Consumer complaint received 2025-03-23 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: Experian Information Solutions Inc.
State: MI

Complaint narrative:
Subject : Formal Complaint and Request for Corrective Action Regarding Unlawful Reporting Practices To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally express my frustration and disappointment regarding the unlawful and negligent reporting practices conducted by your agency in relation to the alleged debts reported by XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX. Despite my numerous disputes over the years, you have consistently failed to conduct a thorough and reasonable investigation, which has resulted in significant harm to my creditworthiness and financial standing. 

Failure to Investigate and Validate Disputed Accounts : I have disputed the accounts from XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX multiple times, providing clear evidence that their claims were false, unverifiable, and in direct violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ) and the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ). However, in every instance, you responded that their claims had been proven valid without conducting a complete investigation. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I escalated the matter by filing a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) regarding XXXX. I provided them with the exact same claims and supporting documentation that I had previously submitted to you. Similarly, on XX/XX/XXXX, I filed a complaint with the CFPB against XXXX XXXX XXXX, citing the same violations. 

The result? Both accounts have since been removed from my credit reports due to providing inaccurate information and violating FDCPA regulations. This demonstrates that the information reported by these companies was never valid, and your repeated failure to investigate these accounts properly allowed these unlawful claims to remain on my credit report for years, causing irreparable harm. 

Harm Caused by Your Failure to Investigate : As a direct result of your negligence and failure to comply with federal laws, I experienced : Denial of credit opportunities. 
Unjust damage to my creditworthiness. 
Emotional distress and financial hardship due to false and misleading information remaining on my credit report. 

Unlawful Reporting of Unauthorized Hard Inquiries : In addition to failing to investigate these accounts, I have also sent numerous disputes regarding the following XXXX hard inquiries that were made between XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX you improperly treated as individual hard inquiries rather than recognizing them as part of the 14-15 day window allowed by the FCRA for similar loan inquiries. 

XXXX XXXXDate of inquiry : XX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXDate of inquiry : XX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX  Date of inquiry : XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX of inquiry : XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX of inquiry : XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXDate of inquiry : XX/XX/XXXX Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) and guidelines established by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau XXXX CFPB ), credit reporting agencies ( CRAs ) such as yourself are required to combine multiple hard inquiries for the same type of loan when they occur within a specific rate-shopping period. 

Rate-Shopping Window and Inquiry Treatment : 1. 14-45 Day Window for Rate Shopping : For mortgage, auto, and student loans, multiple inquiries within a 14 to 45-day window are counted as a single inquiry for credit scoring purposes.

FICO Score Models : FICO models 5, 4, and 2 ( commonly used in mortgage lending ) apply a 14-day window.

Newer FICO models ( FICO 8 and 9 ) extend this window to 45 days.

VantageScore Model : VantageScore uses a 14-day window for combining inquiries.

2. Same Type of Loan Requirement : To qualify for combination, the inquiries must be for the same type of loan ( e.g., mortgage, auto, or student loan ). 
Applications for credit cards, personal loans, or other types of credit do not qualify for this treatment. 

The purpose of this provision is to allow consumers to shop for the best loan terms without being penalized by multiple hard inquiries that could otherwise lower their credit scores. The scoring models recognize that consumers XXXX apply with multiple lenders to compare rates, which is a financially responsible practice. 

You failed to combine multiple inquiries that occurred within the allowable rate-shopping period which further constitutes inaccurate reporting and a violation of the FCRA, specifically : FCRA ( 623, 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2 ) : Obligation to ensure the accuracy and completeness of information reported.

Direct Violations of Federal Laws : By failing to take appropriate corrective actions and allowing false information to remain on my credit report for years, you have violated : FCRA ( 611, 15 U.S.C. 1681i ) : Failing to conduct a reasonable investigation into disputed information. FCRA ( 623, 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2 ) : Failing to ensure accuracy and completeness of the information reported by furnishers. FDCPA ( 807, 15 U.S.C. 1692e ) : Allowing false, deceptive,
and misleading information to be reported by debt collectors.

Request for Immediate Corrective Action : I am formally requesting that you : 1. Conduct a full and thorough investigation into the mishandling of my disputes related to XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX, including why their accounts were allowed to remain on my report for years without proper validation. 
2. Remove any and all unauthorized hard inquiries and correct the inaccurate reporting of inquiries made on XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX, by counting them as a single inquiry as required by law. 
3. Provide me with documentation of the actions taken to correct these errors and prevent future violations.

4. Compensate me for the damages incurred as a result of your negligence, including harm to my creditworthiness and emotional distress caused by your failure to comply with federal laws. 

Potential Legal Recourse : If these corrective actions are not taken immediately, I am prepared to seek legal recourse to protect my rights under the FCRA and FDCPA. I am prepared to pursue statutory damages, actual damages, and reasonable attorneys fees as permitted by law. 

I expect a formal response confirming that a thorough investigation has been initiated and corrective action taken within 30 days of receipt of this letter, as required by the FCRA.

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