Consumer complaint received 2025-01-19 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: OH

Complaint narrative:
I disputed several items on my Equifax credit report that I believe to be inaccurate or unverifiable. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), I am entitled to dispute incorrect information on my credit report, and Equifax is required to investigate the dispute and respond within a reasonable time frame.

After initiating my dispute, Equifax provided the results, but failed to inform me how the disputed items were verified. Specifically, I did not receive a clear explanation of the methods used to confirm the accuracy of the debt or which parties were involved in verifying the information. Under FCRA Section 1681i ( a ) ( 4 ), when a consumer disputes an item, the credit reporting agency is required to provide an explanation of the investigation results, including the names of parties involved in the verification process. However, Equifax did not meet these obligations and did not provide sufficient proof of verification. 
In addition to disputing the accounts with Equifax, I contacted the debt collector reporting the debt directly and requested debt validation, as I am entitled to under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ). According to FDCPA Section 1692g ( b ), a debt collector must provide verification of the debt if requested by the consumer within 30 days. However, despite my request, the debt collector failed to respond with any form of debt validation or documentation proving that the debt was mine. 
The debt collectors failure to provide validation of the debt is a violation of the FDCPA, which requires debt collectors to provide proof that the debt is valid, including the amount of the debt and the creditors identity. They did not provide this information, nor did they substantiate their claims to Equifax, which left me with no confirmation that the debt was valid or that it had been verified.

After completing my dispute with Equifax, I contacted them directly to request the removal of the disputed accounts. Equifax, however, showed no proof that the debt was mine or that it had been properly verified by the debt collector. Despite acknowledging their lack of evidence, they refused to remove the disputed accounts from my credit report. 
Violation of FCRA Section 1681i : Under FCRA Section 1681i ( a ) ( 6 ), if the information on the credit report is found to be inaccurate or can not be verified, it must be deleted from the report. In my case, Equifax failed to provide any evidence of the verification process, and the debt collector did not respond with validation. Therefore, the disputed accounts should have been removed from my credit report, as they could not be substantiated. 

The Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) mandates that credit reporting agencies, like Equifax, must ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information they report. Under FCRA Section 1681i, once a dispute is filed, the credit reporting agency is required to investigate and, if the information can not be verified, must remove the disputed information. This includes situations where the creditor or debt collector fails to provide validation or verification of the debt.

Further, according to FCRA Section 1681i ( a ) ( 3 ), if the investigation does not confirm that the information is accurate or verifiable, the credit reporting agency must delete or modify the information. Since Equifax failed to demonstrate that the information was properly verified and the debt collector failed to provide validation, the disputed accounts should have been removed from my credit report immediately.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation