Consumer complaint received 2025-03-05 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report — Account information incorrect
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: TX

Complaint narrative:
Subject : XXXX XXXX XXXX Equifax FCRA XXXX XXXX XXXX Late Payment Reporting Dear CFPB, I am filing a formal complaint against Equifax for its repeated and willful violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), 15 U.S.C. 1681 et seq. Their failure to accurately report my credit history and properly investigate disputes has caused severe financial harm, including a XXXX drop in my credit score, the addition of a XXXX late payment, and a false forbearance notation on my credit file. 

Additionally, when I attempted to dispute these inaccuracies, Equifax failed to properly investigate my claim and instead sent me a letter stating that they were unable to locate my credit file. This response is unacceptable and clearly violates my rights under the FCRA. 

I have attached the letter Equifax mailed me, confirming their failure to properly process my dispute. 
________________________________________ Summary of the Issue 1. XX/XX/XXXX Late Payment Reported in Error o On XX/XX/XXXX, I spoke with a XXXX XXXX XXXX representative, who assured me that enrolling in a payment freeze and structured payment plan due to Hurricane Beryl would not negatively affect my credit. 
o XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, another XXXX representative formally enrolled me in the agreement covering XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX. 
o I fully complied with the agreement and made all required payments. 
o Despite this, XXXX Mortgage XXXX falsely reported a late payment for XX/XX/XXXX, which caused a XXXX drop in my credit score. 
XXXX. XX/XX/XXXX Equifax Reports a XXXX Late Payment & Incorrect Forbearance Status o On XX/XX/XXXX, Equifax falsely XXXX a XXXX late payment on my mortgage account. 
o Equifax also added a note stating that my mortgage account is in forbearancethis is false, as I was enrolled in a payment freeze and structured plan, not forbearance. 
o This false reporting is damaging my credit and misleading potential lenders. 
XXXX. Equifax Failed to Investigate My Dispute Properly o After disputing these errors, Equifax responded by mailing me a letter stating that they were unable to locate my credit file, despite my dispute including all necessary identifying information. 
o This failure to process my dispute violates the FCRA and demonstrates gross negligence in Equifax 's reporting and investigation process. 
________________________________________ Violations Committed FCRA Violation # 1 : Failure to Accurately Report Payment History Under 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2 ( a ), Equifa

x is legally required to ensure the accuracy of the information it reports. The false reporting of late payments and forbearance status is a clear violation of this provision.

FCRA Violation # 2 : Failure to Investigate & Correct Errors Under 15 U.S.C. 1681i, Equifax is required to investigate and correct inaccurate information within 30 days of a dispute. Instead, Equifax failed to conduct an investigation and falsely claimed it could not locate my credit file.

FCRA Violation # 3 : Reporting a False Forbearance Status Under 15 U.S.C. 1681e ( b ), credit reporting agencies must ensure maximum possible accuracy in consumer reports. The false designation of my mortgage as in forbearance is a misrepresentation that could prevent me from obtaining future credit or refinancing my mortgage.

FCRA Violation # 4 : Willful and Negligent Noncompliance Under 15 U.S.C. 1681n & 1681o, Equifax may be held liable for willful or negligent noncompliance with the FCRA. Their failure to properly process my dispute and correct these errors demonstrates clear negligence. 
________________________________________ Impact of the False Reporting XXXX drop in my credit score. 
Potential credit denials due to false 60-day late payment.

Misclassification of my mortgage as in forbearance, which may impact my ability to refinance or obtain new credit.

Emotional and financial distress due to incorrect reporting Equifaxs failure to investigate my dispute is preventing me from correcting these errors.

________________________________________ Requested Actions for Immediate Resolution To remedy this matter, I am requesting the following actions : An immediate investigation into Equifaxs repeated violations of the FCRA. 
Immediate removal of BOTH erroneous late payments ( XX/XX/XXXX & XX/XX/XXXX ). 
Immediate correction of my account status to REMOVE the false forbearance notation.

A thorough review of Equifaxs dispute processing procedures to ensure compliance with the FCRA. 
Written confirmation once my credit report has been corrected. 
Appropriate penalties against Equifax for its reckless disregard of the law. 
________________________________________ Supporting Documentation While the FCRA does not require additional documentation for complaints, I have attached : The letter Equifax mailed me stated they were unable to locate my credit file despite my dispute. 
________________________________________ Legal Warning and Next Steps If this matter is not resolved within 30 days, I will take the following actions : Filing a lawsuit against Equifax under 15 U.S.C. 1681n for willful noncompliance with the FCRA.

Seeking monetary damages for harm caused by their false reporting and refusal to correct errors.

Requesting assistance from the Federal Reserve Board and HUD, which regulate mortgage lenders.

I expect a written acknowledgment of my complaint and an update on your investigation as soon as possible.

Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief