Consumer complaint received 2025-11-18 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report — Information belongs to someone else
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: MO

Complaint narrative:
Over an extended period, I have attempted to address several issues related to how certain accounts were managed, updated, and reported by the companies involved. My intention throughout this process has been to understand what occurred, resolve any legitimate obligations, and ensure that the information being reported about me is accurate and fairly reflects the actual history of each account. Unfortunately, a series of events, communication breakdowns, inconsistent reporting practices, and verification issues have resulted in negative entries continuing to appear on my credit file despite my attempts to correct or clarify them. What follows is a detailed description of what happened, organized into a comprehensive timeline and narrative. 

I. Beginning of the Issue : Initial Account Activity and Early Communication Attempts The situation began with several accounts that were originally opened and maintained without any expectation that there would ever be reporting problems. At different times, I made payments, closed accounts, or resolved balances. For many of these accounts, my understanding was that once the balance was paid or the account was closed successfully, the matter was complete. In several cases, the original creditor reflected the account as paid or closed, and I moved forward accordingly. 

However, years latersometimes long after an account had been closed or paidI discovered that certain accounts were reporting negative information, including late payments, severe delinquency markers, or collection statuses that did not match the actual timeline or the manner in which I handled the accounts. These findings came as a surprise, and I immediately began attempting to understand what had occurred. 

When I first reached out to several companies about the discrepancies, I did not receive clear explanations or adequate documentation. Some companies did not respond at all, while others simply stated that the information they provided was accurate without offering supporting evidence. This left me uncertain about the basis for the negative information and unsure how to correct it. 

XXXX. Accounts That Were Paid or Closed Still Showed Negative Markers XXXX of the issues I encountered was the appearance of late-payment notations or derogatory comments connected to accounts that had already been closed or paid. In several instances, the accounts were showing paid-in-full or closed with a XXXX balance, yet negative information such as XXXX, XXXX, or XXXX late payments continued to appear. 

The problem is that the reporting did not reflect the circumstances that surrounded those periods. For example, there were times when payments were made but the creditor did not process them promptly ; times when the company applied payments incorrectly ; or instances where the creditors own system issues caused delays or misapplied entries. Instead of correcting these internal errors, late-payment markers were placed on the account and remained there even after the creditor had acknowledged that the issues were on their side. 

Additionally, there were cases where the account had long been closed or satisfied, but older negative information remained on the report even though I had been under the impression that these matters were resolved. Each time I attempted to dispute or clarify these issues, the information continued to reappear without a clear explanation of why it was being retained. 

XXXX. Placement of Accounts in Collection Without Clear Notice or Explanation Another major issue involved accounts that were sent to third-party collection agencies. In some cases, I did not receive any official notice stating that the debt had been transferred, sold, reassigned, or placed in collections. The first time I learned about the involvement of a collection agency was when the negative entry appeared on my credit file or when I attempted to contact the original creditor and was told verbally that the account had been sold or assigned. 

Because I did not receive proper notice, I was not given the opportunity to resolve the matter directly with the creditor before it was sent to collections. This also meant I never received clear information regarding the breakdown of the alleged owed amount, including interest, fees, or adjustments. Some of the balances reported by the collection agencies appeared significantly higher than expected, and I had no documentation explaining the increases. 

Attempts to contact the collection agencies for clarification did not produce meaningful results. In several instances, the agencies would request information from me but would not send documentation back. When I requested itemization of the amounts, the documentation provided was incomplete or lacked dates, statements, or a full breakdown. 

This made it impossible to reconcile the collection amounts with the original obligations, contributing to the ongoing disputes. 

IV. Inconsistent Reporting Across Credit Bureaus Another problem I experienced was that certain accounts reported differently across the XXXX major credit bureaus. For example : XXXX account reported as derogatory on XXXX bureau but did not appear at all on another. 

A collection account showed a balance on XXXX bureau but showed XXXX on another. 

Some accounts reported as paid on XXXX bureau while still showing late-payment histories or derogatory comments on another. 

These inconsistencies created confusion and made it difficult to determine which information was correct. When I contacted the companies to understand why the reporting differed, I was told that they send the same information to each bureau. However, that did not match what was being reflected in the reports. 

This inconsistency also made disputing the accounts challenging because XXXX bureau would claim the information was verified while another bureau would remove or adjust the entry. These conflicting responses made it clear that the information was not being reviewed thoroughly or consistently. 

V. Automated Verification Processes That Did Not Address the Actual Issues During multiple disputes, the companies involved used automated verification systems. These automated systems appeared to simply confirm that the account existed, rather than verifying whether the specific late payments, balances, or collection statuses were accurate. 

Instead of reviewing : Original contracts Payment ledgers Statements Communications Payment history Transfer or assignment documents the automated process appeared to provide a generic response that the account had been verified. 

This left the underlying issues unresolved. None of the key questions were addressed : Why were certain late payments recorded during periods when payments were made? 

Why were accounts showing derogatory statuses after being closed or paid? 

Why did the balances change without explanation? 

Why were collections placed without notice or proper itemization? 

Because the automated system did not evaluate these specifics, the disputes remained unresolved. 

VI. Lack of Clear Documentation from the Companies Throughout this process, I repeatedly attempted to obtain clear documentation that would explain : The dates payments were received How payments were applied How balances were calculated Why accounts were considered delinquent When and why accounts were transferred or sold Which company owned the account at which time Whether the companies provided accurate information to the credit bureaus These requests were often unanswered, partially answered, or responded to with incomplete records. Without accurate and complete documentation, it was impossible for me to verify the accuracy of the negative information. 

Some companies stated that they no longer had access to records because the account was too old, but they still continued reporting the negative information. Others said the account had been transferred, yet could not provide proof of transfer or itemization of the amounts. 

In each situation, I was left unable to confirm whether the information was correct, yet the reporting continued. 

XXXX. My Attempts to Resolve the Situation Over time, I made a series of good-faith attempts to resolve the issues : I contacted creditors and collection agencies directly to ask for explanations and documentation. 

I submitted written requests asking for account histories, itemizations, and verification materials. 

I disputed inaccuracies with the credit bureaus, explaining that the reporting did not match the actual history of the account or lacked proper documentation. 

I provided information, payment records, and clarifications when asked. 

I tried to pay or settle accounts when appropriate, even when the balances appeared inflated, to resolve the matter. 

I followed up multiple times when companies failed to respond or responded incompletely. 

I attempted to correct reporting inconsistencies by notifying each bureau separately. 

Despite these efforts, many of the same unresolved issues continued to reappear on my credit reports. 

XXXX. Harm Caused by the Inaccurate and Unverified Reporting The ongoing inaccuracies have created significant difficulties for me. Because the negative accounts remained despite my attempts to resolve the matter, I experienced : Denied credit applications Higher interest rates Increased difficulty in being approved for basic services Stress and frustration Repeated efforts to dispute the same items over and over Each time I attempted to explain the situation to lenders, the inconsistent and unclear reporting made the situation more complicated. It became difficult to prove what had occurred without proper documentation from the furnishers. 

XXXX. Why I Am Requesting Intervention I am bringing this matter forward because I have exhausted every reasonable effort to resolve the issues directly with the companies involved. At this point : I need clarification. 

I need accurate records. 

I need verification of the information being reported. 

I need the companies to correct the reporting if they can not verify their claims. 

I am not seeking to avoid any legitimate responsibility. Rather, I am seeking accurate and fair reporting that reflects the true history of each account. 

X. What I Am Requesting Now I am requesting assistance in having the companies : Provide the missing documentation. 

Explain the discrepancies. 

Correct any inaccurate information. 

Remove any information that can not be verified. 

Ensure consistent reporting across all bureaus. 

Provide clear responses rather than automated or incomplete verifications. 

I am hopeful that with proper review and oversight, these issues can be resolved in a fair and accurate manner.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief