Consumer complaint received 2025-11-26 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: NY

Complaint narrative:
The first part of my story begins with the series of XXXX  accounts reported as 180 days late across all three bureaus, despite each loan being under deferment, active review, or repayment processing during the periods showing delinquencies. My loan XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  opened XX/XX/XXXX with a balance of {$3600.00}, shows a 180-day late status on XX/XX/XXXX, even though it was placed into deferment due to financial hardship and XXXX acknowledged that no payments were due during that time. The same inaccurate late entry appears on XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  ( Balance {$6300.00}, Opened XX/XX/XXXX ), a loan that was also placed into administrative protection while updated documents were being reviewed, meaning the delinquency never should have occurred. My older loans, XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  Balance {$2000.00}, Opened XX/XX/XXXX ) and XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( Balance {$3600.00}, Opened XX/XX/XXXX ), were part of the same deferment arrangement, yet the reports show identical 180-day late marks despite confirmation that these accounts were not in repayment at that time. More concerning, my more recent loans XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( Balance {$930.00}, Opened XX/XX/XXXX ) and XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  ( Balance {$1600.00}, Opened XX/XX/XXXX ) reflect the same late date even though I submitted all required income-driven repayment paperwork before the reported Date Last Active : XX/XX/XXXX, and XXXX confirmed they were still processing my documents. These late notations create a false narrative of neglect, when in reality the delays were caused by servicer processing times, deferment approvals, and administrative holds. I request a full reinvestigation of every late entry, as required under FCRA 1681e ( b ), and correction of these inaccurately reported delinquencies.

The next chapter in this situation concerns the collection accounts that appear on my report, each telling a story that does not match the real events. The XXXX account XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX listed with a balance of {$230.00}, was part of a billing fraud claim I opened after discovering unauthorized charges on my line. XXXX themselves informed me that the charges were correct and the account should not have been forwarded to collections, yet all three bureaus continue to display it as an active debt. Additionally, XXXX XXXX XXXX is reporting three separate accounts, XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  ( XXXX  {$990.00} ), XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( Balance {$700.00} ), and XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  ( Balance {$1100.00} ), without ever providing the required validation or documentation proving these debts belong to me. I never received initial collection notices, no verification letters, and no breakdown showing how these alleged amounts were calculated. These accounts appeared without explanation, creating the false impression that I am responsible for debts that have never been proven. This violates the reinvestigation and accuracy requirements under FCRA 1681i ( a ) and the responsibilities of furnishers under 1681s-2 ( b ). I am requesting the immediate removal of these accounts unless complete and original documentation can be provided showing I legally owe the balances.

Finally, the last part of my dispute involves the XXXX XXXX inquiry dated XX/XX/XXXX, which remains on one bureau even though it has already been deleted from Equifax and TransUnion after confirmation that the inquiry was unauthorized. XXXX XXXX  reviewed the incident and explained that an attempted account application was flagged as suspicious and did not originate from me. I never submitted an application, never gave permission for a credit pull, and had no interaction with Comenity during that period. Because FCRA 604 ( a ) ( 3 ) clearly requires consumer permission or initiation for a hard inquiry, the remaining listing is inaccurate and harmful to my credit file. The fact that two bureaus already correct it after reviewing my documentation shows that the inquiry was improper. I am requesting that the final bureau immediately delete this inquiry or provide signed, verifiable proof showing that I authorized this credit pull, which I know does not exist.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief