Consumer complaint received 2025-02-19 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem — Problem with personal statement of dispute
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: PA

Complaint narrative:
To Whom It May Concern, I am submitting this rebuttal in response to XXXX XXXX findings regarding my complaint. While I appreciate their investigation, I believe their response fails to acknowledge key issues regarding my loan deferment, their handling of my requests, and their credit reporting practices. 

1. Inconsistent Handling of Deferments & Potential Unfair Treatment XXXX XXXX acknowledged that I was approved for six months of COVID-19 deferments ( covering XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX ) and that my credit reporting was suppressed during this time. However, they also confirmed that when I requested additional deferments in late XXXX to cover XXXX XXXX, these requests were denied, despite the ongoing pandemic and their continued deferment offerings in early XXXX. 

Many financial institutions provided extended deferments beyond XXXX months, especially for those still experiencing hardship. If XXXX XXXX had the discretion to approve additional deferments but chose not to, this created an unfair scenario where my hardship was disregarded, leading to unnecessary negative credit reporting. 
If XXXX XXXX continued offering deferments to other customers beyond six months while denying mine, this raises concerns about inconsistent or discriminatory application of their deferment policies. 
XXXX. Questionable Compliance with CARES Act Reporting Requirements The CARES Act states that if an account is current at the time an accommodation is made, it must continue to be reported as current for the duration of that accommodation. 

XXXX XXXX response does not clarify whether my account was current at the time I requested additional deferments. If it was, then denying deferments and subsequently reporting me late could be a violation of the CARES Acts intent to protect borrowers impacted by the pandemic. 
They have also not explained why, after initially providing deferments and suppressing reporting, they abruptly switched to negative reporting instead of extending further assistance. 
XXXX. XXXX XXXX Own Policies May Have Contributed to My Hardship By first granting deferments and suppressing credit reporting, then denying additional deferments and reporting me late, XXXX XXXX created a situation where I was unable to recover financially before late payments damaged my credit. If they had the discretion to extend relief but declined to do so, they bear responsibility for these negative impacts. 

XXXX. Incorrect Credit Reporting Account Still Reflecting as Open In their response, XXXX XXXX stated that they are reporting my account as closed and paid in full. However, as of my most recent credit report, this account is still reflecting as open across all three major credit bureaus ( XXXX, Equifax, and XXXX ). 

This incorrect reporting can negatively impact my credit profile by affecting my debt-to-income ratio and overall credit utilization. 
XXXX XXXX failure to properly update my account status raises concerns about their credit reporting accuracy and compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ). 
XXXX. Request for Further Review and Resolution Given these issues, I request that the CFPB conduct a further review to determine : Whether XXXX XXXX inconsistently applied deferments to borrowers beyond the six-month period. 
Whether their refusal to extend my deferment contributed to unfair negative credit reporting. 
Whether they adhered fully to CARES Act protections when they resumed negative credit reporting. 
Why my account is still reflecting as open despite their claim that it is closed and paid in full. 
As a resolution, I request that the CFPB direct XXXX XXXX to : Remove the late payments from XXXX XXXX from my credit report, as they resulted from inconsistent application of their deferment policies and may have violated CARES Act provisions. 
Properly update my account status to Closed Paid in Full across all three credit bureaus to reflect accurate information. 
Thank you for your time and assistance in reviewing this matter. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief