Consumer complaint received 2025-08-31 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: NC

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this complaint against the three major credit bureausExperian, Equifax, and TransUnionfor ongoing, systemic violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) and failure to comply with Metro 2 Format and CDIA industry standards. 

Despite submitting multiple disputes concerning inaccurate, unverifiable, and/or outdated negative items on my credit reports, the credit bureaus have consistently responded with vague verified as accurate outcomeswithout producing a single shred of documentary evidence or conducting a lawful investigation as required under 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ). 

Instead, they rely on the deeply flawed and automated e-OSCAR system, which merely forwards dispute codes to furnishers and accepts their response without independent verification. This practice has been widely criticized by the CFPB and ruled inadequate in court.

Violations and Legal Basis : The following violations form the basis of this complaint : 15 U.S.C. 1681e ( b ) Failure to maintain reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) Failure to conduct a reasonable reinvestigation 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2 ( b ) Furnisher failure to correct or delete disputed information Metro 2 and CDIA Guidelines Failure to comply with reporting format and data integrity standards Further, the credit bureaus use of e-OSCAR has been ruled insufficient in legal precedent : " A credit reporting agency XXXX not rely blindly on the [ furnisher 's ] investigation. The agency has an obligation to conduct a reasonable investigation itself. '' Cushman v. Trans Union Corp., 115 F.3d 220 ( 3rd Cir. 1997 ) Historical CFPB Enforcement Actions for Reference : This is not an isolated incident. The CFPB has already issued enforcement actions against these same entities : CFPB v. Experian ( XXXX ) : For misleading consumers and failing to properly investigate disputes. 
CFPB v. Equifax ( XXXX ) : For failure to correct inaccurate data and deceptive practices. 
These cases show a pattern of noncompliance that persists despite regulatory intervention.

Nature of the Disputed Items : I am disputing the following categories of data, which have been verified without sufficient documentation : Late payments Charge-offs Collections Hard inquiries Student loans ( unvalidated promissory notes or balances ) Duplicated or fragmented tradelines Incorrect personal identifiers ( past addresses, name variations ) In each case, the bureaus have failed to provide proof from the original creditor, servicer, or data furnisher. The data remains on my credit reports unverified, and therefore in violation of FCRA 1681i. 

Real-World Harm : Because of these inaccuracies, I have suffered the following adverse effects : Denied financing for [ mortgage/car/personal loan ] Higher interest rates on approved credit Reputational damage due to reported delinquencies Emotional distress caused by repeated, unlawful verification responses These harms are measurable, preventable, and attributable to willful negligence and disregard of consumer protection law. 

Relief Requested : I am requesting that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau take appropriate supervisory or enforcement action and require Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion to : Immediately delete all negative items previously disputed that can not be verified with complete documentation Cease reporting unverifiable data and require original source validation for all disputes Re-review investigation procedures and prohibit reliance solely on e-OSCAR as a substitute for human reinvestigation Certify in writing that corrective actions have been taken and notify all furnishers and third-party users of the updated information Attached Supporting Documentation : Full copies of my most recent credit reports Copies of past dispute letters sent to each bureau Government-issued ID and proof of current address Screenshots and written confirmations showing prior verified outcomes Records of denials or increased interest rates tied to inaccurate data Deadline for Resolution : I request full resolution within 15 business days. If this matter is not resolved in compliance with 15 U.S.C. 1681i, I will pursue private legal action under FCRA 1681n ( willful noncompliance ) and 1681o ( negligent noncompliance ), including all applicable damages and legal fees.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation