Consumer complaint received 2025-02-28 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: CA

Complaint narrative:
XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXX/XX/XXXX To : Experian XXXX Department XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Equifax XXXX Department XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX TransUnion Dispute Department XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX Complaint I am formally notifying your agencies that XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX has reported fraudulent collection accounts to the credit bureaus without my consent and without any legally valid financial obligation between myself and their company. I have never had any contractual agreement, outstanding balance, or past-due debt with XXXX XXXX XXXX, nor have I authorized them to access, report, or furnish information related to my credit profile. 

Despite having no legal basis to report any debts in my name, these accounts have been placed on my credit report, damaging my financial standing and violating multiple provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ).

Under FCRA 604 ( a ) [ 15 U.S.C. 1681b ], a consumer reporting agency may only report consumer information when a permissible purpose exists. XXXX XXXX XXXX had no permissible purpose to furnish information regarding me or my credit profile. Any credit reporting or inquiries made by them are unauthorized and unlawful.

Additionally, under FCRA 609 ( a ) ( 1 ) [ 15 U.S.C. 1681g ], I have the right to request all documentation that verifies the legitimacy of any accounts reported on my credit file. If XXXX XXXX XXXX can not provide written proof of a legally binding agreement with my signature, validating the legitimacy of the alleged debts, then their reporting constitutes a direct violation of federal consumer protection laws.

Further, under FDCPA 1692e, debt collectors may not use false, deceptive, or misleading representations in connection with the collection of a debt. XXXX XXXX XXXX has misrepresented the validity, status, and amount of alleged debts in my name, making them liable for deceptive collection practices under federal law. 

The harm caused by these violations is substantial. Due to the erroneous and unauthorized reporting of these collection accounts, I have suffered : Denial of credit opportunities due to falsely reported negative marks on my credit file Higher interest rates on loans and credit products Loss of financial and business credit opportunities Damage to my credit score and financial reputation Emotional distress and hardship due to Experian, Equifax, TransUnion, and XXXXXXXX failure to correct these violations Had these fraudulent accounts not been reported, I would have been able to secure financing, purchase a home, obtain a fair interest rate on a vehicle loan, and continue growing my business. Instead, I have been subjected to financial penalties and unnecessary obstacles due to your agencies failure to follow consumer protection laws.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief