Consumer complaint received 2025-11-14 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — I do not know
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt is not yours
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: MO

Complaint narrative:
This complaint concerns the continued reporting, verification, and furnishing of a XXXX XXXX XXXX public record that appears on my consumer credit report. I am filing this complaint because the bankruptcy record is being reported in a way that is inaccurate, unverifiable, outdated, procedurally flawed, and inconsistent with the requirements of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ). Additionally, the credit reporting agencies have failed to provide proper documentation regarding how this bankruptcy was verified, what source was used, which entity supplied the information, and what procedures were followed during reinvestigation. 

This statement explains in full detail what happened, the steps I took to resolve the issue, how the credit bureaus responded, and why the current reporting of the XXXX XXXX XXXX is unlawful, misleading, and harmful under federal law. The intention of this complaint is not to dispute the fact that a bankruptcy case existed, but to ensure that only accurate, legally sourced, court-verified, and fully documented information is included in my consumer file. If the information being reported does not meet those strict legal standards, then the bankruptcy must be corrected or deleted as required by the FCRA. 

1. How I Discovered the Reporting Problem Upon reviewing my credit reports from the major consumer reporting agencies, I noticed that a XXXX XXXX XXXX public record was listed under the Public Records or Derogatory Items section. Although the case had previously existed, the manner in which the bankruptcy was being reported raised several red flags : The date, docket number, and status were not consistent across all three bureaus. 

Certain details, such as the reporting agency and source of information, were not provided. 

Some credit bureaus listed the bankruptcy as verified even though I had never received notice of any verification request sent to the court. 

Upon comparing copies of the bankruptcy documents I obtained directly from the court, there were discrepancies between what the court records reflected and what the credit bureaus were reporting. 

These inaccuracies led me to question whether the bankruptcy listing had been verified properly or whether the bureaus were relying on third-party data harvesters, which courts have repeatedly ruled can not serve as original sources under the FCRA. 

2. Bankruptcy Courts Do Not Report to Credit Bureaus One of the first issues I recognized is that federal bankruptcy courts do not furnish data directly to Equifax, XXXX XXXX XXXX Courts have publicly stated that : They do not submit information to consumer reporting agencies. 

They do not verify or validate information for private credit bureau reinvestigations. 

They do not authorize any third-party agency to furnish data to credit bureaus on their behalf. 

Because bankruptcy courts do not participate in the credit reporting process, the information about my XXXX XXXX case could not have been sourced directly from the court. 

Instead, credit bureaus typically rely on third-party vendors, such as XXXX, PACER scrapers, or other data aggregation companies. These companies : Are not the original source of the information. 

Are known to create inaccuracies due to automation. 

Can not certify or validate the accuracy of legal court records. 

Have been involved in multiple lawsuits regarding incorrect data reporting. 

Despite this, credit bureaus labeled the bankruptcy as verified, which is misleading and in violation of the FCRA when no human-verified court record was reviewed. 

3. I Disputed the Bankruptcy with All Three Credit Bureaus After identifying these problems, I exercised my rights under FCRA 611 ( a ) and submitted formal disputes to : Equifax XXXX XXXX My disputes specifically requested : The method of verification under FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 6 ) ( B ) ( iii ).

Identification of the actual source of the bankruptcy information.

The name of the entity that confirmed the accuracy of the public record.

Copies of any documents used to verify the bankruptcy.

Written documentation showing the exact procedures used during the reinvestigation. 

I made it clear that I was not disputing that a bankruptcy case once existed ; rather, I was disputing the accuracy and verification procedures surrounding its reporting. 

4. The Bureaus Issued Generic Verified as Accurate Responses All three credit bureaus responded with nearly identical form-letter statements saying : The disputed item has been verified and will remain on your credit report. 

However : None of them provided the method of verification, despite being required to do so. 

None provided the name or contact information of any entity used to verify the public record. 

None stated that they contacted the bankruptcy court ( because courts do not participate ). 

None provided copies of documents used to verify the record. 

None described the procedures used as mandated by FCRA. 

Each response demonstrated that no meaningful reinvestigation was conducted. The reinvestigation appears to have been : Automated Instantaneous Reliant on a third-party vendor rather than the court Not based on original legal documents Completed without reviewing actual bankruptcy records This does not constitute a reasonable procedure under the FCRA. 

XXXX. Legal Requirements for Bankruptcy Verification FCRA requires credit bureaus to : Use reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy ( 607 ( b ) ) Conduct a reasonable reinvestigation when a consumer disputes information ( 611 ( a ) ) Disclose the method of verification upon request ( 611 ( a ) ( 6 ) ( B ) ( iii ) ) Delete any information that is unverifiable, incomplete, or inaccurate ( 611 ( a ) ( 5 ) ) Ensure that information comes from the original source Since bankruptcy courts : Do not verify information Do not communicate with bureaus Do not authorize third-party vendors to supply data the bureaus can not lawfully verify the bankruptcy without reviewing the original court docket or case file. 

My dispute specifically requested that the bureaus review the original court records, yet they failed to do so.

6. No Court Documents Were Reviewed Because I obtained certified bankruptcy records directly from PACER and compared them to the credit bureau data, it became clear the reporting bureaus : Did not review the official court docket Did not match the reported dates to court dates Did not verify the discharge date accurately Did not confirm the case status with the court Did not compare original filings to the data being furnished The bureaus instead relied entirely on a third-party vendors automated extraction system, which courts have repeatedly stated should not be considered reliable. 

Thus, the verification the credit bureaus performed was not verification at all. It was merely a computer-driven confirmation loop between the bureaus and their vendor.

7. Inaccuracies and Inconsistencies Found in the Reporting During my review of the bankruptcy reporting, I observed several errors : Different dates listed across credit bureaus Different reference numbers or missing information Different discharge or filing status Incomplete or missing descriptions of case disposition Incorrect or incomplete formatting that does not match the court record Under FCRA 607 ( b ), credit bureaus must assure maximum possible accuracy. These discrepancies violate that mandate.

8. Failure to Provide Method of Verification When a consumer asks for verification procedures, the FCRA requires that bureaus provide them within 15 days. None of the bureaus complied. They provided : No written procedures No details of who verified the data No confirmation that documents were reviewed No copy of any third-party data submission No court documents This non-compliance is itself a separate FCRA violation. 

9. The Bankruptcy Information May Be Outdated or Exceeded Reporting Limits XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX remain on a credit file for XXXX years from the filing date. However : Each bureau reported inconsistent dates Not all bureaus used the same filing date Some bureaus appear to have used the discharge date, not the filing date Some appear to have used the dismissal or conversion date If any bureau is using the wrong start date, then the bankruptcy may already be outside the allowable reporting period.

In such cases, the bankruptcy must be deleted immediately.

10. The Harm Caused by This Improper Reporting The inaccurate and improperly verified bankruptcy record has caused : Denial of credit applications Higher interest rates Reduced credit limits Negative impacts on credit score Lost financial opportunities Stress, frustration, and emotional hardship Unnecessary time and effort disputing inaccuracies A derogatory public record such as a bankruptcy has a major impact on scoring models. If its being reported without proper verification, the damage is unjust and unlawful. 

11. The Bureaus Failed Their Duty to Maintain Reasonable Procedures The FCRA mandates that CRAs must continuously maintain reasonable procedures. Automating bankruptcy reporting through third-party vendors without human review does not satisfy this requirement.

A reasonable procedure would include : Contacting the original court Reviewing original court records Confirming filing and discharge dates Matching docket numbers Verifying the case disposition Ensuring consistency across all bureaus None of these steps were followed.

12. Summary of FCRA Violations The following FCRA sections appear to have been violated : FCRA 607 ( b ) Failure to assure maximum possible accuracy.

FCRA 611 ( a ) Failure to conduct a reasonable reinvestigation.

FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 6 ) ( B ) ( iii ) Failure to provide the method of verification.

FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 5 ) Failure to delete unverifiable information.

FCRA 609 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ) Failure to provide the sources of information.

FCRA 611 ( d ) Failure to notify relevant creditors of corrected information.

Because the bureaus did not obtain verification from the only legitimate sourcethe bankruptcy courtthey can not lawfully continue to report the bankruptcy without violating the FCRA.

13. Conclusion In conclusion, the XXXX XXXX XXXX currently appearing on my credit report is being reported in a manner that is : Inaccurate Unverified Unsupported by original court documents Reliant on improper third-party data sources Inconsistent across bureaus In violation of FCRA procedural requirements I attempted multiple times to resolve this issue directly with the credit reporting agencies. They failed to meet their legal obligations, failed to verify the information correctly, and failed to provide required documentation under federal law. 

This CFPB complaint is necessary to ensure that the credit bureaus either : Provide full, documented, court-verified evidence supporting the reporting, or Delete the bankruptcy because it is inaccurate, outdated, unverifiable, or unsupported by legally required documentation.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation