Complaint sub-issue: Reporting company used your report improperly

On XX/XX/2022 a hard inquiry appeared on my equifax account from XXXX XXXX. I immediately began the dispute process of this hard inquiry through both XXXX and equifax because I never applied for ANY accounts through XXXX, ever. I sent equifax a copy of the FTC report as well as a copy of my drivers license and social security card around the end of XX/XX/2022 via USPS mail. On XX/XX/2022, I received a XXXX page letter from equifax stating the results of their reinvestigation regarding the hard inquiry. Equifax concluded that the results are : THIS INQUIRY HAS BEEN DELETED. After checking my credit report on XX/XX/2022, I saw that the XXXX hard inquiry was still there, several months after equifax stated the inquiry would be removed. I called equifax immediately that same day to find out why the hard inquiry was still there after so much time had passed and my letter stated the inquiry was to be deleted. Equifax stated my info was never received, and the XXXX page letter they sent me in XXXX was a false document that has since disregarded because they didnt receive my information. Equifax redirected me back to XXXX XXXX XXXX department to file a claim with them because equifax was not going to remove the inquiry without hearing from XXXX first. Equifax then suggested that I can either resend my documents certified mail or the inquiry will remain on my account for 3 years. I contacted XXXX identity theft department on XX/XX/2022. The representative ran my name, social security number, birth date, phone number and house address and found NO information regarding any application they received in the last year using any my personal information. I immediately called equifax back to have this illegally and fraudulently placed hard inquiry removed from my account once and for all. I explained to equifax that refusing to remove an inquiry that I never made is illegal and a violation of my consumer rights and I was met with extreme hostility, aggravated and uncooperative behavior and the refusal to allow me to escalate the case to a higher department. Equifax refused to do anything further until I send them the requested documentation that they already got once and lost. After spending an additional XXXX hours getting passed around to different departments throughout equifax, I was finally told that no one would be helping me until I cooperate by resending my personal information to them. This hard inquiry from XXXX only shows up on my equifax report so Im led to believe that someone at equifax made a grievous mistake by applying a hard inquiry to my account when it should have been applied to someone else. Equifax has denied any such grievous mishandling of my information and refused to accept any responsibility that they mishandled documents which effected my good standing account. For the past several months my credit has been negatively impacted by this hard inquiry because it has decreased my overall credit score by several points, thus reducing my history of excellent credit and has prevented my ability to qualify for mortgage loans. This has greatly effected my ability to be able to purchase a home and I can not move forward until this credit issue is resolved.