after accounts had improved/paid off with Equifax while my XXXX and XXXX scores continued to fluctuate and finally increase thereafter shows that something is truly wrong with how Equifax is handling my credit score/account. Furthermore ; the fact that no one at Equifax could give me a reasonable explanation as to why my account did not show any positive/negative activity and to refer me to FICO is unacceptable. How can individuals improve their financial status when the companies who are entrusted to correct, secure, and report their information are reporting it incorrectly without even taking the time and consideration to assist you?

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation