Consumer complaint received 2024-06-06
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. (RI)

To CFPB : Hello. I just reviewed my most recent consumer credit report on XX/XX/year>2024 and saw that EQUIFAX is still reporting inaccurate, incomplete and unfair information on my profile after 5 consecutive months of me putting them on notice of this which is a violation of several of my consumer rights which are protected by the FCRA.

I first mailed them a letter to investigate the completeness, accuracy and fairness of a XXXX XXXX XXXX credit account # ending in XXXX, AROUND XXXX XXXX, 2024. To begin with, the FCRA states that I have the right to privacy which EQUIFAX has violated because I never gave my written instruction for EQUIFAX to report this account to my profile. In my letter, I informed EQUIFAX around XX/XX/year>2024 that I recognized the account as inaccurate, incomplete and unfair reporting to my profile and I requested that they start a 30 day investigation as allowed by the law and to update the account if they found it to be accurately reporting. Within the same letter, I also requested for them to provide proof of their procedure for the investigation of this account. I specified that if it could not be verified and proven to be accurate, then to DELETE the account from my consumer profile.

They updated the account but NEVER provided the procedure of their investigation within the 30 DAY PERIOD allowed by federal law. So I sent EQUIFAX another letter AROUND XX/XX/year>2024 requesting a reinvestigation and that they provide me with their method of verification/investigation of the account within the 15 days that the law requires of them. EQUIFAX did not provide me with the requested method of verification within the 15 day period and has yet to do so 90 days later which is another violation of the FCRA.

AROUND XX/XX/scrub>XXXX XXXX, 2024, I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE CFPB regarding this matter but EQUIFAX has still failed to provide me with the method of verification after 90 days of my initial request which is a clear indication that EQUIFAX is willfully and deliberately reporting inaccurate data on my consumer profile which is yet another violation of my consumer rights under the FCRA.

This willful and deliberate reporting of inaccurate information on my consumer profile BY EQUIFAX has damaged my ability to obtain credit, damaged my character/reputation, negatively impacted my mode of living and has infringed on my privacy. I DEMAND that EQUIFAX IMMEDIATELY DELETE this account from my consumer profile!

If this account is not promptly DELETED from my consumer profile, then for damages, I will invoke my rights as a consumer pursuant to 15 USC 1681n Civil Liability for WILLFUL Noncompliance. If this account is not promptly DELETED then I will seek compensation for EVERY violation listed below : ***15 USC 1681n Civil liability for willful noncompliance ( a ) In general Any person who willfully fails to comply with any requirement imposed under this subchapter with respect to any consumer is liable to that consumer in an amount equal to the sum of ( 1 ) ( A ) any actual damages sustained by the consumer as a result of the failure or damages of not less than {$100.00} and not more than {$1000.00} ; or ( B ) in the case of liability of a natural person for obtaining a consumer report under false pretenses or knowingly without a permissible purpose, actual damages sustained by the consumer as a result of the failure or {$1000.00}, whichever is greater ; -Infringed on right to privacy {$1000.00} 15 USC 1681 ( a ) ( 4 ) ( a ) Accuracy and fairness of credit reporting ( 4 ) There is a need to insure that consumer reporting agencies exercise their grave responsibilities with fairness, impartiality, and a respect for the consumers right to privacy.

-Inaccurate reporting {$1000.00} 15 USC 1681e ( b ) ( b ) Accuracy of report Whenever a consumer reporting agency prepares a consumer report it shall follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy of the information concerning the individual about whom the report relates.

-Delete within 30 days of investigation {$1000.00} 15 USC 1681i ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ) Subject to subsection ( f ) and except as provided in subsection ( g ), if the completeness or accuracy of any item of information contained in a consumers file at a consumer reporting agency is disputed by the consumer and the consumer notifies the agency directly, or indirectly through a reseller, of such dispute, the agency shall, free of charge, conduct a reasonable reinvestigation to determine whether the disputed information is inaccurate and record the current status of the disputed information, or delete the item from the file in accordance with paragraph ( 5 ), before the end of the 30-day period beginning on the date on which the agency receives the notice of the dispute from the consumer or reseller.

-Delete after reinvestigation isnt verified {$1000.00} 15 USC 1681i ( 5 ) ( A ) ( I ) If, after any reinvestigation under paragraph ( 1 ) of any information disputed by a consumer, an item of the information is found to be inaccurate or incomplete or can not be verified, the consumer reporting agency shall ( i ) promptly delete that item of information from the file of the consumer, or modify that item of information, as appropriate, based on the results of the reinvestigation ; and -Reporting information with reasonable belief of inaccuracies {$1000.00} 15 USC 1681s-2 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ) ( A ) Reporting information with actual knowledge of errors A person shall not furnish any information relating to a consumer to any consumer reporting agency if the person knows or has reasonable cause to believe that the information is inaccurate.

-Reporting without permissible purpose/written instructions {$1000.00} 15 USC 1681b ( a ) ( 2 ) ( a ) In general Subject to subsection ( c ), any consumer reporting agency may furnish a consumer report under the following circumstances and no other : ( 2 ) In accordance with the written instructions of the consumer to whom it relates.

-Violation of accuracy and fairness {$1000.00} 15 USC 1681 ( a ) ( 4 ) ( a ) Accuracy and fairness of credit reporting ( 4 ) There is a need to insure that consumer reporting agencies exercise their grave responsibilities with fairness, impartiality, and a respect for the consumers right to privacy.

-Defamation of character {$1000.00} 15 USC 1681a ( 1 ) ( 1 ) In general.The term consumer report means any written, oral, or other communication of any information by a consumer reporting agency bearing on a consumers credit worthiness, credit standing, credit capacity, character, general reputation, personal characteristics, or mode of living which is used or expected to be used or collected in whole or in part for the purpose of serving as a factor in establishing the consumers eligibility for -Damaged reputation {$1000.00} 15 USC 1681a ( 1 ) ( 1 ) In general.The term consumer report means any written, oral, or other communication of any information by a consumer reporting agency bearing on a consumers credit worthiness, credit standing, credit capacity, character, general reputation, personal characteristics, or mode of living which is used or expected to be used or collected in whole or in part for the purpose of serving as a factor in establishing the consumers eligibility for -Damaged credit worthiness {$1000.00} 15 USC 1681a ( 1 ) ( 1 ) In general.The term consumer report means any written, oral, or other communication of any information by a consumer reporting agency bearing on a consumers credit worthiness, credit standing, credit capacity, character, general reputation, personal characteristics, or mode of living which is used or expected to be used or collected in whole or in part for the purpose of serving as a factor in establishing the consumers eligibility for -Damaged mode of living {$1000.00} 15 USC 1681a ( 1 ) ( 1 ) In general.The term consumer report means any written, oral, or other communication of any information by a consumer reporting agency bearing on a consumers credit worthiness, credit standing, credit capacity, character, general reputation, personal characteristics, or mode of living which is used or expected to be used or collected in whole or in part for the purpose of serving as a factor in establishing the consumers eligibility for