Consumer complaint received 2025-01-18 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report — Old information reappears or never goes away
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: TX

Complaint narrative:
XXXX XXXX XXXX Subject : Formal Dispute of Credit Reporting Errors Under FCRA Laws To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally dispute inaccuracies and potential violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) regarding my credit report. This letter serves as a demand for immediate investigation and correction of the issues outlined below, pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 1681i.

Upon review, I have identified issues with the reported vehicle accounts, specifically concerning the validity of the contracts under federal and state law. Down payments can constitute unfair or deceptive practices under specific circumstances. In addition to 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 1 ), I cite the Truth in Lending Act ( TILA ) and the Uniform Commercial Code ( UCC ) as supporting authorities. These laws mandate clear and conspicuous disclosure of all financing terms, which I believe were not adequately met in this case. Please provide evidence to validate the legality of this reporting or delete the tradeline.

I am a victim of identity theft, and the account referenced above does not belong to me. As required by 15 U.S.C. 1681c-2, I demand the immediate removal of this fraudulent account, as required by law. Please investigate this matter thoroughly and confirm in writing that the account has been deleted. Please provide evidence to validate the legality of this reporting.

Dispute Regarding Child Support I am writing to formally dispute the accuracy of the information regarding child support obligations being reported on my credit file. The reporting reflects a balance and/or delinquency that no longer exists, as my child support obligations were suspended, and the balance has been fully resolved or legally eliminated.

Under 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 1 ), you are required to investigate disputes of inaccurate information promptly and thoroughly. Additionally, under 15 U.S.C. 1681e ( b ), credit reporting agencies must maintain accurate information in consumer credit files. The continued reporting of outdated or incorrect information violates these legal requirements.

Further, I direct your attention to 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 5 ) ( B ), which mandates that if an investigation reveals that disputed information is incomplete or can not be verified, it must be corrected or deleted promptly from the file. This is applicable here, as the alleged child support balance has been resolved and no longer legally exists.

Dispute Regarding Hard and Soft Inquiries I am disputing the reporting of certain credit inquiries on my credit file, both hard and soft, which appear to have been conducted without proper authorization or permissible purpose as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ). Specifically, 15 U.S.C. 1681b outlines the limited circumstances under which a credit report may be accessed, and any inquiry outside of these parameters is a violation of federal law.

Legal Grounds for Removal : Lack of Permissible Purpose ( 15 U.S.C. 1681b ) Under the FCRA, a credit inquiry is only lawful if conducted for one of the following reasons : In connection with a credit transaction initiated by the consumer.

For employment purposes with the consumers written authorization.

To review an existing account.

For other explicitly defined purposes under the law.

If an inquiry does not fall within these permissible categories or lacks my explicit authorization, it must be removed as it constitutes an unauthorized action.

Unverifiable Authorization ( 15 U.S.C. 1681i ) If Experian can not verify that the inquiry was conducted with my explicit consent or in connection with a permissible purpose, it must be removed from my file under 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 5 ) ( A ). I hereby request that you investigate and confirm the validity of each inquiry.

Consumer Consent and Burden of ProofIf you claim that the inquiries were authorized, 15 U.S.C. 1681e ( b ) requires credit reporting agencies to ensure maximum accuracy. This includes maintaining records that prove consumer consent was obtained. Failure to provide proof constitutes grounds for immediate removal of the inquiries.

Hard Inquiries and Adverse Credit ImpactHard inquiries that were not authorized or do not fall under a permissible purpose are especially problematic, as they negatively affect my credit score. Reporting these without proper justification violates my rights under the FCRA and exposes XXXX to liability under 15 U.S.C. 1681n ( willful noncompliance ) or 15 U.S.C. 1681o ( negligent noncompliance ).

Notice to CFPB In addition to this dispute, I am submitting a formal complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) regarding All 3 credit bureaus failure to comply with the FCRA, as outlined above. This complaint will outline insufficient investigation procedures under 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 6 ) ( B ) ( iii ) and their inability to validate disputed information.

Request for Written Confirmation Under the FCRA, All 3 credit bureaus are required to complete the investigation of my disputes within 30 days and provide me with the results. If the disputed items can not be verified, they must be promptly removed. Please send a detailed response to the address listed above. 
Thank you for your prompt attention to these matters. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief