Consumer complaint received 2025-01-07 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: GA

Complaint narrative:
I am writing to formally dispute the reporting of the XXXX XXXX XXXX [ Account Number : XXXX ] account on my credit report. This letter also serves as a formal demand for your compliance with all applicable provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), specifically Section 611 regarding the reinvestigation of disputed information, and Section 609, which gives consumers the right to access verification documents.

The continued reporting of this account as verified and accurate without providing the requested documentation or resolving the dispute properly raises serious concerns about your compliance with federal law. Below, I outline the relevant FCRA provisions that you must address immediately.

15 U.S. Code 1681 ( iii ) - Procedure in case of disputed accuracy a notice that, if requested by the consumer, a description of the procedure used to determine the accuracy and completeness of the information shall be provided to the consumer by the agency, including the business name and address of any furnisher of information contacted in connection with such information and the telephone number of such furnisher, if reasonably available ; Key Provisions Under the FCRA Relevant to This Dispute 1. FCRA Section 611 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ) : Reasonable Reinvestigation Requirement When I notify you of a dispute regarding the completeness or accuracy of an item on my credit report, you are required by law to conduct a reasonable reinvestigation to determine whether the disputed information is accurate. This reinvestigation must be completed within 30 days, or 45 days if additional relevant information is provided during the initial dispute period.

You have failed to provide the documentation that supports your claim that this account is accurate and verified. Furthermore, Section 611 ( c ) clearly states that if an item can not be verified as accurate, it must be deleted from my credit report.

2. FCRA Section 609 ( a ) ( 1 ) : Right to Access Verification Documentation Under FCRA Section 609, I am entitled to obtain copies of all records you used to verify the disputed information. Specifically, I am requesting : A copy of the original signed agreement for the account. 
Payment history records that substantiate the account 's balance or charge-off. 
Documentation that XXXX XXXX XXXX provided to you during the reinvestigation process. 
Failure to provide these documents is a violation of the FCRA. 

3. Prompt Notice to Furnisher of Information ( FCRA Section 611 ( a ) ( 2 ) ) Under Section 611 ( a ) ( 2 ), you are required to notify the furnisher ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ) of my dispute within five business days of receiving it. The notice must include all relevant information I provided in my dispute. You must also relay any additional information I provide during the dispute process to XXXX XXXX XXXX before the reinvestigation is completed. 

4. Unverified or Inaccurate Information ( FCRA Section 611 ( a ) ( 5 ) ) If, after your reinvestigation, the information is found to be inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable, you are required to : Promptly delete or modify the information in my file. 
Notify XXXX XXXX XXXX of any deletions or modifications. 
If the disputed information can not be verified, it must be removed from my credit report in accordance with this section. 

XXXX. Reinvestigation Limitations and Expedited Resolution ( FCRA Section 611 ) Limitations on Extensions ( Section 611 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( B ) and ( C ) ) : The reinvestigation period may only be extended by 15 days if additional relevant information is provided. However, if the disputed information is found to be inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable during the original 30-day period, the extension does not apply, and the item must be removed or corrected immediately.

Expedited Deletion of Inaccurate Information ( Section 611 ( a ) ( 8 ) ) : If the disputed information is deleted within three business days, you are not required to provide additional notices to the consumer.

6. Notice of Results and Description of Reinvestigation ( FCRA Section 611 ( a ) ( 6 ) and ( 7 ) ) Once the reinvestigation is completed, you are required to notify me of the results within five business days. This notice must include : A statement that the reinvestigation is complete.

A copy of my revised credit report.

A description of the procedures used to verify the information, including the name, address, and phone number of the furnisher ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ). 
If I request further details about the reinvestigation procedures, you must provide this information within 15 days of my request. 

Demands Provide Documentation : A copy of all records used to verify the XXXX XXXX XXXX account, including : Original signed agreement. 
Payment history and deficiency balance calculations. 
All information XXXX XXXX XXXX provided to support its reporting. 
Immediate Deletion of Inaccurate or Unverifiable Information : If you can not provide the requested verification documents, remove the disputed account immediately under FCRA Section 611 ( a ) ( 5 ).

Notify Me of Results : Provide written notice of the results of your reinvestigation, as required under FCRA Section 611 ( a ) ( 6 ).

Ensure Compliance with Reinserted Items ( FCRA Section 611 ( a ) ( 5 ) ( B ) ) : 15 U.S. Code 1681i - Procedure in case of disputed accuracy U.S. Code Notes prev | next ( a ) Reinvestigations of disputed information ( 1 ) Reinvestigation required ( A ) In general Subject to subsection ( f ) and except as provided in subsection ( g ), if the completeness or accuracy of any item of information contained in a consumers file at a consumer reporting agency is disputed by the consumer and the consumer notifies the agency directly, or indirectly through a reseller, of such dispute, the agency shall, free of charge, conduct a reasonable reinvestigation to determine whether the disputed information is inaccurate and record the current status of the disputed information, or delete the item from the file in accordance with paragraph ( 5 ), before the end of the 30-day period beginning on the date on which the agency receives the notice of the dispute from the consumer or reseller.

( B ) Extension of period to reinvestigate Except as provided in subparagraph ( C ), the 30-day period described in subparagraph ( A ) may be extended for not more than 15 additional days if the consumer reporting agency receives information from the consumer during that 30-day period that is relevant to the reinvestigation.

( C ) Limitations on extension of period to reinvestigate Subparagraph ( B ) shall not apply to any reinvestigation in which, during the 30-day period described in subparagraph ( A ), the information that is the subject of the reinvestigation is found to be inaccurate or incomplete or the consumer reporting agency determines that the information can not be verified.

( 2 ) Prompt notice of dispute to furnisher of information ( A ) In general Before the expiration of the 5-business-day period beginning on the date on which a consumer reporting agency receives notice of a dispute from any consumer or a reseller in accordance with paragraph ( 1 ), the agency shall provide notification of the dispute to any person who provided any item of information in dispute, at the address and in the manner established with the person. The notice shall include all relevant information regarding the dispute that the agency has received from the consumer or reseller.

( B ) Provision of other information The consumer reporting agency shall promptly provide to the person who provided the information in dispute all relevant information regarding the dispute that is received by the agency from the consumer or the reseller after the period referred to in subparagraph ( A ) and before the end of the period referred to in paragraph ( 1 ) ( A ).

( 3 ) Determination that dispute is frivolous or irrelevant ( A ) In general Notwithstanding paragraph ( 1 ), a consumer reporting agency may terminate a reinvestigation of information disputed by a consumer under that paragraph if the agency reasonably determines that the dispute by the consumer is frivolous or irrelevant, including by reason of a failure by a consumer to provide sufficient information to investigate the disputed information.

( B ) Notice of determination Upon making any determination in accordance with subparagraph ( A ) that a dispute is frivolous or irrelevant, a consumer reporting agency shall notify the consumer of such determination not later than 5 business days after making such determination, by mail or, if authorized by the consumer for that purpose, by any other means available to the agency.

( C ) Contents of notice A notice under subparagraph ( B ) shall include ( i ) the reasons for the determination under subparagraph ( A ) ; and ( ii ) identification of any information required to investigate the disputed information, which may consist of a standardized form describing the general nature of such information.

( 4 ) Consideration of consumer information In conducting any reinvestigation under paragraph ( 1 ) with respect to disputed information in the file of any consumer, the consumer reporting agency shall review and consider all relevant information submitted by the consumer in the period described in paragraph ( 1 ) ( A ) with respect to such disputed information.

( 5 ) Treatment of inaccurate or unverifiable information ( A ) In general If, after any reinvestigation under paragraph ( 1 ) of any information disputed by a consumer, an item of the information is found to be inaccurate or incomplete or can not be verified, the consumer reporting agency shall ( i ) promptly delete that item of information from the file of the consumer, or modify that item of information, as appropriate, based on the results of the reinvestigation; and ( ii ) promptly notify the furnisher of that information that the information has been modified or deleted from the file of the consumer.

( B ) Requirements relating to reinsertion of previously deleted material ( i ) Certification of accuracy of information If any information is deleted from a consumers file pursuant to subparagraph ( A ), the information may not be reinserted in the file by the consumer reporting agency unless the person who furnishes the information certifies that the information is complete and accurate.

( ii ) Notice to consumer If any information that has been deleted from a consumers file pursuant to subparagraph ( A ) is reinserted in the file, the consumer reporting agency shall notify the consumer of the reinsertion in writing not later than 5 business days after the reinsertion or, if authorized by the consumer for that purpose, by any other means available to the agency.

( iii ) Additional information As part of, or in addition to, the notice under clause ( ii ), a consumer reporting agency shall provide to a consumer in writing not later than 5 business days after the date of the reinsertion ( I ) a statement that the disputed information has been reinserted ; ( II ) the business name and address of any furnisher of information contacted and the telephone number of such furnisher, if reasonably available, or of any furnisher of information that contacted the consumer reporting agency, in connection with the reinsertion of such information ; and ( III ) a notice that the consumer has the right to add a statement to the consumers file disputing the accuracy or completeness of the disputed information.

( C ) Procedures to prevent reappearance A consumer reporting agency shall maintain reasonable procedures designed to prevent the reappearance in a consumers file, and in consumer reports on the consumer, of information that is deleted pursuant to this paragraph ( other than information that is reinserted in accordance with subparagraph ( B ) ( i ) ).

( D ) Automated reinvestigation system Any consumer reporting agency that compiles and maintains files on consumers on a nationwide basis shall implement an automated system through which furnishers of information to that consumer reporting agency may report the results of a reinvestigation that finds incomplete or inaccurate information in a consumers file to other such consumer reporting agencies.

( 6 ) Notice of results of reinvestigation ( A ) In general A consumer reporting agency shall provide written notice to a consumer of the results of a reinvestigation under this subsection not later than 5 business days after the completion of the reinvestigation, by mail or, if authorized by the consumer for that purpose, by other means available to the agency.

( B ) Contents As part of, or in addition to, the notice under subparagraph ( A ), a consumer reporting agency shall provide to a consumer in writing before the expiration of the 5-day period referred to in subparagraph ( A ) ( i ) a statement that the reinvestigation is completed ; ( ii ) a consumer report that is based upon the consumers file as that file is revised as a result of the reinvestigation ; ( iii ) a notice that, if requested by the consumer, a description of the procedure used to determine the accuracy and completeness of the information shall be provided to the consumer by the agency, including the business name and address of any furnisher of information contacted in connection with such information and the telephone number of such furnisher, if reasonably available ; ( iv ) a notice that the consumer has the right to add a statement to the consumers file disputing the accuracy or completeness of the information ; and ( v ) a notice that the consumer has the right to request under subsection ( d ) that the consumer reporting agency furnish notifications under that subsection.

( 7 ) Description of reinvestigation procedure A consumer reporting agency shall provide to a consumer a description referred to in paragraph ( 6 ) ( B ) ( iii ) by not later than 15 days after receiving a request from the consumer for that description.

( 8 ) Expedited dispute resolution If a dispute regarding an item of information in a consumers file at a consumer reporting agency is resolved in accordance with paragraph ( 5 ) ( A ) by the deletion of the disputed information by not later than 3 business days after the date on which the agency receives notice of the dispute from the consumer in accordance with paragraph ( 1 ) ( A ), then the agency shall not be required to comply with paragraphs ( 2 ), ( 6 ), and ( 7 ) with respect to that dispute if the agency ( A ) provides prompt notice of the deletion to the consumer by telephone ; ( B ) includes in that notice, or in a written notice that accompanies a confirmation and consumer report provided in accordance with subparagraph ( C ), a statement of the consumers right to request under subsection ( d ) that the agency furnish notifications under that subsection ; and ( C ) provides written confirmation of the deletion and a copy of a consumer report on the consumer that is based on the consumers file after the deletion, not later than 5 business days after making the deletion.

( b ) Statement of dispute If the reinvestigation does not resolve the dispute, the consumer may file a brief statement setting forth the nature of the dispute. The consumer reporting agency may limit such statements to not more than one hundred words if it provides the consumer with assistance in writing a clear summary of the dispute.

( c ) Notification of consumer dispute in subsequent consumer reports Whenever a statement of a dispute is filed, unless there is reasonable grounds to believe that it is frivolous or irrelevant, the consumer reporting agency shall, in any subsequent consumer report containing the information in question, clearly note that it is disputed by the consumer and provide either the consumers statement or a clear and accurate codification or summary thereof.

( d ) Notification of deletion of disputed information Following any deletion of information which is found to be inaccurate or whose accuracy can no longer be verified or any notation as to disputed information, the consumer reporting agency shall, at the request of the consumer, furnish notification that the item has been deleted or the statement, codification or summary pursuant to subsection ( b ) or ( c ) to any person specifically designated by the consumer who has within two years prior thereto received a consumer report for employment purposes, or within six months prior thereto received a consumer report for any other purpose, which contained the deleted or disputed information.

Legal Notice Failure to comply with these demands will result in : Formal Complaints : I will file complaints with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ), the Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ), and my state attorney general.

Legal Action : I will pursue legal remedies under the FCRA, including : Statutory damages of up to {$1000.00} per violation.

Actual damages for harm caused to my creditworthiness.

Attorneys fees and court costs.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation