Consumer complaint received 2024-11-20 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: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: GA

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this complaint regarding the inaccurate reporting and improper debt collection practices by XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) and the mishandling of these inaccuracies by XXXX and Equifax. These actions violate my rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) and Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ). I am requesting a thorough investigation and appropriate corrective actions. 

Key Issues 1. Discrepancies in Reporting Between XXXX and Equifax XXXX XXXX XXXX has reported materially inconsistent information to XXXX and Equifax : XXXX Reporting : Reports the account as a collection account from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX. 
Lists No Data for XX/XX/XXXX and resumes reporting as a collection account for XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX. 
Equifax Reporting : Reports on-time payments from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX. 
Changes the status to a collection account from XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX. 
Returns to reporting on-time payments for XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX. 
These discrepancies between XXXX and Equifax create an inaccurate and misleading record, violating the FCRAs accuracy standard ( 15 U.S.C. 1681e ( b ) ). 

XXXX. Failure to Validate and Substantiate the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX has failed to provide : The original agreement with XXXX ( the original creditor ). 
A chain of custody demonstrating ownership of the debt. 
Documentation substantiating the balance, payment history, or collection activity. 
Under FDCPA ( 15 U.S.C. 1692g ( b ) ), debt collectors are required to validate disputed debts. Despite my disputes, XXXX XXXX XXXX continues to report the debt without substantiating its validity, violating the FDCPA. 

XXXX. Incomplete Contact Information XXXX and Equifax both fail to provide the full address for XXXX XXXX XXXX  : Both CRAs list only " XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX '' without a street address. 
Under FCRA Section 609 ( a ) ( 1 ), credit reports must include complete identifying information for furnishers, including their full address. This omission hinders my ability to directly address these issues with XXXX XXXX XXXX. 
XXXX. Improper Handling of Disputes XXXX : Marks the dispute as " Completed investigation of FCRA disputeconsumer disagrees, '' but provides no evidence to support its reporting. 
Equifax : Reflects the dispute status as " Consumer Disputes Reinvestigation In Progress, '' but fails to address or substantiate the discrepancies in reporting. 
Under FCRA Section 611 ( a ), furnishers and CRAs are required to conduct a reasonable investigation of disputes and ensure accurate reporting. XXXX XXXX XXXX and the CRAs have failed to meet this requirement. 

Applicable Legal Precedents Failure to Verify Reporting Accuracy XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX. XXXX ) : CRAs must independently verify disputed information and can not solely rely on the furnisher 's data if it is unverifiable. 

Application : XXXX and Equifax failed to verify XXXX XXXX XXXX 's inconsistent and unsupported reporting. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX. XXXX ) : If furnishers can not substantiate reported information, CRAs must delete or correct the data. 

Application : XXXX XXXX XXXX has not substantiated the debt, yet XXXX and Equifax continue to report conflicting and inaccurate information. 
Failure to Validate a Debt XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX. XXXX ) : Debt collectors must cease collection activity if validation is not provided after a dispute. 

Application : XXXX XXXX XXXX has failed to validate the debt but continues to report it as a collection account. 
XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX. XXXX XXXX ) : Debt collectors must produce evidence, such as the original agreement or payment records, when challenged to validate a debt. 

Application : XXXX XXXX XXXX has failed to provide any substantiating evidence, violating the FDCPA. 
Failure to Properly Reflect Dispute Status XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX. XXXX ) : Failing to mark accounts as " disputed '' misleads creditors and violates the FCRA. 
Application : XXXX failure to mark the dispute while it remains unresolved misleads creditors. 
Failure to Provide Complete Furnisher Information XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX. XXXX ( XXXX. XXXX XXXX ) : Incomplete contact information for furnishers violates the FCRA. 
Application : XXXX and Equifax fail to provide XXXX XXXX XXXX 's full address, preventing me from addressing the issue directly. 
Harm Caused Financial Harm : The inaccurate reporting has harmed my creditworthiness, leading to increased costs of credit and denial of financial opportunities. 
Emotional Distress : The unresolved discrepancies and lack of validation have caused significant emotional distress and frustration.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation