Consumer complaint received 2024-08-19
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. (TX)

Verification of Debt Request Re : Acct # : XXXX Amount in dispute : {$380.00} Dear XXXX XXXX XXXX, I am reaching out to you about the debt you are trying to collect. You contacted me by phone on XX/XX/year>. This letter is being sent to you pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 USC 1692g Sec. 809 ( a ) and ( b ) which states that you must supply the following information : Information About the Debt and About the Creditor Within XXXX days after the initial communication with a consumer in connection with the collection of any debt, a debt collector shall, unless the following information is contained in the initial communication or the consumer has paid the debt, send the consumer a written notice containing : The amount of the debt ; The name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed ; A statement that unless the consumer, within 30 days after receipt of the notice, disputes the validity of the debt, or any portion thereof, the debt will be assumed to be valid by the debt collector ; A statement that if the consumer notifies the debt collector in writing within the 30 day period that the debt, or any portion thereof, is disputed, the debt collector will obtain verification of the debt or a copy of a judgment against the consumer and a copy of such verification or judgment will be mailed to the consumer by the debt collector ; and A statement that, upon the consumer 's written request within the 30 day period, the debt collector will provide the consumer with the name and address of the original creditor, if different from the current creditor. 

Information About the Amount and the XXXX of the XXXX You must provide a complete accounting of the debt you claim I owe within 30 days of your receipt of this letter. This proof must include, and is not limited to : The complete and signed contract for the debt obligation which is the subject matter of this dispute ; An itemized breakdown of what you claim the money is owed for ; Explain and show me how you calculated the amount in dispute ; Provide me with copies of any documents, ledgers, spreadsheets, etc., that show that I agreed to pay the amount you claim that I owe ; Identify the original creditor ; Identify and accurately describe any third-party costs for which you are charging me, and that you have included in the disputed amount along with a complete itemization of all such charges ; and Provide me with an affidavit that the Statute of Limitations has not expired on this account. 

Information About Your Authority to Collect This Debt Whether your firm has a debt collection license in my state. If not, explain why. If so, provide the date of the license, the name on the license, the license number, and the contact information of the agency that issued the license ; and Whether you are contacting me from a location outside of my state and whether you have a debt collection license from that location, including the license number and the contact information of the agency that issued the license. 

I further dispute this debt and invoke my rights under the FDCPA and any other applicable state laws. 

I request that you suspend all collection activities and that your agency provide me with clear and convincing evidence that I have a legal obligation to pay you and/or the original creditor for the amount in dispute. 

Please note : If you have reported invalidated and inaccurate information to any of the XXXX major Credit Bureaus XXXX Equifax, XXXX, or XXXX ), said action might constitute fraud and disparagement of credit under both Federal and State Laws. Accordingly, if any invalidated or inaccurate negative mark is found on any of my credit reports by you ( or the third parties that you represent ), demand is hereby made to remove such negative marks while this debt is being disputed. 

Please respond to this request within 30 days of the date of this letter. I need a response from you to make an informed decision about the alleged debt. In addition to providing the above information, please let me know in writing if you are prepared to accept less than the debt you are claiming is owed. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX