Consumer complaint received 2025-07-07 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: CA

Complaint narrative:
I am formally disputing the following accounts on my credit report under my rights granted by the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) 15 U.S.C. 1681, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ) 15 U.S.C. 1692g, and the Truth in Lending Act ( TILA ) 15 U.S.C. 1641 ( g ).

I have identified multiple legal violations regarding these accounts, and failure to correct these errors within 30 days will result in formal legal action against your agency for willful noncompliance. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX Reporting a {$0.00} Balance as a Charge-Off : The balance is listed as {$0.00} while still being marked as a charge-off. A charge-off status requires a past due and unpaid balance. Reporting both " charge-off '' and " {$0.00} balance '' without clarity is contradictory and misleading, violating FCRA 607 ( b ) ( maximum possible accuracy ).

Dispute Flag Remains without Clarification : The notation " Account information disputed by consumer, meets FCRA requirements '' implies a prior dispute. However, no explanation or evidence has been provided to show that a reinvestigation was actually completed and verified under FCRA 611 ( a ).

Outdated Activity and No Collection Continuation : The last payment was over 2 years ago ( XX/XX/year> ), and the last active date ( XX/XX/year> ) shows the account is stale. Reporting a derogatory charge-off on a dormant, XXXX-balance tradeline is potentially misleading and appears designed to damage the consumers score unnecessarily. 
High Credit Exceeds Credit Limit : The high credit of {$520.00} exceeds the credit limit of {$250.00}, which requires documentation to validate the over-limit spending. If this over-limit usage is inaccurately reported, it violates FCRA 623 as it impacts credit utilization models unfairly. 
Account- XXXX XXXXXXXX {$0.00} Balance But Still Reporting Charge-Off : The account shows a {$0.00} balance and no past due amount, yet continues to report as a charge-off. A charge-off implies nonpayment, yet a {$0.00} balance contradicts this and misrepresents the account 's status violating FCRA 607 ( b ) ( reporting maximum possible accuracy ).

Account Marked Purchased by Another Lender : If the account was sold or transferred, the original furnisher ( XXXX ) is no longer the owner of the debt. Under FCRA 623 ( a ) ( 5 ), reporting an account as both charged off and purchased by another lender creates confusion, particularly when the account is no longer collectible by the original creditor. 
XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX : There has been no activity since XXXX and no balance due yet the derogatory status remains. This ongoing reporting unfairly damages creditworthiness and XXXX violate the consumer 's right to accurate, updated information. 
Incomplete or Inconsistent Payment History : Experian reports a string of serious delinquencies ( XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, etc. ), yet the balance has been at {$0.00} for months. This misalignment is both confusing and misleading. 
LEGAL DEMANDS & GROUNDS FOR DELETION 1. PROOF OF DEBT OWNERSHIP REQUIRED ( 15 U.S.C. 1641 ( g ) ) Under TILA 15 U.S.C. 1641 ( g ), if a debt is sold or transferred, the new owner must provide proper notification and proof of assignment. 
The original creditor has already been paid via securitization and no longer owns this account. 
If no legally admissible proof of ownership is provided, this account must be deleted immediately. 
Required Action : REMOVE the account or provide the full chain of ownership with original signed agreements proving legal standing.

2. FAILURE TO CONDUCT A REASONABLE INVESTIGATION ( 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ) Under the FCRA, 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ), credit bureaus must conduct a reasonable investigation upon dispute.

Simply verifying data with a creditor is NOT a valid investigation.

If you claim this information is verified, provide the method of verification ( MOV ) as required by 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 2 ) ( B ).

Required Action : REMOVE the account if no legitimate MOV and full documentation is provided. 
3. FALSE & MISLEADING REPORTING BY THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR ( 15 U.S.C.

1681s-2 ( a ) ) If the original creditor sold or charged off this debt, they are no longer the legal owner, yet they are still reporting it.

Under FCRA 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ), inaccurate reporting must be corrected or removed. 
If the creditor was paid via securitization or insurance write-off, they must update the tradeline to Transferred/Sold or remove it completely. 
Required Action : DELETE the account immediately if the original creditor has no current ownership rights. 
XXXX. FAILURE TO REPORT A CHARGED-OFF ACCOUNT CORRECTLY ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX According to GAAP ( XXXX Accepted Accounting Principles ) and IRS reporting XXXX, a charge-off means the original creditor wrote off the debt as a loss. 
If a charged-off account was sold, the creditor has no right to continue reporting a balance or updating the status. 
Reporting a balance on a charged-off account is falsifying financial information, which is deceptive under 15 U.S.C. 45 ( FTC Act ).

Required Action : REMOVE the charge-off immediately, or provide accounting records proving the creditor still legally owns the balance.

5. COLLECTION AGENCY VIOLATIONS UNDER FDCPA ( 15 U.S.C. 1692g & 1692e ) If this account is now with a debt collector, I demand full validation under FDCPA 1692g.

Collection agencies must prove : o A valid assignment from the original creditor. 
o XXXX signed contract showing I agreed to this debt transfer. 
o A full payment history proving what is allegedly owed. 
If the collection agency can not provide all of the above, they are in violation of FDCPA, and the debt must be removed. 
Required Action : DELETE the collection account immediately if the collector can not provide all required validation documents.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation