Consumer complaint received 2025-12-03 00:00:00
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.
State: OH

Complaint narrative:
To Whom It May Concern, I am filing this formal complaint because my credit reports contain inaccurate, conflicting, and legally impermissible late-payment reporting on multiple federal student loan accounts serviced under the Department of EducationXXXX XXXX These accountsspecifically DEPT OF ED Account XXXX. XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX all presently in authorized forbearance, during which no payment was due and no delinquency can lawfully be assessed or reported. Yet all three nationwide consumer reporting agencies ( XXXX, Equifax, and XXXX  ) continue to publish false and contradictory late-payment dates on these tradelines. 

The most serious violation is that Equifax reports the late-payment sequence beginning in XX/XX/year>, showing 90 days late in XXXX and XXXX delinquencies in XXXX, XXXX, and XX/XX/year>, while XXXX  and XXXX  both shift the delinquency timeline earlier, reporting XX/XX/year> as 90 days late, followed by XXXX delinquencies for XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, and XX/XX/year>. These discrepancies appear on each of the XXXX DEPT OF ED accounts, meaning the CRAs can not agree on the month these supposed delinquencies began, the length of delinquency, or the correct payment history. 

Because the same loans can not simultaneously be 90 days late in XXXX and also 90 days late in XXXX depending on the bureau, the information is by definition inaccurate, unreliable, and unverifiable. This violates the Fair Credit Reporting Acts maximum possible accuracy requirement under 15 U.S.C. 1681e ( b ), which mandates that CRAs maintain procedures that prevent the publication of contradictory consumer data. Reporting different delinquency dates for the same accounts also violates FCRA 602, 15 U.S.C. 1681 ( a ), which requires credit reporting to be fair, truthful, and accurate, as well as FCRA 607 ( b ), which prohibits reporting information without reasonable procedures to assure accuracy. 

Furthermore, because these loans are under forbearance, continuing to publish derogatory delinquency data constitutes a violation of the Truth in Lending Act ( TILA ), 15 U.S.C. 1601 et seq., which prohibits misleading credit disclosures and imposes liability under 15 U.S.C. 1641 when inaccurate or deceptive repayment statuses are furnished. When a loan is in forbearance, presenting it as though it was delinquent or currently in a negative status is a misrepresentation of the consumers legal repayment obligations. 

Additionally, furnishers have an independent obligation under 15 U.S.C. 1666 ( b ) ( Fair Credit Billing Act ) to correct or cease reporting disputed or inaccurate information. Continuing to furnish contradictory late-payment dates across the credit bureaus demonstrates a failure to meet this statutory duty. Under FCRA 623 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ) and 623 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( D ), furnishers may not report information they know or should know is inaccurate, nor may they continue reporting anything that can not be verified. Because the dates are inconsistent among the CRAs, the furnisher can not verify which dates are correct, which means the information must be deleted, not re-reported, as a matter of law.

This inaccurate reporting also violates the GrammLeachBliley Act ( GLBA ), 15 U.S.C. 6801 ( b ), which requires financial institutions to maintain the accuracy and integrity of a consumers financial information. Publishing contradictory delinquency information undermines the integrity and reliability GLBA requires and causes direct harm to me as the consumer.

Equally concerning is the failure of the CRAs to conduct a lawful reinvestigation after prior disputes. When the CRAs claim that contradictory data is verified, they violate FCRA 611 ( a ), 15 U.S.C. 1681i, because a reinvestigation that affirms conflicting dates across bureaus can not be considered reasonable, thorough, or compliant with federal law. 

For these reasons, I am demanding that all late-payment reporting for XXXX through XX/XX/year> associated with DEPT OF ED Account XXXX. XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX be fully removed and that each account be updated to reflect the correct and lawful status : PAID ON TIME CURRENT PAYMENT DEFERRED/ FORBEARANCE. This correction is required under 15 U.S.C. 1681e ( b ), 15 U.S.C. 1666 ( b ), 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2, the Truth in Lending Act, and the GrammLeachBliley Act. 

I request written confirmation once these inaccurate entries have been deleted from XXXX, Equifax, and XXXX. If these errors are not corrected within the timelines prescribed by federal law, I will pursue additional actions under FCRA 616617, as well as any further remedies available under TILA and GLBA.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation