Consumer complaint received 2025-11-26 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — I do not know
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt is not yours
Company: MARINER FINANCE, LLC
State: MO

Complaint narrative:
What happened is that an account identified as MARINR FINC ( Mariner Finance ) is reporting a derogatory collection/charge-off on my credit report even though I do NOT own this account. According to the credit report, the MARINR FINC tradeline shows a history of severe delinquency, including 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day late payments, ending in a charge-off status. The reported past-due amount tied to this Mariner Finance account is {$0.00} at charge-off on one reporting period, while in other reporting periods the delinquency markers appear inconsistent and inaccurate. In addition, this account allegedly closed on XX/XX/year>, yet I never opened, signed, applied for, or agreed to any account with Mariner Finance at any time.

This account is completely false, fraudulent, and unauthorized. I have no history of ever doing business with Mariner Finance, no loan applications, no loan agreements, and no signed documents related to this company. I have never entered into any personal loan, installment loan, or financial agreement with this lender. The appearance of this derogatory account is an error that has caused substantial harm to my credit profile, credit score, and financial opportunities.

I first learned of this Mariner Finance account when reviewing my credit report. The account displayed multiple delinquency notations, including consecutive months of reported 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day late payments. The account also displayed a derogatory status indicating a collection or charge-off event. This is extremely concerning because I could not have missed payments, fallen delinquent, or defaulted on an account that I never opened. I immediately recognized this as inaccurate reporting.

Upon seeing this false account, I took appropriate action under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) by disputing it with all three major credit bureaus. I submitted disputes clearly stating that : I do not own the Mariner Finance account I did not authorize this account I never applied for or signed any document with Mariner Finance I do not owe any balance to Mariner Finance The reported delinquencies and charge-off are impossible Under FCRA 611 ( a ), the credit bureaus are legally required to conduct a reasonable reinvestigation of disputed information. However, despite clearly stating that this account was fraudulent and did not belong to me, the credit bureaus responded with a generic message stating that the account was verified, without providing any proof or documentation.

The credit bureaus did not provide a Method of Verification ( MOV ) as required by FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 6 ). A valid MOV must include : What documentation the bureau reviewed How the bureau determined the account was verified The source of the verification Whether the investigation was manual or automated The entity or person who verified the account The steps taken during the reinvestigation I received none of this information. This strongly suggests that the bureaus conducted an automated e-Oscar verification, which is not a legally sufficient investigation when a consumer claims the account does not belong to them.

A legitimate verification must include original documents from Mariner Finance, such as : A signed loan agreement A signed credit application Identity documents allegedly used to open the account Payment history Loan disbursement documents Account statements Collection notices Proof of delinquency Internal account management records Documentation showing how delinquency dates were calculated Ledger accounting showing how the balance reached charge-off None of these documents were presented to me or the credit bureau .

Because I never had this account, these documents do not exist.

Mariner Finance, as a furnisher of credit information, has legal obligations under FCRA 623 ( a ) ( 1 ), which states : A furnisher shall not furnish information that it knows or has reasonable cause to believe is inaccurate.

Since there is no evidence tying me to this loan, reporting the account violates this obligation.

Mariner Finance also violated FCRA 623 ( b ), which requires furnishers to conduct an investigation upon receiving a dispute from a credit bureau. An investigation must be thorough, not superficial. Mariner Finance should have been forced to examine : Original, signed documents Identity verification procedures Application logs Loan origination records Document retention files But none of this was provided during the dispute.

Because the account is not mine, Mariner Finance can not possibly produce a signed contract or identity verification documents. Therefore, the account is unverifiable and must be removed.

The Mariner Finance account contains delinquency reporting that is impossible for an account I did not open : 30 days late 60 days late 90 days late Several months of delinquency notations A final charge-off I could not have made late payments, missed payments, or defaulted on an account that does not exist. This is inaccurate, misleading, and harmful.

Additionally, some reporting periods list the past-due amount as {$0.00}, while still showing charge-off and late-payment activity. This inconsistency alone suggests that the reporting is unreliable and noncompliant with Metro 2 standards. When an account is real and properly reported, the past-due amounts and delinquency records follow a clear, consistent pattern. However, this Mariner Finance reporting contains : inconsistent delinquencies mismatched statuses irregular reporting fields incomplete data inaccurate coding These errors further prove that the account is inaccurate.

Furthermore, if Mariner Finance ever attempted to collect on this account, I would have received : mailed letters phone calls emails notices of delinquency validation notices under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ) right-to-dispute notices statements of account legal correspondence I received none of these communications.

If the loan truly existed, Mariner Finance would have attempted to collect on it, especially with the account allegedly reaching a charge-off state. Companies never charge off accounts for which they have no communication or contact history.

The absence of any communication proves that the account is not legitimate.

Additionally, Mariner Finance never sent me : a notice of right to dispute a validation letter a breakdown of the loan amount a notice of default a notice of acceleration a charge-off letter any form of written statement regarding the alleged debt Under FDCPA 809, any debt collectorincluding Mariner Finance or a partnermust send a validation notice within five days of the first communication. I never received any communication at all.

This is further evidence that the account is not real.

Because the account is false, inaccurate, and unverifiable, it has caused ongoing and unfair damage to my credit score. The presence of a derogatory Mariner Finance account affects : my credit score my creditworthiness approvals for loans interest rates offered by lenders rental housing decisions insurance underwriting decisions employment screenings A false charge-off is one of the most damaging categories of credit reporting.

It is unfair for me to suffer these consequences for an account that does not belong to me.

In summary, here is what happened : Mariner Finance is reporting a derogatory account that I do NOT own.

The account includes a past-due balance of {$0.00} at charge-off, but other periods show delinquency activity that is inconsistent.

The account shows multiple months of late payments I could not have made. 

The account was allegedly closed on XX/XX/year>, though I never opened it. 
I never applied for or signed a loan with Mariner Finance.

I never received any documents, statements, or collection notices.

The account is fraudulent, inaccurate, or the result of file mismatch.

I disputed the account with all credit bureaus.

The bureaus closed the disputes without giving documentation.

No proof of contract or identity verification was provided.

The credit bureaus did not provide a Method of Verification.

The furnisher did not verify the account with actual documentation.

The reporting is noncompliant with FCRA 607, 611, and 623.

The account continues to harm my credit profile and financial standing.

Because the Mariner Finance account is false, inaccurate, and unverifiable, I am requesting CFPB assistance to require its deletion.

This account does not belong to me, and no evidence has been provided to support its validity. Wells Fargo, credit card issuers, landlords, and future lenders may interpret this derogatory item as legitimate, which unfairly damages my ability to obtain credit and opportunities.

Therefore, the only fair, complete, and lawful resolution is to remove this account entirely from all credit reports and ensure it is not reinserted without full documentation.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation