Consumer complaint received 2024-12-01 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: Experian Information Solutions Inc.
State: FL

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this formal complaint regarding the unlawful and improper practices of XXXX, XXXX, and Experian ( collectively referred to as the " Credit Reporting Agencies '' or " CRAs '' ) related to the illegal reporting of my transaction history. Below, I detail the specific issues and violations of federal law : I am formally opting out of any and all authorizations I may have givenwhether written, verbal, unwritten, or impliedfor the CRAs to share reporting of my transaction history Under 15 U.S.C. 6801, financial institutions and their agents are bound by an affirmative and continuing obligation to respect the privacy and confidentiality of consumers ' non-public personal information. Reporting transaction history without explicit consent violates this statute. 

Violation : XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX have engaged in the unauthorized reporting of my transaction history, which is illegal without my consent. 

Impact : This unauthorized action directly undermines the Congressional mandate for safeguarding consumer privacy, as outlined in the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and its supporting provisions under the FCRA Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) : 15 U.S.C. 6801 Unlawful Reporting of Charged-Off Debt as Income Under federal law, charged-off debts are considered income for tax purposes when reported to the IRS via a 1099-C form. However, income is not a permissible category for reporting on consumer credit reports under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ). The FCRA and related case law establish that consumer credit reports must only contain accurate and permissible information directly related to creditworthiness, not income classifications. 

Violation : XXXX, XXXX, and Experian are unlawfully reporting charged-off debts as derogatory trade lines on my credit report despite their reclassification as " income '' under IRS regulations XXXX This constitutes a clear violation of the FCRA because income, especially income derived from forgiven debt, is not authorized for inclusion in consumer credit reporting. 

Supporting Legal Precedents : XXXX XXXX. XXXX ( a ) : Restricts the type of information that can appear on a consumer report. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  : Emphasized that misleading information on credit reports can violate the FCRA. 
XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  : Highlighted the importance of accurate classification of debt in credit reporting. 
Impact : The misreporting of charged-off debt as a derogatory item when it should be classified as income causes severe harm to my credit profile and undermines my creditworthiness. Additionally, it subjects me to undue financial and reputational harm by inaccurately portraying my financial behavior.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation