Consumer complaint received 2024-11-20 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Improper use of your report — Reporting company used your report improperly
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
I, XXXX XXXX, discovered several serious violations on my credit report that are in direct conflict with the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), as well as other consumer protection laws. After reviewing my credit report, I found inaccurate and misleading information being reported by multiple companies, including late payments that were never late, unauthorized debt inquiries, and improper debt collection practices. 

The issues I identified are as follows : Inaccurate Reporting of Payment Histories Several accounts, including XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX are reporting late payments that I did not incur. According to 15 U.S.C. 1666b, payment histories must be reported accurately. I had paid these accounts on time, so the reports indicating late payments are completely false. This is not only damaging to my credit score but is also a violation of my rights under the FCRA. 

Unauthorized Hard Inquiries I found an unauthorized hard inquiry on my credit report from XXXX XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/year>. This is a clear violation of 15 U.S.C. 1681b ( a ) ( XXXX ), which requires that any hard inquiry must be authorized by the consumer or have a permissible purpose. I did not consent to this inquiry, so it should be removed immediately. 

Failure to Provide Debt Validation I noticed that debts reported by XXXX and XXXX XXXX have not been properly validated as required by 15 U.S. Code 1692g. Debt collectors are legally required to provide proof of a debt, including the original signed contract or agreement. Without this documentation, these debts should not be reported, and I have requested that these items be removed from my credit report. 

Failure to Disclose My Opt-Out Rights I also discovered that the credit reporting agency did not disclose my right to opt out of sharing my personal information, as required by FCRA XXXX XXXX ( d ) ( XXXX ) ( A ). This omission is misleading and deprives me of a critical consumer right. 

Willful Noncompliance and Liability Based on the numerous violations identified, I believe there has been willful noncompliance under FCRA Section XXXX, which allows for civil liability of up to {$1000.00} per violation. Since these errors were not only careless but also avoidable, I have requested compensation for these violations. 

XXXX XXXX Practices XXXX Violations The debt XXXX involved have been engaging in unfair practices, including reporting inaccurate debts without my consent, and contacting third parties with my personal debt information. This is a violation of both the XXXX XXXX Practices XXXX and regulations governing the acquisition of location information. 

Given these violations, I have demanded that the following actions be taken : Correct the inaccurate payment histories on my accounts and reflect that they were paid as agreed/never late. 
Remove any unauthorized hard inquiries, such as the one from XXXX XXXX XXXX 
Provide validation for the debts reported by XXXX and XXXX XXXX, or remove these items if validation can not be provided. 
Disclose my right to opt out of sharing my personal information. 
Compensate me for the damages caused by these violations, as provided under FCRA Section XXXX. 
Cease all collection activities on inaccurate debts and remove them from my credit report. 
If these issues are not resolved promptly, I will be forced to pursue all legal remedies available to me under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and other consumer protection laws. This is not just about correcting my credit reportits about holding the reporting agencies and debt XXXX accountable for their actions. I expect a swift resolution to these matters.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief