Consumer complaint received 2024-09-13 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: MS

Complaint narrative:
Subject : Violation of Timely Response Requirements Under FCRA and CFPB Standards Request for Deletion of Accounts Dear CFPB, I am writing in regards to the handling of my complaint, filed on XX/XX/year>, concerning inaccurate credit reporting by XXXX XXXX XXXX. Both the companys and CFPBs responses reflect violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) 's complaint handling guidelines. 

1. Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) Violations Under 15 U.S. Code 1681i ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ), a credit reporting agency ( CRA ) must investigate a dispute and report the results within 30 days of receiving the complaint. Extensions to 45 days are permissible only if additional information is provided by the consumer during the investigation. 
My dispute was submitted on XX/XX/year>, and as of XX/XX/year>, I have only been informed that the company is still working on my issue. This exceeds the 30-day period stipulated by the FCRA, making the company non-compliant with its obligation to promptly resolve or provide the results of the investigation. 
2. CFPB Complaint Handling Process Violations The CFPBs policy requires companies to respond to complaints within 15 days. The companys response, as of XX/XX/year>, simply indicates that they are still working on the issue, with no final resolution. 
Allowing an additional 60-day period for a final response, as indicated by the CFPB, contradicts both the CFPBs timeframes for handling disputes and the FCRAs 30-day maximum timeline. 
3. Request for Immediate Action Account Deletion, Not Closure In addition to the violations listed above, I am demanding the deletion of the inaccurate accounts from my credit report, not merely the closure of these accounts. It seems that XXXX has closed the account after my demand to have it deleted. Closing accounts, especially when they were never valid or authorized, does not fully resolve the damage caused. Deletion is necessary to ensure these incorrect records are permanently removed from my credit history. 

Summary of Requests : Immediate Conclusion of the Investigation : I request the company be directed to complete the investigation without further delay and provide a final response in compliance with the FCRAs 30-day requirement. 
Permanent Deletion of Accounts : I demand the complete deletion of the disputed accounts, not just closure, to fully resolve the inaccuracies. 
Response Within 5 Days : I require these actions to be completed within 5 days from the date of this communication to avoid further escalation. 
Escalation of My Complaint : The CFPB should enforce compliance with its own policies and federal law to prevent further delays. 
Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter. I expect the deletion of the inaccurate accounts and a final resolution within 5 days. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation