Consumer complaint received 2025-08-04 00:00:00
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.
State: TX

Complaint narrative:
Dear CFPB Representative, I am writing to formally file a complaint against several XXXX  and debt XXXX who have reported inaccurate, unverifiable, and in some cases, duplicate information on my credit report. These accounts are severely impacting my ability to access fair credit, rent housing, and stabilize financially. Many of these entries violate the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) and Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ). 
XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX High Balance : {$480.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX Charge Off Issue : This account is not mine or XXXX have been fraudulently opened. 
Law : XXXX FCRA XXXX, you are required to reinvestigate disputed accounts and remove unverifiable information. 
Story : I have never held a XXXX XXXX account with this balance and date. This is interfering with my efforts to secure stable transportation and employment. 
XXXX XXXX High Balance : {$1500.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX Charge Off Issue : This account is inaccurate and does not reflect my actual financial history. 
XXXX : FCRA XXXX ( b ) mandates that credit bureaus must follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy. 
Story : Due to this false entry, I was denied a mortgage pre-approval. Ive lost valuable opportunities because of this false derogatory item. 
XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX  High Balance : {$36.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX Charge Off Issue : The account appears minor but its charge-off status is hurting my score disproportionately. 
XXXX : XXXX CFPB guidance, even small-dollar errors must be corrected if disputed. 
Story : Ive worked hard to build my credit and such a small error should not cost me large financial consequences. 
XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX  High Balance : {$18000.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX Charge Off Issue : I was never informed of delinquency or charge-off. No proper communication was made to validate the debt. 
Law : FCRA XXXX and FDCPA XXXX require creditors to verify debts when disputed. 
Story : I was unaware of this account until checking my credit. The stress and anxiety caused by this huge amount showing as charge-off is immense. 
XXXX  XXXX High Balance : {$20000.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX Charge Off Issue : This account was voluntarily surrendered with agreement, not charged-off. 
XXXX : FCRA XXXX ( a ) ( XXXX ) ( A ) and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act ( ECOA ) protect against inaccurate portrayal of agreements. 
Story : I had made settlement arrangements which are not being reflected properly, and this is distorting my credit integrity. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX  High Balance : {$1600.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX Charge Off Issue : This account was paid but still shows as charged-off. 
XXXX : The FCRA prohibits inaccurate or outdated negative items from being reported. 
Story : I took responsibility to resolve this, but the record still being negative feels unjust and damaging. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  High Balance : {$1600.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX Late Payment Issue : The late payment was incorrectly reported during a time I was under documented hardship. 
Law : XXXX XXXX XXXX guidance and FCRA, lenders must report accurately during declared hardships. 
Story : I reached out for assistance during the XXXX hardship, yet was reported late. This isnt just unfairits a violation of trust. 
XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX High Balance : {$1400.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX Charge Off Issue : No documentation or debt validation provided. 
XXXX : FDCPA XXXX ( b ) gives consumers the right to dispute a debt and obtain verification. 
Story : I was never sent notice or statement. I feel like this was placed to trap me financially. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  High Balance : {$390.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX Charge Off Issue : This account appears duplicated or incorrectly labeled as default. 
Law : FCRA XXXX requires thorough reinvestigation of disputed data. 
Story : I attempted to settle the amount but was ignored. My attempts to correct this have gone nowhere. 
XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX High Balance : {$520.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX Charge Off Issue : No prior communication before this was marked charged-off. 
Law : Under FDCPA and FCRA, I must be notified and given a chance to dispute or settle. 
Story : I was shocked to see this on my reportit has created embarrassment in my loan applications. 
XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX High Balance : {$3200.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX Charge Off Issue : This balance and charge-off appear inflated and incorrect. 
XXXX : FCRA XXXX ( b ) and XXXX ( a ) entitle me to a clear explanation and correction. 
Story : I never consented to or acknowledged such a high balance. I believe this is an error from equipment/plan return confusion. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX High Balance : {$710.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX Charge Off Issue : The charge-off was made without attempts to contact or notify me. 
Law : FDCPA requires proper notice and an opportunity to verify the debt. 
Story : I moved locations and never received any billing notice. Its frustrating to be penalized without knowing. 
XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX High Balance : {$580.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX Charge Off Issue : I do not recognize this account and it appears to be fraud or misreporting. 
Law : Under FCRA XXXX, I request this be blocked due to suspected identity theft. 
Story : Ive filed reports before regarding mixed files and I suspect this belongs to someone else. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX I XXXX High Balance : {$580.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX Charge Off Issue : This appears to be a duplicate of the previous entry, inflating negative impact. 
Law : FCRA requires accurate and non-duplicative reporting. 
Story : XXXX punished XXXX  for the same matter is deeply unfair and unethical. 
XXXX XXXX High Balance : {$13000.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX Charge Off Issue : I returned the car voluntarily and agreed on resolution. 
Law : XXXX XXXX and FCRA, the nature of voluntary repossession must be reported correctly. 
Story : I made responsible choices during hardship, yet this is damaging my score more than those who ignored debts completely. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  High Balance : {$500.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX Charge Off Issue : Unverified debt still being reported after multiple dispute attempts. 
Law : FCRA XXXX requires deletion of unverifiable information. 
Story : Ive tried to fix this, but agencies keep bouncing me between departments. 
XXXX XXXX High Balance : {$550.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX Charge Off Issue : I never authorized or completed this loan. 
XXXX : FCRA XXXX allows for identity theft victims to request blocking of such accounts. 
Story : I believe someone else used my identity. I already placed a fraud alert and police report is available. 
XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX High Balance : {$2500.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX Late Payment Issue : Payment history is inaccurately reflecting my status. 
Law : FCRA and Equal Credit Opportunity Act require lenders to furnish correct data. 
XXXX : This XXXX entry lowered my score significantly, despite all my efforts to catch up on other accounts. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX  High Balance : {$2700.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX - Charge Off Issue : This account was closed during the pandemic when I faced job loss. I attempted to work out payment terms but received no response. 
Law : XXXX FCRA XXXX ( a ) ( XXXX ), accounts with lack of verification or incomplete investigation must be removed. 
Story : In late XXXX, I was furloughed unexpectedly, which caused my entire financial situation to collapse. My priority became food and shelter for my family. I did not intentionally ignore this debt and even reached out for settlementthere was no support. This charge-off now continues to impact my ability to rebuild. 
XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX High Balance : {$460.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX - Charge Off Issue : Incorrect balance and incomplete payment history reported. 
Law : FCRA Section XXXX requires complete and accurate reporting. 
Story : I was misled during the loan setup and faced constant overcharges that were never resolved despite complaints. I had paid part of the amount, but it was never reflected. I seek fair resolution, not penalty for attempting to correct my record. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  High Balance : {$870.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX - Charge Off Issue : Debt was disputed in writing ; never validated. 
Law : XXXX FDCPA XXXX ( b ), debt XXXX must validate debts upon request. 
Story : I was hospitalized during the time of this debt. Upon recovery, I contacted them to validate the amount. No written proof was ever provided. Despite this, the charge-off remained, haunting my credit unfairly. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX High Balance : {$4300.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX - Charge Off Issue : Duplicate reporting with previous XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX 
Law : FCRA prohibits double reporting of the same obligation. 
Story : I believe this XXXX be a duplicate entry. I only had XXXX line of credit with XXXX. This is confusing and damaging. Ive already suffered enough from the economic impact of XXXX. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX High Balance : {$2000.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX - Late Payment Issue : No grace period given during financial hardship. 
Law : XXXX XXXX XXXX and FCRA, creditors must fairly report during hardship plans. 
Story : I had informed them in writing that I was undergoing temporary hardship due to a medical emergency in my family. They did not offer assistance and reported me late without empathy. 
XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX High Balance : {$1800.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX - Collection Issue : Not notified about debt placement in collections. 
Law : FDCPA requires debt XXXX to send a XXXX notice before reporting. 
Story : I never received any letter from XXXX XXXX. I only discovered this on my credit report. Had I known, I would have immediately addressed the issue. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX High Balance : {$6600.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX - Collection Issue : Reporting started before verification. 
Law : FDCPA requires timely and fair debt validation. 
XXXX : This debt stems from a co-signed loan that went unpaid when my co-borrower left the country. I tried to negotiate with the agency but was refused without hearing my side. 
XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX High Balance : {$710.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX - Collection Issue : Debt amount inflated beyond original balance. 
Law : FDCPA Section XXXX prohibits misrepresenting amount owed. 
Story : I believe the amount reported is wrong and includes unlawful fees. I request validation with itemized charges. 
XXXX & XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX High Balance : {$9500.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX - Collection Issue : Debt disputed, collector continued reporting. 
Law : XXXX FDCPA, XXXX must cease collection during dispute process. 
XXXX : This is a major strain. I am already in discussions with a debt relief agency. This entry has worsened my credit unfairly while XXXX trying to do the right thing. 
XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX High Balance : {$2000.00} / {$1100.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX - Collection Issue : Duplicate accounts for same debt. 
XXXX : FCRA prohibits misleading duplicate listings. 
XXXX : This appears to be the same debt shown twice, causing disproportionate damage to my score. I have contacted them but received no clarification. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX High Balance : {$7000.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX - Collection Issue : No original creditor details listed. 
Law : FDCPA requires clarity on origin of debt. 
Story : I was never told about this debt and have no recollection. There must be a mistake or identity confusion. 
XXXX XXXXXXXX  XXXX XXXX High Balance : {$1300.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX - Collection Issue : Listed without consumer notification. 
Law : FDCPA Section XXXX mandates timely notice. 
Story : I have attempted to settle with XXXX XXXX before they reported this. The account still ended up on my report, ignoring my efforts. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX High Balance : {$2400.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX - Collection Issue : Disputed debt status not shown. 
Law : FCRA requires disputed debts to be marked accordingly. 
Story : I disputed this debt last year but it continues to be reported without showing that dispute. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX High Balance : {$7100.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX - Collection Issue : No validation of debt provided. 
Law : Debt XXXX must verify upon consumer request. 
Story : I never received any official communication. This entry came as a shock while applying for a mortgage. 
XXXX  Inquiries ( Multiple from XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX CREDIT, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. 
Issue : Excessive inquiries within short span damaging credit score. 
Law : FCRA allows consumers to challenge unauthorized or grouped inquiries. 
Story : Many of these were auto-loan shopping related and should have been grouped. Some were made without my explicit consent. These are now hurting my ability to secure fair interest rates. 
My Request : I am requesting the CFPB to investigate these creditors and furnishers. These entries are not only misleading but harmful, and they remain even after my repeated attempts at resolution. I have attached supporting documentation, including my credit report highlighting these issues. 
I am not disputing debt responsibility in every case, but I am demanding that the credit report reflect only fair, verifiable, accurate, and non-duplicative information, as the law demands. 
Please hold the reporting agencies and debt XXXX accountable for these violations.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief