Consumer complaint received 2025-08-06 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report — Information belongs to someone else
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
Re : LEGAL DEMAND FOR REMOVAL AND PRODUCTION OF INVESTIGATION RECORDS Account : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX This letter constitutes a formal legal demand under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), 15 U.S.C. 1681 et seq. I am disputing the accuracy of a 30-day late payment reported on my XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX account and demanding immediate removal based on your failure to conduct a reasonable reinvestigation as required by federal law.

I submitted my dispute through the CFPB regarding an inaccurate 30-day late payment for XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, you responded claiming to have " completed investigation '' and " updated '' various fields, but the disputed late payment remains on my report. Your response stated that " HISTORICAL ACCOUNT INFORMATION WAS UPDATED '' and various fields were " MODIFIED, '' but you failed to address the core issue : the disputed late payment is inaccurate and should be removed. I categorically state that my XX/XX/XXXX payment to XXXX  XXXX XXXX was made on time, and my payment for XX/XX/XXXX was also made on time. The fact that XXXX  reports this account as " Pays as agreed '' with no delinquencies while you report late payments demonstrates a clear accuracy problem that your so-called " investigation '' failed to resolve.

Your company has violated multiple provisions of the FCRA. Under 15 U.S.C. 611 ( a ) ( 1 ), you are required to conduct a " reasonable reinvestigation '' of disputed information. Your response indicates you simply contacted the data furnisher, made cosmetic updates to various fields, but failed to address the substantive accuracy issue I raised. Making technical updates while ignoring the core dispute does not constitute reasonable reinvestigation under established case law. Under 15 U.S.C. 611 ( a ) ( 5 ) ( A ), if reinvestigation does not resolve the dispute, you must delete the information. Your response admits the dispute was not resolved since you made " updates '' rather than addressing my specific claim that the late payment is inaccurate. The discrepancy between bureaus and my direct assertion of timely payment clearly indicates the information can not be verified as accurate. Under 15 U.S.C. 607 ( b ), you must follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy. Reporting information that contradicts other bureaus and consumer assertions, while making only cosmetic updates, violates this requirement.

I hereby demand that you immediately provide me with the following documentation related to your investigation of my dispute, as I am entitled to this information under the FCRA and to evaluate the adequacy of your reinvestigation. First, provide complete copies of all Automated Consumer Dispute Verification ( ACDV ) forms sent to XXXX XXXX XXXX regarding my dispute, including all codes, fields, and data transmitted. Second, provide all responses received from XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX, including any Method of Verification ( MOV ) documentation, supporting records, or verification materials they provided to substantiate the disputed late payment. Third, provide your complete investigation file for my dispute, including all internal communications, notes, procedures followed, and decision-making records explaining why you made " updates '' instead of addressing the accuracy of the disputed late payment. Fourth, provide documentation of what specific investigation procedures you followed beyond simply forwarding my dispute to the data furnisher and making cosmetic field updates. Fifth, provide any analysis you conducted regarding the discrepancy between your reporting and XXXX XXXX reporting of the same account. Sixth, provide documentation showing what efforts you made to verify the accuracy of the disputed late payment beyond accepting the data furnisher 's response and making technical updates to unrelated fields.

If you can not provide this documentation, or if the documentation shows that you failed to conduct a reasonable reinvestigation of the specific accuracy issue I raised, you must immediately delete the disputed late payment from my credit report as required by 15 U.S.C. 611 ( a ) ( 5 ) ( A ). Your failure to address the substantive accuracy dispute, combined with the clear evidence of inaccuracy ( discrepancy between bureaus and my assertion of timely payment ), mandates removal of this information. Making cosmetic updates to various fields while ignoring the core dispute demonstrates either willful disregard for FCRA requirements or negligent failure to understand your legal obligations.

I also demand immediate removal of the disputed 30-day late payment from my XXXX credit repo

rt , written confirmation of removal within five business days, notification to all third parties who received my credit report in the past six months regarding the correction, and production of all investigation documentation listed above within ten business days. This demand is made under penalty of federal litigation. If you fail to comply within ten calendar days of receipt, I will file a federal lawsuit under 15 U.S.C. 1681n ( willful noncompliance ) and 1681o ( negligent noncompliance ) seeking statutory damages up to {$1000.00}, actual damages, punitive damages, attorney fees, and
court costs. I will also file complaints with appropriate regulatory authorities including the state attorney general.

Your previous response demonstrates either willful disregard for FCRA requirements or negligent failure to follow proper procedures. Making technical updates to unrelated fields while ignoring the substantive accuracy dispute shows a pattern of inadequate dispute handling that supports federal litigation with significant monetary exposure for your company. The evidence strongly supports my position : the discrepancy between credit bureaus, my direct assertion of timely payment, and your apparent failure to conduct meaningful reinvestigation of the specific accuracy issue beyond making cosmetic updates.

I am preserving all records related to this matter for potential litigation, including your inadequate response that failed to address the core dispute, the contradictory credit reports, and documentation of damages caused by your inaccurate reporting. Your company 's pattern of inadequate dispute handling, as evidenced by making cosmetic updates while ignoring substantive accuracy issues, suggests systemic FCRA violations that warrant aggressive legal action. 

This is your final opportunity to resolve this matter before I pursue all available legal remedies. The law is clear, the facts support my position, and your liability exposure is significant. Your previous response 's failure to address the core accuracy issue while making irrelevant technical updates demonstrates either incompetence or willful noncompliance with FCRA requirements.

Respond within ten days with confirmation of removal and production of investigation records, or expect to receive a federal lawsuit.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation