Consumer complaint received 2025-09-08 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem — Difficulty submitting a dispute or getting information about a dispute over the phone
Company: Experian Information Solutions Inc.
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
I am filing this complaint against Experian for its willful and negligent violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), 15 U.S.C. 1681 et seq., specifically : Failure to conduct a reinvestigation of disputed information as required under FCRA 611 ( 15 U.S.C. 1681i ).

Failure to delete or correct an unauthorized inquiry lacking permissible purpose under FCRA 604 ( 15 U.S.C. 1681b ).

Failure to provide proper procedures and certification of permissible purpose under FCRA 607 ( 15 U.S.C. 1681e ).

Obstructing the dispute process by refusing to recognize legitimate, direct consumer disputes and by issuing boilerplate refusals.

Facts and Timeline 1. First Dispute Letter ( XX/XX/year> ) I sent a written dispute directly to Experian regarding an unauthorized hard inquiry by XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX on XXXX. 

I specifically stated : I did not apply for credit with this entity.

I did not consent to this inquiry.

I am not alleging identity theft and I am not requesting a fraud alert.

I demanded deletion of the inquiry unless Experian could provide certification of a permissible purpose under FCRA 604, including documentation of my consent.

Supporting identification was provided. 

2. Experians Response to First Dispute Experian replied with a generic denial, claiming the request does not appear to have been sent directly by you and refused to investigate.

Experian cited FCRA 611 but failed to conduct the required reinvestigation or provide certification of permissible purpose.

3. Second Dispute Letter I sent a second dispute letter, enclosing the first letter and Experians response as exhibits. 

I again demanded deletion of the unauthorized inquiry or certification of permissible purpose, citing FCRA 604.

I reiterated : no fraud alert, no allegation of identity theft, only an impermissible inquiry dispute.

I demanded a written response only.

4. Experians Response to Second Dispute Experian repeated the same boilerplate response, again stating the request does not appear to have been sent directly by you.

No reinvestigation was conducted, no certification of permissible purpose provided, and no deletion occurred. 

Legal Violations Failure to Reinvestigate ( FCRA 611, 15 U.S.C. 1681i ) A consumer reporting agency must conduct a reasonable reinvestigation upon direct notice of a dispute.

Experian willfully refused to investigate, despite two valid, direct disputes.

Unauthorized Inquiry No Permissible Purpose ( FCRA 604, 15 U.S.C. 1681b ) Hard inquiries require consumer consent or a legally defined permissible purpose.

Experian has failed to demonstrate any permissible purpose for XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX inquiry. 

Retaining this inquiry without proof of authorization is unlawful.

Failure to Maintain Reasonable Procedures ( FCRA 607, 15 U.S.C. 1681e ) Experian must maintain procedures to ensure consumer reports are provided only for permissible purposes.

Failure to validate or delete this inquiry demonstrates a reckless disregard of statutory obligations.

Obstruction of Dispute Process Experians repeated claim that my requests were not sent directly by me is baseless, especially as I provided ID and enclosed prior correspondence. 

This constitutes deliberate obstruction of my statutory dispute rights. 

Harm The unauthorized hard inquiry remains on my credit file, adversely affecting my credit score and impairing my ability to obtain credit on favorable terms.

Experians refusal to investigate has caused unnecessary frustration, wasted time, and emotional distress.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation