Consumer complaint received 2024-10-09
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report — Account status incorrect
Company: The Bureaus, Inc. (CA)

Dear CFPB, I am writing to formally dispute and request the immediate removal of inaccurate, predatory, and misleading information on my credit report regarding an account originally with XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX, now placed with The Bureaus ( Account Number : XXXX ). This account has been consistently misreported across multiple credit reporting agencies, causing significant harm to my creditworthiness and violating my rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ). Additionally, the account is time-barred under California law XXXX and the continued attempt to classify this account as open suggests unlawful collection practices. 
Reasons for Removal : Account Inaccurately Listed as " Open '' : The account is incorrectly reported as " Open '', which could be interpreted as an attempt to collect the debt. Given that this debt is time-barred and no legal action can be taken to collect it, listing the account as " open '' is deceptive. This may also reflect predatory and illegal collection methods and could mislead potential lenders into believing that the account is still active and valid. This constitutes a violation of both 15 U.S. Code 1681e ( b ), which requires accuracy in reporting, and federal debt collection laws. The use of deceptive practices to attempt collection makes this a bogus account that does not belong on my credit report. 

Inconsistent Status Update Dates : XXXX reports the last status update as XX/XX/XXXX, while XXXX and XXXX report it as XX/XX/XXXX. This inconsistency creates confusion regarding the current status of the account. 
Violation : This discrepancy violates 15 U.S. Code 1681e ( b ), which mandates accurate and up-to-date reporting. 

Inconsistent Contact Information for The Bureaus : XXXX and XXXX provide the address as XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, IL, while XXXX lists a different address : XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, IL. 
Violation : The inconsistent contact details violate 15 U.S. Code 1681g ( a ), as I have been unable to accurately contact the responsible party to resolve this account. 

Last Payment Date Omitted : XXXX lists the last payment as XX/XX/XXXX, while XXXX and XXXX fail to include this crucial information. 
Violation : The omission of the last payment date violates 15 U.S. Code 1681e ( b ), further contributing to the inaccuracy of the report. 

Lack of Payment History : XXXX and XXXX fail to show any payment history, despite XXXX listing monthly collections. 
Violation : This inconsistency violates 15 U.S. Code 1681i ( a ) ( 1 ), which mandates correction of inaccurate information after disputes. 

Account is Time-Barred in California : Under California Code of Civil Procedure 337, the statute of limitations for most debt collections, including credit card debt, is four years. This account became delinquent after the last payment made on XX/XX/XXXX, making it time-barred as of XX/XX/XXXX. Since this account is outside the statute of limitations, no legal action can be taken to collect this debt. Continued reporting of this account is misleading, and any collection activity may violate federal and state debt collection laws. 

Request for Immediate Removal : Given the significant and ongoing inaccuracies, the fact that this account is time-barred under California law , and the deceptive reporting of this account as " open, '' I request the immediate removal of this account from my credit report. The repeated misreporting of this account has caused unnecessary harm to my credit score and financial standing. The multiple discrepancies listed above, along with the predatory and illegal methods being used to report this bogus account, indicate that this account does not belong on my credit report and should be removed entirely.

I look forward to your prompt response and resolution of this matter within the time frame allotted by the FCRA. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX