Consumer complaint received 2025-02-02 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: Experian Information Solutions Inc.
State: NE

Complaint narrative:
Dear Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, We are submitting this formal complaint regarding Experians repeated failure to comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) in handling our credit disputes regarding a collections account. Experian has failed to conduct a reasonable reinvestigation of a fraudulent collections account reported by XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ), in violation of its legal obligations under 15 U.S.C. 1681i. Due to Experians negligence, we have suffered extreme financial hardship. We are currently living in a XXXX  because this inaccurate account has prevented us from securing an apartment. 

Experians Repeated Failures to Conduct a Reasonable Investigation First Dispute - Filed XX/XX/XXXX On XX/XX/XXXX, we both disputed a fraudulent collections account from XXXX XXXX XXXX. We expected Experian to fulfill its legal duty under the FCRA to conduct a reasonable investigation. Instead, our disputes were marked as completed on XX/XX/XXXX, without an explanation of how the account was verified. 

Second Dispute - Filed XX/XX/XXXX After our initial disputes were wrongfully denied, we filed another dispute on XX/XX/XXXX, this time submitting extensive supporting documentation via Experians online portal. On XX/XX/XXXX, we also mailed 22 pieces of supporting evidence to Experians dispute department, which should have been received by XX/XX/XXXX at the earliest. Despite this, XXXX dispute was again marked as completed on XX/XX/XXXX and Grants dispute was marked as completed XX/XX/XXXX, without explanation as to how our evidence was reviewed. 

Discrepancy Between Experian and XXXX Investigations XXXX, upon receiving the exact same evidence, conducted a proper review and removed the fraudulent collections account from XXXX credit report. The fact that one bureau conducted a proper investigation while Experian did not is clear proof of Experians failure to meet its legal obligations under the FCRA.

Experians Investigation Timeline is Logistically Impossible The timeline of Experians dispute resolution demonstrates that it was not possible for them to have conducted a reasonable investigation, as required under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) ( 15 U.S.C. 1681i ). We mailed 22 pieces of supporting evidence along with a detailed response letter to Experian on the evening of Friday, XX/XX/XXXX. Given standard mail processing times, Experian likely did not receive our documentation until XX/XX/XXXX, at the earliest. Under federal law, Experian had five business days to forward the dispute to XXXX XXXX XXXX ( NCS ), which means that XXXX likely did not receive the dispute and supporting documentation until XX/XX/XXXX. 

Despite this timeline, Experian marked XXXX dispute as completed on XX/XX/XXXX, XXXXjust six days after XXXX would have received her dispute. This timeframe alone is evidence of an inadequate investigation. In order to conduct a proper reinvestigation, XXXX would have needed to thoroughly review all 22 pieces of evidence we submitted, verify the legitimacy of the disputed charges, and contact XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( the original creditor ) to obtain their own supporting documentation. This process would have required significantly more time than the mere four business days between XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX. It is simply not feasible that XXXX conducted a legitimate review, gathered all necessary evidence, and responded to Experian in such a short timeframe. 

Moreover, under the FCRA ( 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ) ), Experian is required to conduct its own reasonable reinvestigation, not simply rely on a furnishers unverified response. The fact that our disputes were resolved in such a short perioddespite the extensive evidence we providedsuggests that Experian did not conduct an independent investigation and instead relied solely on XXXX  confirmation, violating its statutory obligation to ensure maximum possible accuracy in credit reporting ( 15 U.S.C. 1681e ( b ) ). This rushed and inadequate resolution is further proven by the fact that XXXX, which received the same evidence, conducted a proper review and removed the fraudulent collections account, while Experian failed to do so. This disparity underscores Experians negligence and failure to adhere to its legal obligations under the FCRA. Given these facts, it is clear that Experians dispute process was fundamentally flawed and legally insufficient.

Experians Failure to Investigate Properly Experian did not review our disputes or consider the extensive evidence we provided. Furthermore, they failed to ask XXXX to verify the accuracy of the debt by providing documentation that substantiates the account. Instead, they merely requested a review and statement from XXXX. Under federal law, Experian is required to obtain concrete proof, such as account statements, signed agreements, or other documentation confirming that the debt belongs to me and that the amount is correct. Based on Experians response, detailed below, they failed to request any such evidence. 

Our reinvestigation of the dispute ( s ) and/or other request ( s ) you recently submitted is now complete. If we were able to make changes to your credit report based on information you provided, or if you requested the addition of a statement, we have done so. Otherwise, we have contacted the company reporting the information you disputed, supplied them all relevant information and any documents you gave us with your dispute, and instructed them to : review all information we provide them about your dispute ; verify the accuracy of the information ; provide us a response to your dispute ; and update their records and systems as necessary. 

Experians Fair Credit Reporting Act Violations Experians handling of our disputes violates the following provisions of the FCRA : 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ) : Requires credit reporting agencies to conduct a reasonable reinvestigation when a consumer disputes information. Experian failed to do so, as evidenced by the rushed timeline and its reliance solely on XXXX XXXX XXXX ' response rather than a thorough independent investigation. 
15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 4 ) : Requires Experian to review and consider all relevant information provided by the consumer. The rejection of our disputes without consideration of our evidence proves a violation.

15 U.S.C. 1681e ( b ) : Requires credit reporting agencies to maintain reasonable procedures to ensure the maximum possible accuracy of consumer credit reports. Experian 's refusal to remove an account that another major bureau deemed fraudulent shows a clear failure to uphold this obligation. 

Experians automated response to our disputes confirms its failure to conduct an independent review. Instead of verifying the information against our evidence, Experian merely deferred to the collection agency, violating its duty under federal law. 
Financial Hardship Resulting from Experians Negligence Experians blatant failure to comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) has resulted in severe financial hardship for us. Our lease ended on XX/XX/XXXX, and due to their negligence in conducting a proper investigation into our dispute, a fraudulent account remains on our credit reports. This has made it impossible for us to secure an apartment, forcing us to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  since that date. 

The financial burden has been overwhelming ; not only are we incurring hotel costs, but we also have to rent a storage unit to keep our belongings secure during this crisis. To add to our woes, we will incur additional expenses by having to rent a moving truck for a second time to transport our items from the storage unit to a new apartment when we finally find one.

Furthermore, the only housing we could afford was significantly farther from Grants workplace, leading to increased fuel costs and extra time commuting. In total, we have lost thousands of dollars due to XXXX failure to adhere to federal law, leaving us in a precarious situation that could have easily been avoided had they acted responsibly and conducted a thorough investigation into the fraudulent account. This situation is not only financially draining but is also taking an emotional toll on us as we navigate through these challenges.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation