Consumer complaint received 2025-09-15 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: TX

Complaint narrative:
b'To Whom It May Concern,\nThis is a formal complaint regarding multiple inaccurate, unverifiable, duplicative, and unauthorized items reported on my credit report. These items violate the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA 15 U.S.C. 1681), the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA 15 U.S.C. 1692), and related consumer protection laws. I request immediate investigation, permanent deletion, and written confirmation of the resolution of the following disputed accounts and inquiries.\nWRONG ADDRESSES REPORTED (Identity Confusion & FCRA Violation)\nXX/XX/XXXX TX XX/XX/XXXX Wrong Address\n This wrong address gives the impression I lived at a location where fraudulent accounts were possibly opened Using this against me without proof is a violation of FCRA and is blocking me from obtaining fair credit opportunitiesXX/XX/XXXX Wrong Address\n The reporting of this address has made me a victim of mistaken identity and I am constantly facing denials because creditors believe I have unstable housing history which is false This has caused emotional distress and unfair treatment\nACCOUNTS REPORTED WITH ERRORS & VIOLATIONSXX/XX/XXXX  Date OpenedXX/XX/XXXX  Status: Charge Off\n This account has been reported as a charge off without proper validation and without proof of ownership I dispute this account as inaccurate, incomplete, and unverified Under FCRA  609 and  611 the furnisher must provide proof of signed agreement, payment history, and chain of title None has been provided to me This is a violation of my rights and must be deleted immediately Because of this false reporting I was denied credit for basic needs and treated unfairly in applications for housing landlords assumed I was unreliable This single item has lowered my credit score by hundreds of points causing serious hardshiXX/XX/XXXX High BalanceXX/XX/XXXX Date OpenedXX/XX/XXXX Status: Charge Off\n This account has been wrongfully reported as charged off and damages my creditworthiness I never received proper validation or itemized accounting under FDCPA  809(b) The reporting is inaccurate, misleading, and unverifiable Therefore under FCRA and FDCPA this must be removed As a result of this false account I have been harassed by calls from collectors and threatened with legal action I was denied a car loan and had to pay higher interest on another loan because my report showed a charge off that does not belong to me This is unfair treatment and must be corrected\XX/XX/XXXX High Balance:XX/XX/XXXX Date Opened: XX/XX/XXXX Status: Charge Off\n This charge off is being reported without full validation of debt and without compliance to required notice of adverse reporting Capital One has failed to provide proof of the original signed agreement and accounting records This is a direct violation of FCRA  623(a) which requires accurate and verifiable reporting This wrongful charge off has created hardship in my daily life because I was declined for small emergency credit and had to rely on expensive alternatives The negative mark has also damaged my reputation making me look irresponsible when in reality I never received proof this debt even exists\XX/XX/XXXX High Balance: XX/XX/XXXX Date Opened:XX/XX/XXXX This account was reported as charged off incorrectly without giving me the right to dispute before reporting as required under FCRA  623(a)(7) and FDCPA The continued reporting of this item without proper validation and verification constitutes willful negligence and must be permanently deleted Because of this false entry I lost the opportunity to refinance my loan at a lower interest rate and I am forced to pay hundreds more every month in higher payments The financial stress caused by this has impacted my family and well-being This is an unfair burden created by false reporting\XX/XX/XXXX  Status: Charge Off\n This account is reported as a charge off without proper validation or proof Under FCRA  609 and  611 I am entitled to documentation which has never been provided This makes the account inaccurate and unlawful Because of this wrongful report I was denied approval for a personal loan which forced me into payday lending at extremely high interest rates I have been paying extra money every month that could have been saved for my family essentials This false reporting also damaged my reputation with my employer who ran a background check and questioned my XX/XX/XXXX Status: Charge Off\n This account is reported as a charge off without any signed contract or evidence of debt ownership The reporting is unverifiable misleading and violates FCRA  623(a) As a result of this false charge off I was denied credit cards that I needed for emergency medical expenses I had to borrow money from friends and family creating emotional stress and humiliation This entry lowered my score by hundreds of points limiting my opportunities for stable housing and job advancement\XX/XX/XXXX  Status: Charge Off\n This account is inaccurate and unverifiable Furnishers have failed to provide documentation or notices before reporting negative information This violates my consumer rights  Because of this wrongful charge off I was rejected from multiple apartment applications and had to settle for less safe and more expensive housing My family suffered from the instability caused by not having fair housing opportunities directly because of this reporting\XX/XX/XXXX  Status: Charge Off\n This large charge off was reported without proper validation No payment record or chain of ownership was ever given Reporting unverifiable debt violates FCRA  607(b) This false entry blocked me from purchasing a reliable vehicle I needed for work I was forced to use unreliable transportation which caused me to lose job opportunities and income The financial and emotional harm is severe and ongoing every dayXX/XX/XXXX Date OpenedXX/XX/XXXX Status: Late Payment\n This account shows late payments which are not accurate and have not been validated Credit bureaus are required to report maximum possible accuracy but failed in this case These wrongful late marks destroyed my ability to refinance my home loan at a lower rate My monthly payments are now much higher than they should be and I have lost thousands of dollars over time because of inaccurate reporting It also created unnecessary stress within my household and affected my mental XX/XX/XXXX High Balance:XX/XX/XXXX  Date OpenedXX/XX/XXXX Status: Charge Off\n Ally Financial has reported a charge off without verifying the debt I never received proof of ownership or detailed accounting which is required under FDCPA  809(b) This false reporting made me lose access to fair car financing and I had to rely on high-interest auto loans This increased my monthly payments dramatically and made it harder to support my family financially The stress has affected my health and peace of minXX/XX/XXXX  High Balance: XX/XX/XXXXtatus: Charge Off\n This account is reported as a charge off without proper verification The entry is inaccurate and misleading under FCRA requirements Because of this I was denied small lines of credit needed to cover daily household expenses I had to skip necessary purchases and delay utility bills creating hardship for my family This false report also caused embarrassment in front of lendersXX/XX/XXXX  Date Opened: XX/XX/XXXXThis collection account is being reported without proper validation XX/XX/XXXXXX/XX/XXXXis known for buying old debts without accurate records Reporting unverifiable data is unlawful under FCRA and FDCPA Because of this I have been harassed by constant phone calls and letters causing emotional distress I was denied financial aid programs that could have helped me improve my situation This false reporting continues to damage my opportunities for rebuilding my life\XX/XX/XXXX Date Opened: XX/XX/XXXXXX/XX/XXXXtatus: Collection\nThis collection account has been reported without any validation or documentation No signed agreement or billing statements have ever been provided which makes the report inaccurate  This entry has caused me to be declined for basic services like utility and cell phone accounts forcing me to pay deposits and extra fees I was treated like a high-risk customer for something that is not mine This is unjust and unlawful\nXX/XX/XXXX Status: Collection\n This account is reported as a collection without proper validation No signed contract or chain of title was ever provided Under FDCPA  809(b) and FCRA  609 I had the right to request verification but never received any Because of this false reporting I was denied approval for a credit card I needed to cover emergency expenses I had to borrow money from outside sources which increased my stress and financial hardship This entry has damaged my score and reputation unfairly\XX/XX/XXXXis reporting a collection without producing proof of ownership or original account details This makes the entry unverifiable and misleading under FCRA  623(a) As a result I was rejected from a rental housing application and treated as high risk by landlords This has directly harmed my familys stability and created unnecessary emotional stress\XX/XX/XXXXtatus: Collection\n Midland is reporting this account as a collection without validating the debt I never received notice of right to dispute before they reported it This violates FDCPA and FCRA  Because of this false entry my auto loan application was denied forcing me to rely on costly alternative transportation to get to work This impacted my income and job securXX/XX/XXXX Status: Collection\nThis is a duplicate reporting of the same debt with two different amounts Reporting duplicates is misleading and unlawful under FCRA  607(b) which requires maximum possible accuracy This duplicate damaged my score further and made lenders believe I had more debts than I actually did This caused me to be over-penalized and unfairly treated in every application I submittedXX/XX/XXXX  Date Opened:XX/XX/XXXX Status: Collection\nThis collection is inaccurate and unverifiable XX/XX/XXXX has a record of reporting debts without original documentation or proper assignment This violates FCRA and FDCPA requirements Because of this entry I lost the chance to consolidate my debt with a lower interest program My financial hardship worsened as I had to continue paying higher interest rates on existing accountsXX/XX/XXXX High BalanceXX/XX/XXXX  Date OpenedXX/XX/XXXX  Status: Collection\nThis account was reported without any proof of ownership or consumer liability I never received account statements or validation It is therefore unverifiable and unlawful This false report caused me embarrassment when a potential employer reviewed my credit history and raised concerns about my financial responsibility It affected my career opportunities\nXX/XX/XXXXV entry reported without proof and it appears to duplicate other listings This practice inflates the amount of negative data on my report and misleads creditors This false report caused me to pay higher deposits for utility services and prevented me from accessing fair credit terms\XX/XX/XXXX  High BalanceXX/XX/XXXXate Opened:XX/XX/XXXX Status: Collection\nMidland is reporting this account without proof of ownership or account-level documentation This makes it unverifiable under the law  Because of this I was denied emergency medical financing which forced me into a worse financial position and created severe emotional distressXX/XX/XXXX Status: Collection\nThis collection is being reported without validation and without proper documentation I never received any communication with proof of debt ownership This is a violation of FDCPA  809(b) This account has harmed me by preventing access to credit cards for daily household needs I had to rely on costly payday loans as an alternative leading to financial hardship\nXX/XX/XXXXInquiry\nThis is an unauthorized inquiry that has harmed my creditworthiness. I did not authorize this request, and its inclusion on my report misrepresents my actual credit activitXX/XX/XXXX Inquiry\nUnauthorized. This credit pull negatively affects my creditworthiness and misrepresents my actual financial activityXX/XX/XXXX Inquiry\nDuplicate/unauthorized. This further damages my credit report and misleads creditors regarding my financial behaviorXX/XX/XXXX Inquiry\nUnauthorized. I did not consent to this inquiry. Its reporting negatively affects my credit score and access to financial servicesXX/XX/XXXX Inquiry\nUnauthorized and inaccurate. This inquiry has impacted my credit score, creating financial hardship and misrepresenting my credit history.\XX/XX/XXXX the above accounts and inquiries are inaccurate, unverifiable, duplicative, or unauthorized. The false reporting has caused denial of credit, higher interest rates, loss of housing opportunities, emotional stress, and reputational harm. Reporting unverifiable collections or unauthorized inquiries is a violation of FCRA 607(b), 609, 611, and FDCPA 807809. I have suffered significant financial losses and distress due to these unlawful reporting practices.\nDEMAND FOR RESOLUTION\nI demand immediate deletion or correction of all unverifiable, inaccurate, duplicate, or unauthorized accounts and inquiries listed above. Written confirmation of deletions and assurances that no reinsertion will occur without full compliance with FCRA 611(a)(5)(B) is required.\nFailure to comply will result in further complaints to the FTC, Texas Attorney General, and potential legal action for damages under FCRA and FDCPA.'

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief