Consumer complaint received 2025-07-30 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Improper use of your report — Credit inquiries on your report that you don't recognize
Company: Experian Information Solutions Inc.
State: TX

Complaint narrative:
Experian is reporting a hard inquiry from XXXX XXXX dated XX/XX/year> on my credit file, and I am formally disputing its legitimacy and basis under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. I did not apply for any credit product, authorize a credit pull, or initiate any transaction with XXXX XXXX on or around that date. No application was submitted by medigitally, verbally, or on paperthat would provide XXXX XXXX with permissible purpose to access my credit file, and yet Experian has allowed this inquiry to appear and impact my report as if it were legally authorized. 

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. 1681b ( f ) states clearly that no person or entity may obtain a consumer report unless it is done for a purpose authorized by the Act. Credit reporting agencies also have an obligation under 15 U.S.C. 1681e ( a ) to maintain reasonable procedures to prevent unauthorized or irrelevant access to consumer reports. The presence of a hard inquiry from XXXX XXXXwithout any legitimate consumer-initiated action or evidence of consentmeans that Experian has failed in both areas. 

To resolve this issue, I submitted a dispute to Experian requesting the removal of this unauthorized inquiry and demanding documentation proving that XXXX XXXX had a valid and permissible purpose to access my report. Experian responded in its typical fashion, claiming the inquiry had been verified, yet failed to provide any documentation, proof of an application, or legal evidence of consent. That is a complete violation of 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ), which requires Experian to conduct a reasonable reinvestigation when an item is disputed. Without producing documentation or source verification, their process amounts to little more than automated rubber-stampingand it leaves consumers exposed to error, misattribution, and long-term damage to credit standing. 

The harm from this isnt abstract. This unauthorized inquiry has impacted my credit score and contributed to the number of recent inquiries on my file, which lenders routinely use to gauge credit risk. It gives the false appearance that I am seeking or overextending credit, when in reality no such application occurred. Every time my report is accessed by a potential lender or employer, I am forced to bear the burden of explaining why unauthorized inquiries appear on my filean exhausting, unfair position for any consumer to be placed in. 

It is clear this inquiry was either the result of an internal data error, a misrouted application process, or unauthorized access through automated pre-screening channels, none of which justify a hard pull on my credit file. Experian had an opportunity to correct this and failed. That failure has prolonged the damage to my report and created unnecessary distress.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation