Consumer complaint received 2024-12-04 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem — Was not notified of investigation status or results
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: GA

Complaint narrative:
Dear CFPB Complaint Team, I am following up on my complaint regarding inaccurate reporting and improper debt collection practices involving XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX  ), and the credit reporting agencies XXXX and Equifax. Despite the FDICs involvement ( Ref. No. XXXX ), I have not received the response XXXX allegedly issued on XX/XX/XXXX, nor have the inaccuracies and discrepancies in reporting been resolved. These actions continue to harm my creditworthiness and violate my rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) and Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ). 

Key Issues and Legal Violations 1. Failure to Ensure Reporting Accuracy ( FCRA 1681e ( b ) ) : XXXX  has reported conflicting and inconsistent information to XXXX and Equifax, as detailed in the attached screenshots. XXXX lists the account as a collection account for XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX, then reports No Data for XX/XX/XXXX, and resumes reporting for XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX. Conversely, Equifax reports on-time payments for XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX and categorizes the account as a collection account for XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX. 
Case Law : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX ) : Credit reporting agencies ( CRAs ) must independently verify disputed information and can not rely solely on furnishers data if it is unverifiable. 
Dennis v. BEH-1, LLC, 520 F.3d 1066 ( XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX ) : If furnishers can not substantiate reported information, CRAs must delete or correct it. 
2. Failure to Validate the Debt ( FDCPA 1692g ( b ) ) : XXXX  has failed to provide validation of the debt despite repeated requests. Specifically, they have not produced the original agreement, payment history, or evidence of ownership of the debt, as required under the FDCPA. 
Case Law : Clark v. Capital Credit & Collection Services, 460 F.3d 1162 ( XXXX XXXX. XXXX ) : Debt collectors must cease collection activities if they can not validate the debt. 
XXXXXXXX XXXX  XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX. XXXX XXXX ) : Debt collectors are required to produce evidence, such as the original agreement or payment records, when challenged. 
3. Failure to Reflect Dispute Status ( FCRA 611 ( a ) ) : XXXX marked the dispute as Completed investigation of FCRA disputeconsumer disagrees but provided no evidence supporting its reporting. Equifaxs response indicates Consumer DisputesReinvestigation In Progress but fails to substantiate discrepancies. 
Case Law : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX. XXXX ) : Failure to mark accounts as disputed misleads creditors and violates the FCRA. 
4. Incomplete Contact Information for Furnisher ( FCRA 609 ( a ) ( 1 ) ) : Both XXXX and Equifax list only XXXX, MN XXXX as the address for XXXX, omitting the full address. This omission hinders my ability to contact XXXX directly. 
Case Law : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX ( XXXX. XXXX XXXX ) : Incomplete contact information for furnishers violates the FCRA. 

Harm Caused Financial Harm : The inaccurate reporting has lowered my creditworthiness, resulting in increased costs of credit and denial of financial opportunities. 
Emotional Distress : The lack of resolution, coupled with failure to validate the debt and conflicting information, has caused significant frustration and emotional harm.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation