Consumer complaint received 2025-03-06 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: CA

Complaint narrative:
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, CA XXXX Subject : Demand for Removal of Inaccurate Information Pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 1681e ( b ) and 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) To Whom It May Concern, This letter serves as a formal demand for the removal of inaccurate and unverifiable information appearing on my credit report, which has caused me direct financial harm. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), 15 U.S.C. 1681e ( b ), credit reporting agencies are required to " follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy '' in credit reports. However, your agency has failed to uphold this statutory obligation, leading to demonstrable and ongoing harm to my financial and personal well-being. 

1. Identification of Inaccurate Information I have identified the following erroneous and unverifiable accounts on my credit report : I previously disputed these inaccuracies, yet no sufficient corrections have been made. Instead, I have received vague or boilerplate responses, which do not constitute a reasonable reinvestigation under 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ).

2. Failure to Conduct a Reasonable Reinvestigation Under 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ), upon notification of a dispute, you are legally required to conduct a reasonable reinvestigation of the disputed information. This means : - Verifying the accuracy of the information with actual documentation from the furnisher.

- Ensuring that outdated, unverifiable, or erroneous information is promptly corrected or deleted. 
- Not merely parroting information received from the furnisher without independent verification. 

The Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ) and multiple court rulings have affirmed that a credit reporting agency can not merely rely on data furnishers but must conduct an independent and reasonable investigation ( Cushman v. TransUnion, 115 F.3d 220 ( 3d Cir. 1997 ) ). 

3. Direct Harm Caused by Your Inaccurate Reporting As a result of these inaccuracies, I have suffered substantial financial harm in the form of : - Denial of Credit : I have been denied credit transactions essential for my personal, family, and household needs. This includes rejection of loan applications and unfavorable credit terms due to artificially deflated credit scores. 
- Increased Interest Rates : The erroneous negative information has led to lenders offering higher interest rates, making credit and financial transactions significantly more expensive than they would be if my report were accurate. 
- Housing Difficulties : Due to these inaccuracies, I was either denied rental housing or subjected to higher security deposits**, creating undue financial strain.

- Lost Economic Opportunity : My ability to secure financial services, insurance, and even employment has been directly impeded by your failure to maintain an accurate and fair reporting system.

Each of these instances represents an unjustified injury under 15 U.S.C. 1681n, which entitles me to statutory and actual damages.

4. Precedent and Current Legal Action Against Credit Reporting Agencies Your agencys failure to correct these inaccuracies is especially concerning in light of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureaus ( CFPB ) recent lawsuit against Experian Information Solutions , Inc. ( CFPB v. Experian, ). This lawsuit alleges systemic failures in consumer dispute reinvestigations, mirroring the very violations you have committed in handling my disputes. 

Additionally, multiple courts have ruled that failing to properly investigate disputed information and failing to delete unverifiable data constitutes willful and negligent noncompliance with the FCRA ( Cahlin v. General Motors Acceptance Corp., 936 F.2d 1151 ( 11th Cir. 1991 ) ).


5. Immediate Demand for Compliance In light of the above, I hereby demand that : 1. All inaccurate and unverifiable information be immediately removed from my credit report.

2. You provide me with written confirmation that these deletions have been completed and a revised copy of my credit report.

3. You provide detailed documentation verifying that the remaining disputed items have been independently validated with actual evidence.

6. Potential Legal Consequences for Noncompliance If you fail to take immediate corrective action, I will have no choice but to : - File complaints with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ), the Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ), and my states Attorney General. 
- Pursue a civil action against your agency for willful and negligent violations of the FCRA ( 15 U.S.C. 1681n and 15 U.S.C. 1681o ), seeking statutory damages, actual damages, and legal fees.

Final Notice Pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ), you have 30 days from receipt of this letter to complete your reinvestigation and correct my credit report. Failure to comply will be considered bad faith conduct and used as evidence in any subsequent legal action. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation