Consumer complaint received 2025-03-20 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem — Difficulty submitting a dispute or getting information about a dispute over the phone
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: WA

Complaint narrative:
Subject : Dispute of Inaccurate Credit Reporting XXXX XXXX Payment I am writing to formally dispute an inaccurate late payment entry on my credit report regarding my XXXX XXXXXXXX. I have attached supporting documents for your reference, as I currently do not have access to my online account to verify the loan details myself. 
The missed payment in question is an error due to the following circumstances : 1. Belief That My Loan Was Deferred I was under the impression that XXXX XXXX XXXX  was in deferment and therefore did not require immediate payments. 
2. Lack of Online Account Access I do not have access to my loan account on XXXX, where I previously made payments. My parents were also making payments on my behalf, which may have resulted in me being locked out of the account. I received a call from XXXX, which I believed to be fraudulent, as I was unable to access the website. See attached screenshots showing a. ) I am unable to login with a forgot username ( states no account exists ), and b. ) I am unable to create a new user as it shows one already exists- contradicting errors. It is unfair, unethical, and unreasonable to expect a borrower to make payments if they are unable to access their online account. Despite numerous attempts of entering my SSN, I was unable to recover an existing account, and unable to create a new account. This led me to believe that any correspondence I received was fraudulent and unverifiable. It was not until I was finally able to get a hold of a representative over the phone, that I was given my username. Keep in mind : this should have been recoverable given my personal identity information, and it was not. 
3. Inability to Obtain Information When I called to verify my loan status, I was unable to receive any clear information regarding my payment obligations. 
4. Prompt Payment Upon Notification As soon as I was made aware of the past-due balance, I made the payment immediately, over the phone, without being able to contact a representative. 
5. XXXX XXXX Forgiveness Considerations Given the governments discussions on student loan forgiveness, I was cautious in making additional payments that could have significantly impacted my financial situation, until further information was readily available. 
XXXX. XXXX The call recording when calling XXXX states that The US Dept of Education is reviewing the recent XXXX XXXX forgivenessborrowers need not take any action today- a misleading recording leading borrowers to believe that no change has been made to the prior deferment. 
7. Balance Paid in XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX I have paid off the remaining balance. 
8. Incorrect Mailing Address- I got a hold of a representative today from XXXX XXXX which informed me that my prior mailing address was on file. She also updated my email address that was not current. 
Since this missed payment resulted from a misunderstanding rather than an intentional delinquency, I kindly request that this negative mark be removed from my credit report. Additionally, I have paid off the balance in full as of today, XX/XX/year>. This should not impact my credit by XXXX XXXX, when it was an honest mistake, which I do not believe I am entirely at fault for.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation