Consumer complaint received 2024-10-03 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: AZ

Complaint narrative:
To : Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) Subject : Violations by XXXX, XXXX, and Equifax Credit Bureaus Complainant Information : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX  XXXXUnited States Dear Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Per the FCRA as a federally protected consumer, Under the privacy act of 1974, I am now opting out of any and all authorization I the consumer may have given you written unwritten verbal and non-verbal. Per the following I am filing a formal complaint against the credit bureaus XXXX, XXXX, and Equifax ( and their subsidiary ) for multiple violations of federal law in the reporting and handling of my personal credit information. Below are the primary issues and legal violations I am experiencing : 1. Inconsistent Credit Reports and Misalignment Across Bureaus The information reported by XXXX, XXXX, and Equifax is inconsistent, which is severely impacting my creditworthiness. Each bureau is reporting different data, creating a misalignment that violates the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), 15 U.S. Code 1681e, which mandates that credit reporting agencies maintain maximum accuracy of consumer information. The lack of consistency across these reports represents a failure to comply with this legal requirement. 

2. Improper Reporting of Credit Utilization Credit utilization is being reported inaccurately by all three credit bureaus. According to 15 U.S. Code 1681b, credit reports must only contain information allowed by law and furnished with written consent. ALL Inquiries should be removed as per permissible purposes. Reporting credit utilization without my consent violates both the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( 15 U.S. Code 1681 ) and other consumer protection statutes. 

3. Unauthorized Disclosure of Student Loan Information My student loan information is still being reported by these credit bureaus. This is a direct violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ( FERPA ), which protects the privacy of student educational records ( 20 U.S. Code 1232g ( b ) ). Student loan information is protected by FERPA, and credit bureaus have no legal right to share or report this data without explicit consent, TO ANY 3rd PARTY COMPANY!

4. Collections and Public Law Violations The credit bureaus continue to report collections that should have been removed. This constitutes a violation of my consumer rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, specifically 15 U.S. Code 1681c, which limits the reporting of adverse information, including outdated or disputed collections. Charge offs ( sold to a debt collector are Certificates of indebtedness ). Which means it is income and should not be reported.

5. Violation of My Privacy Rights and the Opt-Out Provision These credit bureaus have shared my nonpublic personal information with third parties without providing me the opportunity to opt out, as required under 15 U.S. Code 6802 ( b ). According to the law, I must be given a clear and conspicuous notice about my right to opt out, which I was not. This unauthorized sharing of my personal information is a violation of both the FCRA and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act ( 15 U.S. Code 6802 ) .

6. Data Breach and Compromised Information Due to the recent data breaches, my personal and financial information has been compromised by all three credit bureaus. I request financial compensation as this breach has
severely impacted my financial well-being, constituting a violation under 15 U.S. Code 1681n, which allows for civil liability in cases of willful noncompliance.

7. Unauthorized Sharing of Information with Early Warning Services It has come to my attention that my information has been shared with Early Warning Services without my permission. XXXX XXXX XXXX is a third-party company, and the sharing of my information constitutes a violation of 15 U.S.C. 1681b, which requires written consent for such disclosures. I never authorized this, and as such, it is a breach of my privacy rights.

Legal Violations : 15 U.S. Code 1681n - Civil liability for willful noncompliance, entitling me to actual damages or statutory damages between {$100.00} to {$1000.00} per violation. 
FERPA - Unauthorized reporting of student loan information.

15 U.S. Code 1681e - Failure to maintain accuracy in credit reports.

15 U.S. Code 1681b - Furnishing information without written consent.

15 U.S. Code 6802 ( b ) - Failure to provide an opt-out option for sharing nonpublic personal information. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  - Reporting of collections that should have been removed.

XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, United States Any other address listed is invalid and should be removed as it is non mailable.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief