Consumer complaint received 2025-05-26 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem — Investigation took more than 30 days
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX NY XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX To : Equifax XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX, GA XXXX Experian XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX, TX XXXX TransUnion XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX, PA XXXX Subject : Final Notice Before Legal Action Intent to Sue for Violations of FCRA and FDCPA Re : Account Number : XXXX Creditor : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Amount : {$750.00} To Whom It May Concern : I am writing to formally notify you of my intent to initiate legal proceedings against your respective organizations for willful and negligent violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ), as detailed below. 

Background : On XX/XX/XXXX, I submitted a formal dispute through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) platform concerning the above-referenced account, citing multiple inaccuracies and requesting full validation and the method of verification. All three credit bureaus acknowledged receipt of this dispute by XX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX 

Despite the statutory requirement under FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ) [ 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ) ] to complete a reinvestigation within 30 days, none of the bureaus provided a satisfactory response within this timeframe. Notably : 1. Equifax responded on XX/XX/XXXX, ( exceeding the 30 day timeframe ) stating that the item was verified without providing the requested method of verification, thereby violating FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 7 ) [ 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 7 ) ]. 

2. TransUnion and Experian failed to provide any substantive response within the 30-day period, nor did they request an extension as permitted under FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( B ) [ 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 1 ) ( B ) ]. 

Additional Context : On XX/XX/XXXX, I sent a final demand letter to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion Via CFPB.Gov formally requesting the immediate deletion of the disputed account due to the multiple inaccuracies and lack of validation. I gave them 7 calendar days to comply and warned of legal action if they failed to do so. To date ( XX/XX/XXXX ), no adequate response or correction has been made. This final demand letter represents my good faith effort to resolve this matter amicably before pursuing legal remedies. 

Furthermore, the account in question exhibits multiple discrepancies across the credit reports, including but not limited to : Duplicate Reporting : The same account is listed multiple times under same collection agency names ( different original creditors ), violating FCRA 607 ( b ) [ 15 U.S.C. 1681e ( b ) ], which mandates maximum possible accuracy. 

Conflicting Account Statuses and Dates : Variations in statuses and last activity dates indicate a lack of consistent reporting. 
Inconsistent Creditor/Collector Names : The account is associated with different entities, leading to confusion and misrepresentation. 

Contradictory Payment Histories : Discrepancies undermine the reliability of the data. 
Lack of Documentation : No legally binding agreement or contract has been provided to substantiate the debt, as required under FDCPA 809 [ 15 U.S.C. 1692g ].

Legal Violations and Supporting Case Law : The above failures constitute clear violations of federal law, including : FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ) Failure to conduct a reasonable reinvestigation. 
XXXX XXXX TransUnion XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX Cir. XXXX ) : Credit bureaus must go beyond a cursory investigation and perform a reasonable reinvestigation. 
FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 5 ) ( A ) Failure to delete unverifiable information. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) : Reinforcing the need to remove unverifiable or disputed data. 
FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 7 ) Failure to provide the method of verification. 
XXXX v. Equifax Info. Servs., LLC XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) : A consumer has the right to know how their dispute was verified. 
FCRA 607 ( b ) Duty to follow reasonable procedures for maximum possible accuracy. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX Cir. XXXX ) : Bureaus are liable for failure to ensure accuracy.

FDCPA 809 Failure to validate the debt upon written request. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX & XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX. XXXX ) : Debt collectors must provide validation when requested.

15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ) : " 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 ... the agency shall, free of charge, conduct a reasonable reinvestigation to determine whether the disputed information is inaccurate, unless it has reasonable grounds to believe that the dispute is frivolous or irrelevant, within 30 days from the date the agency receives the notice of the dispute from the consumer ... '' Demand for Immediate Action : In light of these violations and the legal precedents supporting my claims, I demand the following actions within XXXX business days from the receipt of this letter : Permanent Deletion : Immediate removal of the disputed account from all credit reports. 
Written Confirmation : A formal letter confirming the deletion of the account. 
Failure to comply will result in immediate legal action filed in New York XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, seeking the following : Statutory Damages : Up to {$1000.00} per violation under FCRA 616 [ 15 U.S.C. 1681n ] and FDCPA 813 [ 15 U.S.C. 1692k ].

Actual Damages : For financial harm suffered.

Punitive Damages : For willful noncompliance.

Legal Costs : Including court and attorney fees. 
In addition, I will file formal complaints with the CFPB, FTC, and the New York State Attorney Generals Office. 

Too Late to Cure Deletion Required Under Law : As of XX/XX/XXXX, more than 30 days have passed since my dispute was received ( XX/XX/XXXX ) and acknowledged by all three credit bureaus, with no adequate response or verification provided. Pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ), the credit bureaus were required to complete a reinvestigation within 30 days. Under 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 5 ) ( A ), any information that can not be verified within that time must be deleted. Because the 30-day legal window has expired, it is now too late to cure, update, or modify this account. The law no longer permits correctiononly deletion is acceptable. I am formally demanding that this account be removed in its entirety from all credit files you maintain under my name. 

Supporting Documentation Statement : Attached are the following documents to support my identity, residency, and timeline of this dispute : - A copy of my state-issued identification to verify my identity. 
- A recent bank statement showing my name and address as proof of current residency. 
- A copy of my initial CFPB dispute filed on XX/XX/XXXX, which includes my formal request for reinvestigation, validation, and the method of verification. 
- A copy of my final demand dispute submitted via CFPB on XX/XX/XXXX, due to the credit bureaus ' failure to respond within the required 30-day timeframe as mandated by federal law. 

These documents further substantiate that I have followed all proper legal procedures in disputing the accuracy and validity of the account in question. The lack of response within the statutory window makes it legally impermissible for the bureaus to cure or update the informationonly full deletion is warranted at this point under FCRA 1681i ( a ) ( 5 ) ( A ). 

This letter serves as a final opportunity to resolve the matter amicably before legal escalation. 



Sincerely, XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief