Consumer complaint received 2025-02-06 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Other personal consumer report
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing issue — Their investigation did not fix an error on your report
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: GA

Complaint narrative:
Equifax, XXXX, and XXXX Subject : Formal Dispute of Inaccurate Information and Failure to Properly Investigate - Citing CFPB Report Findings. Dear Equifax, XXXX, and XXXX, I am writing to formally dispute inaccurate information present on my credit report and to express serious concerns about your investigative practices, particularly in light of recent findings by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ). My concerns are based on my direct experience with inaccurate reporting and the documented systemic issues highlighted in the CFPB 's reports on credit reporting agencies. Clearly and concisely state the specific inaccuracies you are disputing. Be precise. For example : " I am disputing the following items on my credit report : I am writing to formally dispute all information contained in my credit report and to demand its immediate and complete deletion. Furthermore, I am alleging serious violations of my privacy rights and the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) concerning the reporting, sharing, and selling of my private, sensitive information without my explicit written consent. [ Clearly and concisely state the inaccuracies you are disputing, even if it's everything. For example : " I am disputing all information contained in my credit report, including but not limited to : accounts, collections, inquiries, personal information, and any other data pertaining to me. '' ] I assert that the presence of any information in my credit file violates my privacy rights. I have not provided written consent for the collection, retention, sharing, or sale of my personal information. This unauthorized use of my data constitutes a clear violation of my rights under the FCRA, the Privacy Act of XXXX, and potentially other applicable state and federal privacy laws. Specifically, I allege the following violations : Unauthorized Reporting : My credit report contains information that I have not authorized you to collect or report. This includes [ mention specific examples, if possible, e.g., accounts I do not recognize, outdated information, etc. Unauthorized Sharing/Selling : I have not given my written consent for you to share or sell my personal information to third parties. I am particularly concerned about the potential sharing of my data with [ mention specific types of entities if you suspect any, e.g., marketing companies, debt collectors, etc. ]. Failure to Obtain Written Consent : The FCRA and other privacy laws require that you obtain my express written consent before collecting, sharing, or selling my sensitive personal information. You have failed to do so. I demand that you immediately : Delete my credit report in its entirety. This includes the removal of all information related to me. Cease all reporting, sharing, and selling of my personal information. Provide me with written confirmation that my credit report has been deleted and that all related data has been purged from your systems. Provide me with a detailed accounting of all entities to which my information has been disclosed, including their contact information. I am aware of the CFPB 's findings regarding systemic issues with credit bureau compliance with the FCRA, particularly concerning consumer disputes and privacy rights. I expect a prompt and thorough response to this demand. Failure to comply with my demands and address these serious privacy violations will leave me no choice but to pursue all available legal remedies, including filing complaints with the CFPB, the Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ), and seeking legal action to protect my privacy rights. I expect a response within 10 days outlining the steps you will take to comply with my demands. Collection Agency : [ Collection Agency Name ] - Reporting a debt I do not owe. This debt is not mine due to [ Explain why, e.g., identity theft, mistaken identity, debt already paid ]. I am attaching documentation supporting my claim, including [ List documents, e.g., police report, FTC affidavit, previous payment confirmation ]. Incorrect Personal Information : My date of birth is listed as [ Incorrect Date ], the correct date is [ Correct Date ]. '' ] I am particularly concerned by the CFPB 's findings, as detailed in their recent reports to Congress, which reveal significant deficiencies in how credit bureaus handle consumer disputes and reinvestigations. These reports, including the XXXX and subsequent reports, document a pattern of unsubstantiated conclusions, inadequate investigations, and a failure to properly report outcomes to the CFPB. The CFPB 's findings that consumers often discover inaccurate debts, including medical bills, only by reviewing their credit reports underscores the importance of accurate reporting and thorough investigations. I am concerned that my dispute will be handled with the same lack of diligence highlighted in these reports. I am bringing these reports to your attention to emphasize the seriousness of this matter and my expectation of a thorough and fair investigation. Specifically, I reference the CFPB 's findings that credit bureaus often fail to conduct reasonable reinvestigations, instead closing complaints quickly without proper review. I demand that you comply with your obligations under the FCRA and conduct a thorough and individualized reinvestigation of the items I have listed above. Do not simply rely on the information provided by the furnishers. I expect a detailed explanation of the steps taken in your reinvestigation and the basis for your conclusions. Subject : Formal Dispute - Failure to Increase Credit Score After Substantiated Corrections & Refusal to Provide Annual Free Credit Report. I am writing to formally dispute the continued inaccuracy of my credit report and your failure to reflect corrected information in my credit score, as well as your refusal to provide me with my free annual credit report as mandated by law. I submitted a dispute regarding the following inaccuracies on my credit report : [ Clearly and concisely list the SPECIFIC inaccuracies you disputed. Be precise. For example : Reinvestigation Response, you responded, stating that the inaccurate information had been corrected. However, despite these corrections, my credit score has not increased appropriately. This suggests a failure to properly update my report and recalculate my score as required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), 15 U.S.C. 1681 et seq. Specifically, I believe your actions violate : 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) : This section outlines the requirements for reinvestigation of disputed information. Your failure to reflect the corrected information in my credit score suggests an incomplete or inadequate reinvestigation. 15 U.S.C. 1681g : This section guarantees my right to a free annual credit report. I have requested this report on [ Dates disputed with CFPB ] and have not yet received it. This constitutes a direct violation of my rights under the FCRA. Furthermore, I am entitled to a clear explanation of how my credit score is calculated and why it has not increased despite the removal of inaccurate information. I request that you provide me with this explanation, including the specific factors and algorithms used. I demand that you immediately : Recalculate my credit score to accurately reflect the corrected information. Provide me with my free annual credit report as requested on [ Date of Request ]. Provide a detailed explanation of the credit scoring process and why my score has not increased. My credit score per AI calculations and debt-to-income ratio, should be XXXX.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation