Consumer complaint received 2025-03-05 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: GA

Complaint narrative:
Dear Equifax, XXXX XXXX XXXX, and XXXX XXXX, I am writing to formally dispute and demand immediate correction regarding my XXXX XXXX XXXX account, which has been reported inconsistently, transferred to XXXX XXXX, and falsely verified by Equifax. 

On XX/XX/year>, I received Equifaxs investigation results stating that they had verified the account as belonging to me. However, on XX/XX/year>, XXXX XXXX XXXX sent me a letter confirming that as of XX/XX/year>, this account was sold and transferred to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

This is a direct contradiction because : If XXXX sold the debt, they no longer have the legal right to report or verify ownership of the account. 
If XXXX XXXX now owns the debt, Equifaxs verification is invalid because XXXX is no longer the owner. 
Why is Equifax claiming to have verified a debt with XXXX when XXXX itself confirmed it no longer owns the account? 

This failure to properly verify debt ownership, conflicting balance reports, and double reporting between XXXX and XXXX XXXX are violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) and Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ). 

Newly Identified Violations & Contradictions 1. Equifaxs False and Misleading Verification ( FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 1 ) ) Requirement : When a consumer disputes a debt, the credit bureau must conduct a reasonable investigation by verifying the accuracy of the information with the current debt owner. 
Violation : Equifax falsely stated that XXXX verified the account, despite Nissans own records proving they no longer own it as of XX/XX/year>. 
If XXXX can not verify the debt because they transferred ownership, Equifaxs investigation is invalid and the account must be removed. 

2. Contradictory Ownership Claims Who Owns This Debt? ( FDCPA 1692e ( 10 ) ) Issue : XXXX sent me a letter confirming the account transfer to XXXX XXXX, but Equifax still claims XXXX verified the account. 
Violation : If XXXX sold the debt, they must stop reporting it immediately. 
If XXXX XXXX owns the debt, they must provide full legal proof of ownership. 
Two different entities should not be claiming ownership at the same time. 

3. Duplicate & Inconsistent Credit Reporting ( FCRA 623 ( a ) ( 1 ) ) Requirement : Creditors must report accurate and complete information to credit bureaus. 
Violation : XXXX is still reporting this account as charged-off with a {$0.00} balance, even though they claim they sold it. 
XXXX XXXX is attempting to collect on an account that is still being reported by XXXX. 
This is duplicate and misleading reporting, which must be corrected immediately. 

4. Possible Re-Aging of the Debt ( FCRA 623 ( a ) ( 5 ) ) Requirement : A creditor or debt collector can not alter the date of last activity to extend the debts reporting time.

Violation : The date of last activity on my reports is inconsistent and may have been changed by XXXX XXXX to restart the statute of limitations. 
If Equifax, XXXX, or XXXX XXXX changed the reporting date, this is an illegal re-aging violation. 

5. Failure to Provide a Valid Chain of Title ( FDCPA 1692g & CFPB Regulation F, 12 CFR Part 1006.42 ) Requirement : When a debt is transferred, the new owner must provide full documentation showing how they obtained ownership.

Violation : XXXX XXXX has not provided a bill of sale or assignment agreement proving they own this debt. 
XXXX has not provided proof that they actually transferred ownership to XXXX XXXX. 
Equifax must remove this account if neither party can prove legal ownership. 

6. Failure to Remove XXXX from My Credit Report ( FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 5 ) ) Requirement : When a creditor sells or transfers an account, they must update reporting to reflect the transfer and stop reporting the debt as theirs. 
Violation : If XXXX sold the account to XXXX XXXX, they must delete their reporting of the account immediately. 
Equifax is violating the FCRA by keeping Nissans reporting on my credit file. 

7. Potential 1099-C Debt Cancellation Violation ( 26 U.S.C. 6050P IRS Tax Law ) Requirement : If XXXX charged off this debt and issued an IRS 1099-C, the debt is legally canceled and can not be collected. 
Violation : Did XXXX issue a 1099-C for this charge-off? 
If a 1099-C was issued, XXXX XXXX XXXX not legally collect on this debt.

I demand written confirmation of whether a 1099-C exists. 

Despite XXXX and XXXX already removing this account from my credit report, Equifax continues to incorrectly report, re-age, and extend the statute of limitations on this debt, failing to maintain accuracy and integrity across consumer reports. XXXX XXXX XXXX has also confirmed that this account was sold as of XX/XX/year>, meaning they can no longer verify the debt. 

Violations Committed by Equifax 1. Failure to Conduct a Proper Reinvestigation ( FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 1 ) ) Requirement : Equifax must conduct a thorough and independent reinvestigation when a consumer disputes an account. 
Violation : Equifax falsely verified the account with XXXX, even though XXXX confirmed the account was transferred to XXXX XXXX. 
How did Equifax verify the account with XXXX if XXXX no longer owns the debt? 
This is a failure to conduct a proper investigation and is a clear FCRA violation. 

However, Equifax has : 1. Falsely verified the account with XXXX despite XXXX transferring it to XXXX XXXX. 
2. Failed to conduct an independent and thorough reinvestigation, violating FCRA 611.

3. Modified key account details ( e.g., dates of last activity ), illegally re-aging the debt.

4. Continued reporting incorrect information after other credit bureaus deleted the account. 

These actions violate federal laws and constitute deceptive credit reporting practices. 

Failure to Maintain Accuracy Across Consumer Reports ( FCRA 623 ( a ) ( 1 ) ) Requirement : Consumer reporting agencies must ensure consistency and accuracy across all credit reports. 
Violation : XXXX and XXXX have already deleted this account, confirming the dispute was valid. 
Equifax continues to report incorrect and inconsistent information, violating FCRA 623 ( a ) ( 1 ), which requires maximum possible accuracy in reporting.

4. Duplicate and Misleading Reporting Account Should Be Deleted ( FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 5 ) ) Requirement : When a dispute is investigated and resolved, the CRA must delete any unverifiable information. 
Violation : XXXX no longer owns the account and has transferred it to XXXX XXXX. 
XXXX  reporting must be removed entirely from my credit file. 
Equifax has failed to properly update the status of this account, making my credit report misleading and inaccurate. 

5. Misrepresentation and Unfair Collection Practices ( FDCPA 1692e ( 10 ) ) Requirement : Creditors and credit bureaus can not engage in deceptive practices or misrepresent the legal status of a debt. 
Violation : Equifax falsely claimed that XXXX verified the debt even though XXXX no longer owns it. 
This is an intentional misrepresentation of the accounts status. 

6. Failure to Remove a Previously Deleted Account ( FCRA 605B & CFPB Enforcement Actions ) Requirement : Once an account is removed due to an FCRA dispute, it can not be reinserted without proper notification and verification. 
Violation : XXXX was previously deleted from my credit report, yet Equifax is still reporting it. 
Reinserting a removed account without proper notification violates federal law. 

Formal Demand for Immediate Action Given these serious legal concerns, I demand the following within 10 calendar days : 1. Equifax Must : Immediately delete the XXXX XXXX XXXX account from my credit report. 
Verify whether XXXX XXXX is legally entitled to report this debt. 
Provide written confirmation of how this dispute was investigated. 

XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX Must : Immediately cease all further reporting on my credit file. 
Provide a copy of the Bill of Sale and Assignment Agreement proving they sold the debt. 
Confirm whether an IRS 1099-C was issued for this account. 

XXXX. XXXX XXXX Must : Provide full debt validation, including : A copy of the original signed contract proving I agreed to this debt. 
A bill of sale and assignment agreement from XXXX. 
A complete breakdown of the balance, interest, fees, and payments. 
Confirm in writing whether they changed the date of last activity, which would be illegal. 
Cease all collection efforts until validation is provided. 

Cease All Collection & Reporting Until Verification Is Provided XXXX XXXX and XXXX must immediately stop all collection activity until ownership is verified. 
Equifax must stop reporting duplicate, inaccurate, or unverifiable information. 
Any further collection or reporting without proper verification will result in legal action. 

This letter serves as final notice under 15 U.S.C. 1692g and FCRA 611.

I expect a full response within 10 calendar days.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief