Consumer complaint received 2025-07-15 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem — Investigation took more than 30 days
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: TX

Complaint narrative:
To the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, I am submitting this formal complaint due to numerous and repeated violations on my credit reports that have caused me emotional XXXX, financial harm, and potential exposure to identity theft. I am disputing incorrect personal address, inaccurate payment history, and multiple unauthorized hard inquiries. These entries are severely damaging my creditworthiness and were not corrected despite previous efforts. 
ADDRESS ERRORS ( NEVER LIVED THERE FALSELY REPORTED ) XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, TX XXXX Issue : I have never lived at this address nor had any connection to it. 
Law : Under FCRA 1681e ( b ), CRAs are required to maintain accurate and up-to-date address information.

Story : This false address led to a mismatch in my application for a government benefit that required identity verification. It also caused denial of a credit card. I have submitted prior disputes, yet it still appears, showing poor procedures by data furnishers or CRAs. I believe this may be a case of mixed file or stolen data usage. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, TX XXXX Issue : This XXXX XXXX address is unknown to me and was never authorized. 
Law : FCRA 1681c ( f ) forbids listing inaccurate identifying information. 
Story : I never had a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. This raises suspicion that someone else may have fraudulently used my identity to establish accounts or mail redirection. Because of this, I failed an address verification step for an auto loan. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, TX XXXX Issue : Never resided or been affiliated with this address. 
Law : FCRA requires that CRAs remove unverifiable addresses.

Story : Due to this, a creditor flagged me for inconsistent identity and froze a legit application I made. It triggered unnecessary fraud protocols, and I had to spend hours proving my identity. 
XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX, TX XXXX Issue : This is a completely unrelated address. 
Law : Under FCRA 1681i ( a ), when a consumer disputes incorrect information, the agency must investigate and delete unverifiable data. 
Story : I never lived or visited XXXX. Because this address appears linked to my report, debt collectors have tried to send mail there, delaying notices I needed. This is not just inaccurate but caused financial harm. 
ACCOUNTS WITH INACCURATE OR DAMAGING REPORTING XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX High Balance : {$480.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX Issue : Reported as a charge-off despite my consistent payment effort and hardship request. 
Law : FCRA 1681s-2 prohibits furnishers from reporting information they know or should know is inaccurate.

Story : During COVID-related hardship, I requested and was granted temporary relief. Despite this, they marked my account as charged off without updating my report to show I was on a hardship plan. This misrepresentation has lowered my score and affected housing application approvals. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX Acct # XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX High Balance : {$510.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX Issue : Account was reported as charged off while it was under payment negotiation. 
Law : FCRA and FDCPA 807 prohibit misrepresentation of the character of a debt.

Story : I was in active discussions with their office for a resolution plan when they charged off the account prematurely. This destroyed my goodwill effort and severely impacted my credit. They never notified me of the final decision before reporting negatively. 
XXXX XXXX  Acct # XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  High Balance : {$720.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX Issue : Late payments were reported incorrectly. 
Law : FCRA requires that creditors update data accurately and timely.

Story : My payment was made via autopay but due to a technical glitch it failed. I rectified it the same week, but the lender refused to correct the record. They never sent a late payment notice. This unfair reporting makes me look like a delinquent borrower when I was not. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX Acct # XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX High Balance : {$530.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX  Issue : Multiple late payments reported while I had an active deferment due to income loss.

Law : FCRA 1681c ( a ) ( 5 ) limits the reporting of outdated or unverifiable data.

Story : I formally requested deferment and received confirmation. Despite that, they reported me as late. This is extremely unfair and deceptive. I attempted several times to get it corrected with no results. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX Acct # XXXXXXXX XXXX High Balance : {$620.00} Date Opened : XX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX  Issue : A collection account reported for a debt that was already settled or does not belong to me.

Law : FDCPA 809 ( b ) requires debt collectors to validate debt before reporting. 
Story : I never received any notice from XXXX. They reported this without validation or prior contact. It is either a mistake or a result of identity theft. I asked for proof, but they have failed to respond. This is a clear FDCPA violation. 
UNAUTHORIZED HARD INQUIRIES ( NO PERMISSION GIVEN ) XXXX XXXX XXXX  XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX Issue : None of these inquiries were initiated by me.

Law : FCRA 1681b states that consumer consent is necessary for hard credit pulls.

Story : These seem to be bulk inquiries made by an auto dealership. I only visited for general information. I never signed anything giving permission for multiple lenders to pull my report. This misuse has caused more than XXXX points in score drop and made me ineligible for a credit increase. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX  XX/XX/XXXX Issue : Multiple hard pulls in a single day without proper disclosure or consent. 
Law : FCRA prohibits batch inquiries without specific application or approval. 
Story : I went to discuss financing options at a dealership, but did not sign for any formal application. My information was shared without consent across multiple lenders. This is deceptive and hurtful to my credit profile. 
XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX Issue : I did not apply for these services. 
Law : Again, no permissible purpose was given.

Story : These appear to be the result of mass marketing pre-approvals converted to hard inquiries without confirmation. I believe a third party used my information improperly, or it may be connected to identity theft.

I am requesting that the CFPB investigate these violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. I have suffered financial harm, emotional stress, and fear of identity theft due to these false, outdated, or unauthorized credit entries. I respectfully demand deletion of the wrong address, removal or correction of inaccurate accounts, and removal of all unauthorized hard inquiries listed above. I am attaching identification documents and supporting dispute materials with this submission.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief