Consumer complaint received 2025-07-30 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: MD

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this formal complaint against Equifax, Experian, TransUnion, and XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, for repeated and willful violations of federal law, including : 15 U.S.C. 1666b, 1681, 1681b, 1681c, 1681e, 1681s2, 6801, 6802 26 U.S. Code 61 16 CFR 433.2 ( FTC Holder Rule ) 12 CFR 1016.7 ( GLBA Opt-Out Rights ) These parties continue to report inaccurate, unverifiable, obsolete, and unauthorized information on my consumer reports, including two charged-off credit card accounts from XXXX XXXX. I have also made multiple unsuccessful attempts to remove non-mailable addresses and outdated phone numbers, which still appear on my reportsfurther indicating these agencies are not maintaining reasonable procedures under the law. 

1. Details of XXXX XXXX Accounts at Issue The following two XXXX accounts are central to this complaint : XXXX XXXX ending in XXXX Balance : {$6100.00} XXXX  XXXX  ending in XXXX Balance : {$13000.00} Both accounts have been charged off and, based on industry practice and IRS guidance, were either written off as losses or reported as income ( via Form 1099-C ). Furthermore, XXXX has since sold these accounts to third-party debt collectors, with whom I have no contract or legal obligation. Therefore, the continued reporting of these accounts is legally invalid and materially harmful.

2. Illegal Reporting of Late Payments 15 U.S.C. 1666b Under federal law, creditors must provide a 21-day grace period before reporting payments as late. Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion continue to publish late payment notations without verifying if these federally mandated terms were honored, particularly on accounts that have already been charged off. This practice is deceptive and unlawful under 1666b.

3. Violation of 15 U.S.C. 1681s2 ( A ) ( 1 ) ( A ) A person shall not furnish any information relating to a consumer to any consumer reporting agency if the person knows or has reasonable cause to believe that the information is inaccurate. 

XXXX XXXX, after selling these debts, is no longer the legal owner of the accounts, yet continues to furnish data to reporting agencies. This is knowingly inaccurate and illegal under federal law. 

4. Violation of 15 U.S.C. 1681e Failure to Maintain Reasonable Procedures Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion have failed to comply with 1681e, which requires : Reasonable procedures to avoid reporting obsolete or inaccurate data Strict limits on furnishing information for permissible purposes The assurance of maximum possible accuracy Despite multiple disputes, non-mailable addresses and outdated phone numbers remain on my reports, further proving that they are not meeting their legal obligations.

5. Violation of 15 U.S.C. 1681b and 604 ( a ) ( 2 ) No Written Consent Federal law prohibits the furnishing of any consumer report unless : In accordance with the written instructions of the consumer.

I have never given written consent to any of the parties involved in this complaint to publish, share, or distribute my private financial data. Any prior consentverbal, implied, or assumedis hereby formally revoked.

6. Violation of 15 U.S.C. 6801 and 6802 Privacy Protections XXXX XXXX failed to provide the statutorily required opportunity to opt out of third-party information sharing, in violation of their obligation to protect nonpublic personal information.

7. Violation of 16 CFR 433.2 FTC Holder Rule Any holder of a consumer credit contract is subject to all claims and defenses which the debtor could assert against the seller Since I dispute the validity and enforcement of these XXXX  accountsand since the debt has been sold to third partiesthe continued reporting of these tradelines, without proof of contract or obligation, violates the FTC Holder Rule.

8. Violation of 12 CFR 1016.7 Opt-Out Rights This regulation provides : A consumer may exercise the right to opt out at any time.

This letter serves as my formal and irrevocable opt-out notice from any continued reporting or dissemination of my private credit or financial data to third parties or consumer reporting agencies.

Relief Requested I respectfully request that the CFPB : Instruct Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to permanently delete the XXXX XXXX  accounts ending in XXXX and XXXX Order the removal of non-mailable addresses and outdated phone numbers from my credit profile Require XXXX and any third-party debt buyers to cease all credit reporting of accounts they no longer own or have legal standing to enforce Enforce compliance under all cited federal laws including : 15 U.S.C. 1666b, 1681, 6801, 6802 26 U.S. Code 61 16 CFR 433.2 12 CFR 1016.7 Apply civil penalties under 15 U.S.C. 1681n and 1681o for willful and negligent violations Record and honor my opt-out request under federal privacy regulations I am prepared to provide all documentation, including credit reports, account records, and written dispute history, upon request.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. I look forward to your prompt investigation and resolution.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief