Consumer complaint received 2026-06-07 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: FL

Complaint narrative:
Date To : XXXX / Equifax XXXX XXXX Address : See table below Re : Dispute of Inaccurate Information Legally Discharged Student Loan Report / File Number : XXXX To Whom It May Concern : I am writing to formally dispute an inaccurate account appearing on my credit report. I demand that you immediately delete this entire tradeline, as reporting it violates the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), 15 U.S.C. 1681 et seq. Account in Dispute : Creditor / Furnisher : XXXX ( Federal Student Loan Servicer ) Account Number : XXXX ( or use your truncated account number ) Loan Award IDs : XXXX and XXXX Disbursement Date : XX/XX/year> Original Balance : {$7400.00} Legal Basis for Dispute : The above-referenced student loan account has been fully and finally discharged by the U.S. Department of Education ( `` ED '' ) through an approved Borrower Defense to Repayment application. A copy of the official notice from ED 's servicer, XXXX, which states : " We have discharged your federal loan ( s ) ... As a result, you do not owe any balance on your federal loan account serviced by us '' and confirms that the " Total Balance Remaining after Discharge '' is " {$0.00} '', is enclosed and incorporated herein. Therefore, the continued reporting of this account with any outstanding balance, past-due status, or inaccurate notation is a direct violation of multiple sections of the FCRA : 1. Violation of 15 U.S.C. 1681e ( b ) Failure to Follow Reasonable Procedures : As a Consumer Reporting Agency ( " CRA '' ), you are required by 15 U.S.C. 1681e ( b ) to " follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy of the information concerning the individual about whom the report relates. '' Reporting a discharged debt with an outstanding or delinquent balance is per se inaccurate. In Krueger v. Experian Information Solutions, the Sixth Circuit held that a debtor whose loan was discharged had standing to assert an FCRA claim against a servicer that continued to report the discharged debt as past due, causing an artificially low credit score. 2. Violation of 15 U.S.C. 1681i Failure to Conduct a Reasonable Reinvestigation : Upon receipt of this dispute, you are statutorily required by 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ) to, " free of charge, '' conduct a " reasonable reinvestigation to determine whether the disputed information is inaccurate. '' This reinvestigation must be completed within 30 days from your receipt of this notice. The CRA must then delete or modify the inaccurate item. If you fail to conduct a reasonable reinvestigation and the information is not deleted, you will be in violation of 15 U.S.C. 1681i. 3. Violation of 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2 ( b ) Failure of Furnisher ( XXXX ) to Investigate : After you notify XXXX of this dispute, XXXX is required by 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2 ( b ) to " conduct an investigation with respect to the disputed information '' and report the results to all CRAs. Failure to conduct a reasonable investigation may render XXXX liable. As the FTC has noted, " the plain language of the Fair Credit Reporting Act compels the conclusion that there is a private right of action for consumers to enforce the investigation and reporting duties imposed on furnishers of information. '' 4. Violation of 15 U.S.C. 1681c Reporting of Obsolete Information ( If Applicable ) : If the delinquency leading to the discharge occurred more than seven years ago, 15 U.S.C. 1681c ( a ) prohibits the inclusion of such obsolete information in your reports. Request for Investigation and Immediate Deletion : Under 15 U.S.C. 1681i, I request that you : 1. Conduct a reasonable reinvestigation into the disputed account described above ; 2. Immediately delete the inaccurate XXXX student loan tradeline from my credit file in its entirety ; 3. Notify me in writing of the results of your investigation within 30 days, and provide me with a free copy of my updated credit report. I have enclosed a copy of the XXXX discharge letter as supporting documentation. Pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 1681n and 1681o, I intend to exercise my statutory right to seek actual, statutory, and punitive damages for any willful or negligent noncompliance with the FCRA, including reasonable attorneys ' fees and costs. Please be advised that I am keeping a careful record of all communications related to this matter. Thank you for your prompt attention. Sincerely,

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation