Consumer complaint received 2024-03-05 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: NC

Complaint narrative:
Back in XXXX I was coming off of a divorce. My now ex-wife was in charge of all credit cards after the proceedings. There was an account opened in my name that I was unaware of at the time, a XXXX card. My ex wife also denies this cards existence. It appeared as a charge off in my credit report in early XXXX for one month and then vanished but only after my credit suffered again. My credit was already in shambles from the divorce so I assumed the mistake had been corrected or my ex wife had kept her end of the agreement and paid it, if it was to be one of hers. From this day in XXXX on, it was not a problem. I was able to rebuild my credit profile for 4.5 years. Going from a low XXXX credit score to mid XXXX. with hard work and constantly staying on top of my credit. As supporting documents will show. Now, fast forward until XXXX XXXX  4.5 years after the initial late payments and charge off had already hit my credit. I had applied for a Rewards ( points ) credit card to further my credit journey, with a company i already have a card with. I had been getting pre approval letters constantly and thought it to be a good time to apply. The approval process to an extremely long time until I received a denial letter in the mail with the reasoning being, Charge-Off, multiple late payments. So i went and logged in to my credit profile and sure enough, this company has reported to my credit profile a charge off for a 2nd time and continuously report a being 90 days late even after the account has been closed for 5 years. My credit took another XXXX point hit wiping out all my hard work over the last 5 years. I immediately filed a dispute with XXXX at first, claiming I do not have any knowledge of the account, they came back within days telling me " the account had been verified '' and that was it. So then I started another dispute also with them providing more detail. They came back with the same results, " the account has been verified ''. At this point, im at a loss. ok, the account has been verified, what does that mean and are they allowed to report to my credit profile like that and ruin me again after not reporting for 5 years? How is that fair? So I go for broke and file one last dispute. this time, with all 3 Credit Bureaus as well as the creditor. I send in, my credit reports showing where it was charged off in XXXX and closed in XXXX. I send in my divorce papers. I sent screenshots that show, where nothing had been reported and where I been able to open new accounts over the years and then it crashed again once they reported it again for the 2nd time and continue to report. XXXX responded within 3 days of me filing the dispute " The account has been verified '', it is like they didn't even read the dispute letter. XXXX, Equifax and XXXX all respond this past week, XXXX. All the same. Verifying the account and changing some dates, meanwhile my credit score too another XXXX point hit last monday from the reporting of the same account because they are reporting monthly 90 day late payments since last XXXX. Yesterday, XX/XX/XXXX i called XXXX XXXX  who is the original account holder and still holds the account, it has not been sold to a collection agency. I was finally able to speak to a man Named XXXX from Missouri, I know, horrible information keeping, i was so upset and couldn't think straight. I do not have an account number or credit card number associated so I could not give that to him to find the account because again, I have no knowledge of this account. But he found it under my social. He once again, " verified the account '' it seems that is all anyone wants to do. I asked him why it was reported in XXXX and then vanished and then all of a sudden it is now being reported again? he said " I do not know, XXXX  when in and deleted some things and then re added them '' that was the only answer I could get. I then offered to pay the account in full to resolve the issue and was told that " XXXX does not do that and they wish me well in my next endeavors '' but was also informed that it will fall off of my credit in XXXX of XXXX, so a little over a year from now. That is where the conversation ended. I offered to pay a debt that I have no knowledge off to fix my credit again.. and was told that i have to just wait it out. After years of hard work to build my profile back up. How is that fair credit reporting? I understand if it has to stay on your report once it has been reported, but to be able to rebuild and then have them report on the same charge off a 2nd time does not seem like fair credit reporting. I am asking for help in this matter with stopping them in this unfair reporting and restoring my credit to where it was last fall before they reported this again on me. XXXX says the effects of a charge off are virtually gone after year 5 event though the record stays on your account for 7 years. They Re-Reported on the 6th year after the account was closed and charged off and I have been working to rebuild. I do not understand why the credit agencies think this is ok as well. It also is listed as " XXXX late payments '' on credit reports but is being reported as otherwise.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief