Consumer complaint received 2025-11-10 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: MO

Complaint narrative:
CFPB Complaint Bankruptcy Reporting Violation Consumer Name : XXXX XXXX Address : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, MO XXXX Date of Complaint : XX/XX/year> Credit Bureaus Involved : XXXX, Equifax, XXXX  Reference Number : XXXX Court Listed : XXXX Bankruptcy XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Missouri, XXXX XXXX Division Filing Date : [ Unavailable / Reported Without Proper Court Verification ] Status Reported : XXXX  XXXX Bankruptcy Discharged Issue Summary I am filing this complaint because XXXX, Equifax, and XXXX  are reporting a bankruptcy public record on my credit reports that is inaccurate, unverifiable, and being reported in violation of federal consumer protection laws, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( 15 U.S.C. 1681 et seq. ), the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( 15 U.S.C. 1692 et seq. ), and related Office of the Comptroller of the Currency ( OCC ) compliance standards. 

The XXXX Bankruptcy XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Missouri has confirmed that it does not furnish or verify consumer information for credit reporting purposes. Therefore, any bankruptcy record appearing on my credit reports has been obtained through unauthorized third-party data vendors or aggregators such as XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX  XXXX, which fail to meet the FCRAs maximum possible accuracy ( 1681e ( b ) ) and reasonable reinvestigation ( 1681i ( a ) ) requirements.

Despite my lawful disputes and requests for source verification, the credit bureaus continue to report this unverifiable bankruptcy entry without providing any direct documentation from the original court of record, constituting a clear violation of federal law. 

Facts Supporting This Complaint 1. Unverifiable Source : The XXXX Bankruptcy XXXX has confirmed it does not report, furnish, or verify consumer credit data. Therefore, the bureaus can not lawfully claim to have verified this bankruptcy record. Any data they obtained came from indirect third-party repositories, not the court itself, making the reporting inherently unverifiable under 15 U.S.C. 1681e ( b ).

2. Improper Data Collection via Third-Party Aggregators : It is well-documented that credit bureaus contract with XXXX, XXXX, XXXX similar XXXX vendors to collect public record data. These entities are not original furnishers under 1681s-2 and can not meet the statutory standard of reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy. Reliance on these intermediaries does not constitute legal verification.

3. Failure to Conduct a Proper Reinvestigation : I submitted formal disputes demanding direct source verification under 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ). Instead of providing certified documentation from the XXXX Bankruptcy XXXX, each bureau issued a generic verified response without naming the individual or entity that confirmed the record. This response violates 1681i ( a ) ( 6 ) ( B ) ( iii ), which requires disclosure of the method of verification, including the contact information of the verifying source.

4. Absence of a Proper Furnisher : Under 1681s-2 ( a ), only an entity that directly furnishes information can verify or maintain it on a credit file. Because the XXXX Bankruptcy XXXX is not a furnisher, and the bureaus have failed to identify any authorized reporting source, this record should be deleted immediately as unverifiable. 

5. Procedural and Accuracy Violations : By continuing to report an unverifiable bankruptcy public record, the bureaus are failing to follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy ( 1681e ( b ) ). The lack of transparent verification also violates 1681g ( a ) ( 2 ), which requires disclosure of the furnishers identity and method of data collection.

6. Consumer Harm : This inaccurate reporting has caused credit denials, score suppression, and reputational damage. The continued inclusion of this bankruptcy misrepresents my financial standing and hinders my ability to obtain credit, housing, or fair financial terms, violating my rights under federal consumer law.

Requested Relief I respectfully request that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) take immediate action to remedy these violations by : Investigating the public record verification procedures used by XXXX, Equifax, and XXXX  for bankruptcy reporting ; Compelling all three credit bureaus to provide documented, court-certified proof from the XXXX Bankruptcy XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Missouri XXXX this record ; or Requiring the immediate deletion of the bankruptcy record ( Ref. # XXXX ) from all consumer credit reports for failure to meet FCRA verification standards ; Mandating disclosure and procedural audit of any third-party vendors ( e.g., XXXX, XXXX, XXXX ) involved in the verification process ; and Ensuring compliance with all relevant provisions of the FCRA, FDCPA, and OCC consumer reporting standards, with appropriate penalties for ongoing violations.

Summary The continued reporting of this unverifiable bankruptcy is unlawful, misleading, and materially damaging. The credit bureaus have failed to comply with their federal duties to maintain accurate records and conduct lawful reinvestigations upon dispute. I request that the CFPB use its oversight authority to enforce correction or deletion and hold all involved parties accountable under federal law. 

Submitted by : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, Missouri XXXX Date : XX/XX/year> XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation