Consumer complaint received 2025-08-11 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem — Investigation took more than 30 days
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, NY XXXX Date of Birth : XX/XX/XXXX SSN ( Last 4 Digits ) : XXXX Phone : ( XXXX ) XXXX Email : XXXX Date : XX/XX/XXXX To : TransUnion, Equifax, Experian Re : Formal Demand for Immediate Deletion XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Account Number : XXXX To Whom It May Concern, This letter serves as a formal FCRA dispute escalation regarding the tradeline reported under XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  ( Account # XXXX ), originally disputed via CFPB.gov on XX/XX/XXXX. Please be advised that CFPB.gov disputes hold the exact same legal weight as direct disputes under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), and are therefore governed by all applicable FCRA provisions, timelines, and requirements.

Violation of FCRA 611 ( a ) Failure to Investigate Within 30 Days Under FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ), a consumer reporting agency ( CRA ) is required to complete its reinvestigation within 30 days of receiving a dispute. The law is clear : A consumer reporting agency shall reinvestigate free of charge and record the current status of the disputed information, or delete the item from the file before the end of the 30-day period beginning on the date on which the agency receives the notice of the dispute.

The following violations occurred : TransUnion Received dispute XX/XX/XXXX, responded XX/XX/XXXX ( 51 days later ) Violation : Exceeded 30-day legal limit. 

Equifax Received dispute XX/XX/XXXX, responded XX/XX/XXXX ( 37 days later ) Violation : Exceeded 30-day legal limit. 

Experian Received dispute XX/XX/XXXX, has failed to respond as of XX/XX/XXXX Violation : No response, well beyond 30-day limit.

The statute is unambiguous if a CRA fails to complete its investigation within the legal time frame, the disputed account must be deleted. This is further supported by FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 5 ) ( A ), which mandates deletion if disputed information can not be verified within the statutory period.

Violation of FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 6 ) ( B ) ( iii ) & 611 ( a ) ( 7 ) Failure to Provide Method of Verification Since both TransUnion and Equifax claimed this account was verified, I specifically requested the Method of Verification ( M.O.V. ) in my original dispute, which is my legal right under FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 6 ) ( B ) ( iii ) and FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 7 ).

The law clearly states : The consumer reporting agency shall provide to the consumer a description of the procedure used to determine the accuracy and completeness of the information, including the business name, address, and telephone number of any furnisher of information contacted in connection with such information Additionally, FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 6 ) ( B ) ( iii ) limits the CRA to 15 days to provide this upon request after verification not 30 days.

Both TransUnion and Equifax have failed to comply with this legal requirement.

Supporting Case Law Cushman v. TransUnion, 115 F.3d 220 ( 3rd Cir. 1997 ) CRAs must go beyond mere parroted responses from furnishers and perform a reasonable reinvestigation.

Dennis v. BEH-1, LLC, 520 F.3d 1066 ( 9th Cir. 2008 ) Failure to correct inaccurate late payment data after a dispute constitutes a willful violation of the FCRA.

Dalton v. Capital Associated Industries , Inc., 257 F.3d 409 ( 4th Cir. 2001 ) Reporting inconsistent or conflicting data constitutes negligence and violates 607 ( b ).

Formal Demand Due to the above multiple and separate violations of the FCRA, I am demanding the immediate and permanent deletion of the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  account from my credit reports with TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian.

If any bureau refuses deletion, I am reiterating my demand for full M.O.V. in compliance with FCRA 611 ( a ) ( 6 ) ( B ) ( iii ) and 611 ( a ) ( 7 ), to be provided within 15 days of this notice, including : The full name, title, and contact information of the individual who verified the account.

The exact method and system used in the verification process.

Copies of all original source documentation used to verify the alleged late payments.

Failure to comply will constitute continued willful and negligent noncompliance with the FCRA, exposing your bureau to liability for damages, attorneys fees, and court costs under FCRA 616 and 617.

Attached : State-issued ID ( proof of identity ) Utility bill ( proof of address ) Screenshots of highlighted reporting inconsistencies Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief