Consumer complaint received 2024-05-15
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. (MO)

Request for Immediate Deletion of Inaccurate Information and Compensation for Damages XX/XX/XXXX Dear Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, XXXX, XXXX, and Equifax, I am writing to formally request the immediate deletion of an erroneous account listed on my credit reports. The account in question is reported under the creditor XXXX ( Original Creditor : XXXX XXXX XXXX ) with the account number XXXX. 
Upon reviewing my credit reports again on XX/XX/XXXX, I have identified the following discrepancies and violations : XXXX Report : Account Type : Collection Account Status : Derogatory Balance : {$900.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX Payment Status : Collection/Chargeoff Last Reported : XX/XX/XXXX Date Last Active : XX/XX/XXXX Comment : Account information disputed by consumer, meets FCRA requirements XXXX Report : Account Type : Collection Account Status : Derogatory Balance : {$900.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX Payment Status : Collection/Chargeoff Last Reported : XX/XX/XXXX Date Last Active : XX/XX/XXXX Comment : Customer disputed account Equifax Report : Account Type : Collection Account Status : Derogatory Balance : {$900.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX Payment Status : Collection/Chargeoff Last Reported : XX/XX/XXXX Date Last Active : XX/XX/XXXX Comment : Subject has not satisfied debt According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) 15 USC 1681 Section 602 ( a ), " There is a need to ensure that consumer reporting agencies exercise their grave responsibilities with fairness, impartiality, and a respect for the consumers right to privacy. '' Equifax and XXXX, as consumer reporting agencies, have failed to uphold these responsibilities. Additionally, 15 USC 6801 mandates that financial institutions must respect the privacy of their customers and protect the confidentiality of their nonpublic personal information. 
15 USC 1681 Section 604 ( a ) ( 2 ) specifies that a consumer reporting agency may furnish a consumer report only in accordance with the written instructions of the consumer. I have not provided, nor do I provide now, any consentwhether verbal, non-verbal, written, implied, or otherwisefor Equifax, XXXX, or any furnisher of information to report this account. Therefore, any consent is hereby revoked. 

Furthermo

re, 15 USC 6802 ( b ) ( c ) requires financial institutions to provide consumers with the option to opt-out of information sharing with non-affiliated third parties, which I was not informed of. This oversight further underscores the need for the immediate removal of this account from my credit reports. According to 15 USC 1681c ( a ) ( 5 ), consumer reporting agencies are prohibited from including any adverse information that antedates the report by more than seven years, except for records of convictions of crimes. This account is an adverse item reported without my consent, which is unlawful. Additionally, 15 USC 1681s-2 ( a ) ( 1 )
( A ) prohibits furnishing information to consumer reporting agencies if the furnisher knows or has reasonable cause to believe the information is inaccurate.

In addition, this account is listed as a " charge-off, '' categorizing it as a certificate of indebtedness per IRS regulations . This classification deems it as income, which is not permitted to be reported on credit reports. Therefore, the presence of this charge-off on my credit reports is unlawful and necessitates immediate removal. 
As my consumer rights have been violated and I have suffered denials of renting a home due to this inaccurate information, I am entitled to statutory damages for each violation. I demand compensation of {$1000.00} per violation from each responsible partyXXXX, XXXX, Equifax, and XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ) for failing to ensure the accuracy and legality of the information reported on my credit reports. 

My statutory damages can be directly deposited into my checking account : Routing number XXXX Checking number XXXX Furthermore, under 12 CFR 1016.7, I am exercising my right to opt-out of your reporting services effective immediately. 

I request that this account be investigated and deleted from my credit reports with XXXX, XXXX, and Equifax promptly. Additionally, I request the statutory damages be paid to me as compensation for the violations of my rights under the FCRA. This correction is critical to ensure the accuracy of my credit information and to prevent further damage to my creditworthiness. 
Please confirm receipt of this request and notify me once the necessary corrections have been made AND the damages have been processed. I appreciate your immediate attention to this matter. 

Please also note that this account has been in a previous complaint with each credit bureau as well as the CFPB with no resolution. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX