Consumer complaint received 2025-03-02 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: GA

Complaint narrative:
Dear Equifax, I am writing to formally dispute Equifaxs failure to properly investigate and contradictory responses regarding my dispute of the XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX accounts. Your responses violate multiple provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), and this serves as your final demand for correction before legal and regulatory escalation.

Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ), the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), and various state and federal laws, I am exercising my right to request complete validation of this debt.

Pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 1692g ( FDCPA Section 809 ), you are required to validate the alleged debt and provide evidence that it is legally owed. Additionally, due to inconsistencies in prior reporting and disputes, I am invoking several additional legal protections that mandate full verification before any further collection attempts can proceed.

The following are additional legal provisions that you must comply with beyond previous requests : 1. Failure to Provide Original Signed Contract ( Truth in Lending Act - 15 U.S.C. 1601 et seq. ) Requirement : Under the Truth in Lending Act ( TILA ) Regulation Z ( 12 CFR 226.1 ), a creditor or servicer must provide a signed agreement showing the terms of the debt and the borrowers explicit consent. Violation : If you fail to provide an original signed contract, you can not le
gally verify or enforce this debt in accordance with federal lending laws.

2. Unlawful Collection on a Time-Barred Debt ( 15 U.S.C. 1692f FDCPA ) & State Statutes of Limitations Requirement : Under FDCPA 1692f, collection agencies can not misrepresent the legal status of a debt if it is outside the statute of limitations.

Violation : If this debt is beyond the legal timeframe for collection in [ Your State ], any collection attempt violates federal and state consumer protection laws.

3. Misrepresentation of Debt Ownership ( 18 U.S.C. 514 Federal Fraud and False Claims Act ) Requirement : Under 18 U.S.C. 514, knowingly reporting or attempting to collect on a debt without proof of lawful ownership is a federal offense.

Violation : If this debt was sold, transferred, or securitized, you must provide a full chain of title proving your right to collect it. 

XXXX. Violation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) XXXX Debt Collection Rule ( XXXX CFR Part XXXX ) Requirement : As of XX/XX/XXXX, debt XXXX must provide a detailed validation notice that includes : Itemized breakdown of principal, interest, fees, and other charges. 
Creditors full name and address. 
A statement regarding the right to dispute within 30 days. 
Violation : If you fail to provide a complete validation notice under CFPB rules, any further collection is prohibited. 

XXXX. Failure to XXXX IRS Form XXXX ( XXXX U.S.C. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) Requirement : If a creditor forgave, XXXX, or stopped pursuing this debt, it XXXX have been written off for tax purposes and should have been reported to the IRS. 
Violation : If this debt was charged off and a XXXX form was issued, you can not legally collect it again. 

XXXX. Unauthorized XXXX XXXX XXXX the XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX. XXXX ) Requirement : The XXXX XXXX prohibits financial institutions from sharing inaccurate consumer data without explicit authorization. 
Violation : If this account was transferred or sold without your consent, the furnisher must show legal authorization to report this debt on my credit file. 

XXXX. Failure to Verify Debt Ownership and Legal Right to Collect ( XXXX XXXX. XXXX FDCPA Validation Notice Requirement ) Requirement : XXXX XXXX must provide evidence that it legally owns this debt before attempting to collect. 
Violation : If XXXX XXXX XXXX sold this debt, XXXX XXXX must provide : A full chain of title showing how the debt was transferred. 
A bill of sale and assignment agreement proving ownership. 
The original signed contract between me and XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

XXXX. XXXX XXXX of XXXX XXXX ( FCRA XXXX ( a ) ( XXXX ) ) Requirement : If a creditor sells a debt, the original furnisher must update its reporting to reflect the transfer. 
Violation : Equifax and XXXX are still reporting the debt despite allegedly transferring it. 
If XXXX XXXX does not legally own this debt, they are reporting fraudulent information in violation of the FCRA. 

XXXX. Failure to Notify Me of Debt Transfer ( CFPB XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX ) Requirement : A new debt owner must notify the consumer in writing when a debt is transferred. 
Violation : XXXX XXXX never sent me a transfer notification or validation letter. 
If they failed to notify me, they can not legally collect on or report the debt. 

XXXX. Unlawful Re-Aging of XXXX ( FCRA XXXX ( a ) ( XXXX ) ) Requirement : If a debt is sold or transferred, the new collector can not change the date of last activity to make the debt appear newer than it is. 
Violation : If XXXX XXXX has modified any account dates, they are illegally extending the statute of limitations. 

XXXX. Failure to Provide Original Signed Contract ( Truth in Lending Act XXXX XXXX. XXXX et seq. ) Requirement : Under the Truth in Lending Act ( TILA ) Regulation Z ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ), a creditor must provide a copy of the original signed agreement. 
Violation : If neither Equifax nor XXXX XXXX can produce a signed contract, they can not legally enforce this debt. 

XXXX. Potential Violation of XXXX XXXX. XXXX IRS Form XXXX Debt Cancellation Reporting Requirement : If XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and sold the debt, they XXXX have issued a XXXX cancellation of debt form to the IRS. 
Violation : If XXXX XXXX is trying to collect a debt that has already been canceled for tax purposes, this is unlawful double collection. 

Pursuant to XXXX XXXX. XXXX ( FDCPA ) and XXXX CFR Part XXXX ( CFPB XXXX Debt Collection Rule ), I demand the following within 30 days : XXXX. Full chain of title from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. 
XXXX. The original signed contract proving my agreement to the alleged debt. 
XXXX. A complete itemized breakdown of the debt, including : Principal, interest, and fees. 
Any payments made. 
Charge-off and adjustment history. 
XXXX. A copy of any IRS Form XXXX issued regarding this debt. 
XXXX. Proof of compliance with CFPB Regulation F notification requirements. 

XXXX. Failure to Conduct a Meaningful Reinvestigation ( FCRA XXXX ( a ) ( XXXX ) ( A ), XXXX U.S.C. XXXX ( a ) ( XXXX ) ) Equifax failed to conduct an independent investigation and instead relied solely on the furnishers response without obtaining verifying documentation. 
The responses I received state both that the account is not reporting and that it has been updated, showing that no proper investigation occurred. 
Case Law : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX. XXXX ) requires that reinvestigations go beyond a mere parroting of the furnishers claims. 

XXXX. Contradictory and Misleading Statements ( FCRA XXXX ( b ) Maximum Possible Accuracy & FCRA XXXX ( a ) ( XXXX ) ) XX/XX/XXXX : Equifax stated XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX account XXXX NOT reporting on my credit file. 
XX/XX/XXXX : Equifax then claimed that historical account information has been updated. 
XX/XX/XXXX : Equifax gave no clear answer on whether the XXXX account is still reporting, claiming the dispute was previously resolved. 
Violation : Equifax is providing conflicting and misleading information, preventing me from accurately monitoring my credit file. 

XXXX. Failure to Provide the Method of Verification ( FCRA XXXX ( a ) ( XXXX ) ( B ), XXXX U.S.C. XXXX ( a ) ( XXXX ) ( B ) ) I have requested that Equifax provide : The name of the furnisher who verified the account. 
The documents used for verification. 
A clear explanation of how Equifax determined the dispute was frivolous. 
Equifax failed to provide this information, violating my rights. 

XXXX. Unlawful Re-Aging and Unauthorized Modification of the Account ( FCRA XXXX ( a ) ( XXXX ) ) The date of last activity or other account details have been altered to make the debt appear newer than it is. 
If XXXX has sold the debt to a third party, Equifax is unlawfully reporting an outdated or incorrect creditor. 

XXXX. Failure to Block Fraudulent Information ( FCRA XXXX, XXXX XXXX. XXXX ) I submitted all required documentation to have this fraudulent account blocked, including : A police report. 
Proof of identity and address. 
A written statement disputing the fraudulent account. 
Despite this, Equifax refused to block the disputed accounts within XXXX business days, as required by law. 

XXXX. Failure to Disclose the Source of the XXXX ( FCRA XXXX ( a ) ( XXXX ), XXXX XXXX. XXXX ( a ) ( XXXX ) ) Equifax has not identified whether XXXX XXXX XXXX still owns the debt or whether it has been transferred to another company. 
If XXXX no longer owns the account, they do not have the legal right to furnish data to Equifax. 

XXXX Demands for XXXX XXXX to these clear violations of my rights under the FCRA, I demand the following actions within XXXX calendar days : XXXX. Immediate Deletion of the XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX Accounts If the account was removed but later updated, it was unlawfully reinserted and must be permanently deleted. 
XXXX. Provide a Complete Method of Verification ( MOV ) Report Provide all records from XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX that Equifax used to verify this account. 
Include any signed agreements, billing statements, and ownership verification. 
XXXX. Provide Proof of Reinvestigation and Compliance with FCRA XXXX the exact date and method of XXXX communication with the furnisher. 
Provide documentation proving XXXX internal reinvestigation process. 
XXXX. Cease Any Further Modification or Re-Aging of This Account If Equifax has altered the date of last activity, status, or balance without proper justification, it must be corrected or deleted immediately. 

Failure to Complete a Reinvestigation Within 30 Days ( FCRA XXXX ( a ) ( XXXX ), XXXX XXXX. XXXX ( a ) ( XXXX ) ) Requirement : Credit bureaus must complete reinvestigations within 30 days ( or 45 days if additional information is provided ). 
Violation : Equifax failed to complete the investigation within 30 days. 
No results were provided regarding XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX. 
Precedent : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX Cir. XXXX ) XXXX CRA must act within the statutory timeline and can not delay beyond the FCRAs limits. 

Failure to Provide Documentation Supporting Verification ( FCRA XXXX ( a ) ( XXXX ) & ( XXXX ) ) Requirement : If a disputed account is verified, Equifax must provide supporting documentation showing how the verification was completed. 
Violation : Equifax has not provided any documents proving that XXXX XXXX XXXX or XXXX XXXX was verified. 
If they verified the account without documentation, this is willful noncompliance. 

Failure to Provide Notice of Results of Investigation ( FCRA XXXX ( a ) ( XXXX ), XXXX XXXX. XXXX ( a ) ( XXXX ) ) Requirement : Credit bureaus must notify the consumer of the results of an investigation within XXXX business days after completion. 
Violation : Equifax failed to provide written notice of the reinvestigation results. 
If they claim an investigation was completed but provided no documentation or notice, they are in direct violation of FCRA XXXX ( a ) ( XXXX ). 

Failure to Delete Unverified Information ( FCRA XXXX ( a ) ( XXXX ), XXXX XXXX. XXXX ( a ) ( XXXX ) ) Requirement : If the CRA can not verify an account with supporting evidence, it must be deleted. 
Violation : Equifax failed to remove XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX despite not verifying them with actual documents. 
Precedent : XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX, XXXX Cir. XXXX ) CRAs must delete unverifiable accounts. 

Failure to Correct Errors ( FCRA XXXX ( a ) ( XXXX ), XXXX XXXX. XXXX ( a ) ( XXXX ) ) Requirement : When a dispute is filed, furnishers and CRAs must correct or delete incorrect information. 
Violation : Instead of correcting or deleting the inaccurate information, Equifax has provided contradictory statements. 
They previously stated that XXXX was not reporting, then later claimed historical information was updated. 

Willful and Negligent Noncompliance with the FCRA ( FCRA XXXX & XXXX ) Requirement : If a CRA willfully fails to comply with FCRA regulations, the consumer can sue for damages. 
Violation : Equifaxs lack of investigation, failure to provide documentation, and failure to remove unverified data demonstrate willful noncompliance. 
Precedent : XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX Supreme Court Case ) CRAs can be held liable for damages when they recklessly disregard consumer rights. 

Engaging in Unfair, Deceptive, or Abusive Acts or Practices ( UDAAP ) ( XXXX XXXX. XXXX ) Requirement : CRAs can not engage in deceptive or abusive practices.

Violation : Equifaxs conflicting responses, failure to verify data, and refusal to provide documentation constitute deceptive practices.

Cease All Collection Activity Until Verification is Provided Until this request is fully satisfied : You are prohibited from reporting this account to any credit bureau.

You must cease all collection efforts, including phone calls, letters, and legal action. 
Any continued collection without validation will result in legal action for FDCPA and FCRA violations.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief