Consumer complaint received 2025-08-16 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: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: VA

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this formal dispute and complaint against the major credit reporting agencies Equifax, for inaccurately and unlawfully reporting a bankruptcy on my credit report. This reporting is unverifiable, factually incorrect, and is causing ongoing financial harm and emotional distress.

Statement of Facts : I recently obtained a letter from The US Bankruptcy court, which clearly states that the court does not report bankruptcy information to credit reporting agencies. This is critical because the presence of a bankruptcy on my credit file implies that the court verified or supplied this data which is false. 
This clearly proves that the credit reporting agencies are publishing unverified and false information regarding my alleged bankruptcy. As a result of this inaccurate reporting : My creditworthiness has been severely damaged, I have been denied access to credit and housing, I have experienced financial hardship and emotional distress. 

Additionally, several accounts are being reported as connected to this alleged bankruptcy, which is factually incorrect and further reflects inaccurate data across my file. 
Violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) : The following provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) are being violated : 15 U.S. Code 1681e ( b ) Maximum possible accuracy : The credit reporting agencies are legally required to ensure that all information on a credit report is reported with maximum possible accuracy. Reporting a bankruptcy based on unverified third-party data fails this standard.

15 U.S. Code 1681i ( a ) Reinvestigation of disputed information : Upon dispute, a credit bureau must conduct a reasonable reinvestigation to verify the accuracy of the information. Continuing to report a bankruptcy after being shown a letter from the courthouse stating they do not report to the bureaus is a direct violation of this law.

15 U.S. Code 1681c ( a ) ( 1 ) Reporting obsolete information : Relevant Federal Court Rule : According to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, specifically Rule 5003 ( e ) and guidance from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, bankruptcy courts do not communicate directly with credit reporting agencies. Therefore, the presence of bankruptcy data on a consumer credit file is not verified or sanctioned by the court, and any inaccurate information tied to such entries is inherently unverifiable under the law.

Demand for Immediate Action : I am requesting the following actions from the credit reporting agencies : Immediate deletion of the inaccurate bankruptcy entry from my credit reports.

Removal of all accounts associated with the alleged bankruptcy that were inaccurately adjusted, closed, or reported as " included in bankruptcy. '' Written confirmation that the items have been removed ( items are included in my what would be a fair resolution to this issue response ) A copy of the updated and corrected credit report reflecting the changes.

Emotional and Financial Distress : This inaccurate reporting has directly resulted in : Denials of credit and housing applications, Higher interest rates and financial exclusion, Emotional distress due to unfair treatment and reputational damage.

I am now forced to expend time and resources correcting issues that stemmed from negligent data handling and non-compliance with federal consumer protection laws.

Attachments : Letter from the courthouse confirming they do not report bankruptcies to CRAs Government-issued ID Copies of the affected credit report and accounts

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief