Consumer complaint received 2025-10-15 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem — Investigation took more than 30 days
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
I am filing this complaint because the three major credit bureausEquifax, Experian, and TransUnionalong with certain furnishers, are continuing to report inaccurate, inconsistent, and unauthorized information on my credit file, despite multiple disputes and a prior CFPB complaint filed on XX/XX/XXXX reference number XXXX. These issues have caused repeated financial harm, credit score suppression, and emotional distress. I have fully complied with all dispute procedures and provided documentation, yet the errors persist due to failures in investigation, verification, and data accuracy under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ). 

1. Unlawful reinsertion of deleted XXXXXXXX XXXX accounts XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX tradelines ending in XXXX and XXXX were previously deleted from my credit file on XX/XX/XXXX after prior disputes. However, they have since been reinserted and are now being reported again as derogatory chargeoff accounts without any written notice or certification of reinsertion as required under FCRA Section 611a5B. The bureaus are legally obligated to notify a consumer within five business days when previously deleted information is reinserted. That never happened. 

In addition, the data being furnished is materially inconsistent across all three bureaus. One bureau shows balances of XXXX and XXXX while another reports XXXX and XXXX Credit limits also vary from XXXX to XXXX and XXXX depending on the bureau. The last payment and activity dates do not align either, and the payment history coding contradicts itself. For example, Experian shows continuous chargeoff codes while Equifax shows months reported as OK during the same period. These discrepancies clearly violate FCRA Sections 607b and 623a1 which require maximum possible accuracy and prohibit furnishers from reporting data they know or should know is inaccurate. They also violate Metro 2 reporting standards which require consistent field reporting across all repositories. 

The reappearance of deleted data without certification or uniformity is unlawful and demonstrates willful noncompliance and negligent data furnishing. This continued misreporting has caused major credit score suppression and reputational damage. 

2. Unauthorized hard inquiries by XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX There are two hard inquiries appearing on my credit report from XXXX XXXX dated XX/XX/XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX dated XX/XX/XXXX. I never applied for any credit products with either company and did not grant permission for these entities to access my consumer report. Under FCRA Section 604a2, a creditor must have a permissible purpose or written authorization to obtain a consumer report. No such authorization exists in this case. 

Despite my disputes and inclusion of these inquiries in my prior CFPB filing, the credit bureaus have not produced any verification, authorization, or application record. The bureaus have also failed to comply with FCRA Section 611a7 which requires them to provide the method of verification including the name and contact details of the individual or department who verified the permissible purpose. The failure to delete these unauthorized inquiries or provide lawful documentation represents willful and negligent violations of the FCRA under Sections 1681n and 1681o.

These inquiries continue to cause tangible harm by artificially inflating my recent inquiry count and reducing my credit score under the new credit scoring category.

3. Inaccurate personal identifying information My credit report contains multiple inaccuracies in my personal data that have gone uncorrected despite prior disputes. The bureaus list inconsistent versions of my birth date with Experian displaying only the year XXXX while Equifax and TransUnion show the full date XXXX. My address is also misreported as XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX NY with inconsistent formatting and zip code extensions across bureaus. Furthermore, my name is incorrectly listed as XXXX XXXX which does not reflect my full legal name. 

These inconsistencies violate FCRA Section 607b which requires consumer reporting agencies to maintain accurate and consistent identifying information. They also increase the risk of misidentification and the merging of unrelated consumer data. The bureaus continued failure to correct these items after multiple notices constitutes negligent and willful noncompliance.

4. Repeated failures in reinvestigation and verification Each of these issuesunlawful reinsertion, unauthorized inquiries, and personal data inaccuracieshas been previously disputed through the proper channels. I have received only generic updates or interim messages from the bureaus stating that they are still working on the matter, without any evidence-based verification or correction. This failure to perform a reasonable reinvestigation violates FCRA Section 611a1. The bureaus lack of transparency and refusal to disclose the method of verification also violate Section 611a7.

5. Harm caused by continued reporting The ongoing reporting of these errors has significantly lowered my credit score and interfered with my ability to obtain credit, housing, and fair insurance rates. My payment history and utilization ratios are being misrepresented due to false derogatory data and unauthorized inquiries. Additionally, the inconsistent personal information has created unnecessary identity verification barriers. This has resulted in emotional distress, reputational damage, and financial setbacks. 

Summary of Violations FCRA Section 611a5B : Unlawful reinsertion without certification and notice FCRA Sections 607b and 623a1 : Failure to ensure maximum possible accuracy and report consistent data FCRA Section 604a2 : Unauthorized inquiries without permissible purpose or consent FCRA Sections 611a and 611a7 : Failure to conduct a reasonable reinvestigation and disclose the method of verification FCRA Sections 1681n and 1681o : Willful and negligent noncompliance with federal law Metro 2 Guidelines Section 6.2 : Failure to maintain consistent and complete reporting fields across bureaus Requested Relief I am requesting that the CFPB require Equifax, Experian, TransUnion, and the involved furnishers to permanently delete the reinserted XXXXXXXX XXXX accounts, remove all unauthorized inquiries from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and correct all personal identifying information including my name, address, and date of birth. I am also requesting that the CFPB compel the bureaus to provide written confirmation of compliance within the statutory period and ensure that no reinsertions or unauthorized data appear again without lawful certification. 

The ongoing mishandling of my credit file represents a pattern of negligence and disregard for consumer protection laws. I am asking the CFPB to take enforcement action to hold these entities accountable and ensure full compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation