Consumer complaint received 2025-07-02 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: SC

Complaint narrative:
I am writing to file a complaint against Equifax, for its repeated failure to properly investigate my dispute regarding duplicate hard inquiries that occurred on the same date for the same purpose of obtaining an auto loan. 

The specific hard inquiries in question are : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Address : XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, CA XXXX Phone : ( XXXX ) XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX : XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, GA XXXX XXXX : ( XXXX ) XXXX Both inquiries occurred on XX/XX/XXXX, for the sole purpose of obtaining an auto loan. 

I have made multiple attempts to dispute these duplicate inquiries with Equifax, which have been improperly handled : XX/XX/XXXX : I submitted an initial dispute to Equifax requesting an investigation into these duplicate hard inquiries. Equifax responded the same day, refusing to remove them. 
XX/XX/XXXX : I requested Equifax to reinvestigate the matter. Again, Equifax responded the same day, refusing to remove the duplicate inquiries. 
XX/XX/XXXX : I submitted a third request for reinvestigation. For a third time, Equifax responded the same day, refusing to remove the duplicate hard inquiries. 

In each of my disputes, I provided comprehensive supporting documentation, including a copy of my credit report with the disputed information highlighted, a XXXX letter, and a detailed written explanation of the issue. 

Despite the clear evidence and my repeated attempts, Equifax has refused to conduct a proper investigation and remove these duplicate inquiries. 
According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) and common credit scoring models like XXXX and XXXX, inquiries related to rate shopping for loans such as auto loans, when occurring within a short time frame ( typically XXXX days ), should be treated as a single inquiry. 

Specifically, FCRA 611 ( 15 U.S.C. 1681I ) states : ( a ) Reinvestigations of Disputed Information ( 1 ) Reinvestigation Required ( A ) In general. Subject to subsection ( f ), if the completeness or accuracy of any item of information contained in a consumer 's 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. 

Equifax has demonstrably failed to conduct a reasonable and proper investigation and reinvestigation of this matter. As such, I am requesting that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) direct Equifax to remove one of the duplicate inquiries that occurred on XX/XX/XXXX for the purpose of obtaining an auto loan.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation