Consumer complaint received 2024-06-15
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Improper use of your report — Reporting company used your report improperly
Company: EQUIFAX, INC. (FL)

According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( 15 USC 1681, section 602 ( a ) ), consumer reporting agencies must handle their responsibilities with fairness, impartiality, and respect for consumers ' privacy. Equifax, XXXX, and XXXX are such agencies, and as a consumer, I have the right to ensure my private information remains confidential. This right is reinforced by 15 USC 6801, which mandates financial institutions to protect the security and confidentiality of customers ' nonpublic personal information. According to 15 USC 1681, section 604 ( a ) ( 2 ), consumer reporting agencies can only furnish a consumer report with the consumer 's written consent. Neither Equifax, XXXX, XXXX, nor any financial institution has my consent to share my information, and I revoke any previous consent given. Per 15 USC 6802 ( b ) ( c ), financial institutions must inform consumers of their right to opt out of information sharing. I was not informed of this right. Additionally, 15 USC 1681c ( a ) ( 5 ) prohibits reporting adverse information older than seven years, which includes the account in question being reported without my permission. Under 15 USC 1681s-2 ( A ) ( 1 ) ( A ), it is illegal to furnish information known to be inaccurate. Furthermore, 15 USC 1681e requires consumer reporting agencies to maintain procedures to prevent violations and restrict report furnishing to specified purposes. Equifax, XXXX, and XXXX are failing to maintain such procedures. Lastly, 12 CFR 1016.7 allows consumers to opt out of reporting services at any time, and I am choosing to exercise this right. 16 CFR 313.7 - Form of opt out notice to consumers ; opt out methods. 313.7 Form of opt out notice to consumers ; opt out methods. ( a ) ( 1 ) Form of opt out notice. If you are required to provide an opt out notice under 313.10 ( a ), you must provide a clear and conspicuous notice to each of your consumers that accurately explains the right to opt out under that section. The notice must state : ( i ) That you disclose or reserve the right to disclose nonpublic personal information about your consumer to a nonaffiliated third party ; ( ii ) That the consumer has the right to opt out of that disclosure; and ( iii ) A reasonable means by which the consumer may exercise the opt out right. ( 2 ) Examples ( i ) Adequate opt out notice. You provide adequate notice that the consumer can opt out of the disclosure of nonpublic personal information to a nonaffiliated third party if you : ( A ) Identify all of the categories of nonpublic personal information that you disclose or reserve the right to disclose, and all of the categories of nonaffiliated third parties to which you disclose the information, as described in 313.6 ( a ) ( 2 ) and ( 3 ) and state that the consumer can opt out of the disclosure of that information; and ( B ) Identify the financial products or services that the consumer obtains from you, either singly or jointly, to which the opt out direction would apply. ( ii ) Reasonable opt out means. You provide a reasonable means to exercise an opt out right if you : ( A ) Designate check-off boxes in a prominent position on the relevant forms with the opt out notice ; ( B ) Include a reply form that includes the address to which the form should be mailed ; or ( C ) Provide an electronic means to opt out, such as a form that can be sent via electronic mail or a process at your web site, if the consumer agrees to the electronic delivery of information ; or ( D ) Provide a toll-free telephone number that consumers may call to opt out. ( iii ) Unreasonable opt out means. You do not provide a reasonable means of opting out if : ( A ) The only means of opting out is for the consumer to write his or her own letter to exercise that opt out right; or ( B ) The only means of opting out as described in any notice subsequent to the initial notice is to use a check-off box that you provided with the initial notice but did not include with the subsequent notice. ( iv ) Specific opt out means. You may require each consumer to opt out through a specific means, as long as that means is reasonable for that consumer. ( b ) Same form as initial notice permitted. You may provide the opt out notice together with or on the same written or electronic form as the initial notice you provide in accordance with 313.4. ( c ) Initial notice required when opt out notice delivered subsequent to initial notice. If you provide the opt out notice later than required for the initial notice in accordance with 313.4, you must also include a copy of the initial notice with the opt out notice in writing or, if the consumer agrees, electronically. ( d ) Joint relationships. ( 1 ) If two or more consumers jointly obtain a financial product or service from you, you may provide a single opt out notice, unless one or more of those consumers requests a separate opt out notice. Your opt out notice must explain how you will treat an opt out direction by a joint consumer ( as explained in paragraph ( d ) ( 5 ) ( ii ) of this section ). ( 2 ) Any of the joint consumers may exercise the right to opt out. You may either : ( i ) Treat an opt out direction by a joint consumer as applying to all of the associated joint consumers; or ( ii ) Permit each joint consumer to opt out separately. ( 3 ) If you permit each joint consumer to opt out separately, you must permit one of the joint consumers to opt out on behalf of all of the joint consumers. ( 4 ) You may not require all joint consumers to opt out before you implement any opt out direction. ( 5 ) Example. If XXXX and XXXX have a joint credit card account with you and arrange for you to send statements to XXXX 's address, you XXXX do any of the following, but you must explain in your opt out notice which opt out policy you will follow : ( i ) Send a single opt out notice to XXXX 's address, but you must accept an opt out direction from either XXXX or XXXX. ( ii ) Treat an opt out direction by either XXXX or XXXX as applying to the entire account. If you do so, and XXXX opts out, you XXXX not require XXXX to opt out as well before implementing XXXX 's opt out direction. ( iii ) XXXX XXXX and XXXX to make different opt out directions. If you do so, ( A ) You must permit XXXX and XXXX to opt out for each other; ( B ) If both opt out, you must permit both to notify you in a single response ( such as on a form or through a telephone call ) ; and ( C ) If XXXX opts out and XXXX does not, you XXXX only disclose nonpublic personal information about XXXX, but not about XXXX and not about XXXX and XXXX jointly. ( XXXX ) Time to comply with opt out. You must comply with a consumer 's opt out direction as soon as reasonably practicable after you receive it. ( f ) Continuing right to opt out. A consumer may exercise the right to opt out at any time. ( g ) Duration of consumer 's opt out direction. ( 1 ) A consumer 's direction to opt out under this section is effective until the consumer revokes it in writing or, if the consumer agrees, electronically. ( 2 ) When a customer relationship terminates, the customer 's opt out direction continues to apply to the nonpublic personal information that you collected during or related to that relationship. If the individual subsequently establishes a new customer relationship with you, the opt out direction that applied to the former relationship does not apply to the new relationship. ( h ) Delivery. When you are required to deliver an opt out notice by this section, you must deliver it according to 313.9. ( i ) Model privacy form. Pursuant to 313.2 ( a ) of this part, a model privacy form that meets the notice content requirements of this section is included in appendix A of this part.