Consumer complaint received 2024-09-07
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem — Their investigation did not fix an error on your report
Company: EQUIFAX, INC. (AZ)

Subject : Failure to Provide Proper Validation and Verification of Disputed Credit Report Items Dear CFPB, I am filing this complaint to address the failure of both Equifax and certain collection agencies to provide the required validation and verification documentation for several accounts I disputed. Despite my attempts to resolve these disputes through the proper channels, I was not provided with the appropriate validation of these debts, as required under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ). 

Details of the Complaint : 1. Collection Agency : XXXX XXXX Account Number : XXXX Original Creditor : XXXX  Original Amount : {$290.00} Dispute Outcome : Verified as accurate, but no supporting validation or verification documents were provided. 
Despite my dispute, I was informed that this account " belongs to me '' without any proof, such as a signed contract or a detailed statement outlining the debt. 
2. Collection Agency : XXXX XXXX XXXX. 
Account Numbers : XXXX, XXXX, XXXX Original Creditor : XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX. 
Original Amounts : {$40.00}, {$130.00}, {$39.00} ( balance amounts updated to {$49.00}, {$170.00}, and {$53.00}, respectively ) Dispute Outcome : Verified as accurate, with some fields updated, but no supporting validation documents were provided. These utility accounts were reported as being delinquent, but the collection agency failed to provide any original agreements, billing details, or verification showing that I owe these amounts. 
XXXX. Deletion of Items by XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX 
Account Numbers : XXXX and XXXX Dispute Outcome : These items were deleted after investigation, which implies that these debts were likely unverifiable. 
While this is a step in the right direction, it further demonstrates the overall lack of diligence in verifying the accuracy of items on my credit report. 
My Complaint : In each of these cases, I requested proper validation and verification of the debts in accordance with my rights under the FCRA and FDCPA. However, I was not provided with any documentation proving the validity of the debts, such as : Original contracts or signed agreements. 
Billing statements showing the origin of the debt and the amounts. 
Proof that these debts were legitimately assigned or sold to the collection agencies. 
Instead, the reporting agencies and collection agencies merely " verified '' the debts without offering any tangible proof or explanation. This practice violates my rights as a consumer to verify the accuracy of debts that are negatively impacting my credit report. 

Action Requested : I request that the CFPB : Investigate the failure of Equifax, XXXX XXXX, and XXXX XXXX XXXX to provide the required validation and verification documentation. 
Ensure that these disputed items are either validated with proper documentation or removed from my credit report. 
Provide any remedies available under the FCRA and FDCPA for non-compliance, including removing unverifiable accounts from my report. 
I have attached a copy of the dispute results from Equifax for your reference. 

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. Please feel free to contact me if additional information or documentation is required. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX Address : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX