Consumer complaint received 2025-04-01 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report — Public record information inaccurate
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: OR

Complaint narrative:
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, OR XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX XXXX Consumer Financial Protection Bureau XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, IA XXXX Subject : Complaint Regarding Unfair Credit Inquiry Practices and Charging Money to Raise Credit Scores Dear CFPB, I am filing a federal complaint against the major credit bureaus ( Equifax, XXXX, and XXXX ) regarding their unfair handling of hard inquiries and the raising or lowering of credit scores depending on whether you pay them to do so. According to their stated policies and credit scoring models, when a consumer shops for an auto loan within a XXXX to XXXX period, multiple inquiries should be combined into XXXX to avoid a major drop in the consumer 's credit score. However, despite following these guidelines, my credit report now shows XXXX hard inquiries, which has caused my credit score to drop significantly and has led to lenders denying me the credit I have worked so hard to obtain. 

This practice is unjust and misleading, as consumers are encouraged to shop for the best loan rates yet are unfairly penalized for doing so. Additionally, they charge consumers to bring their scores back up. Credit scores should not be a means for credit bureaus to generate profit, nor should they be allowed to manipulate our scores for financial gain. I feel they are unfairly charging consumers to raise their scores, knowing that most will comply just to meet lending requirements. Credit scores are very hard to improve, and we work diligently to do so. However, those who can afford to pay for score increases are given credit without hesitation. This practice should be illegal and is a form of discrimination against those who can not afford the fees. 

I strongly believe that my credit score should not be tied to whether I pay the credit bureaus to raise it. It should reflect how I manage debt and repayments. These bureaus make it nearly impossible for people who are doing the right thing to maintain good credit. I spent years building my credit to over XXXX, only to see it drop to the high XXXX and low XXXX simply because I was shopping for a car. 

Because of these unfair practices, I have been denied credit, making it impossible to secure financing for any type of loan. I believe the credit bureaus are purposely reporting these inquiries separately to profit from consumers by offering credit-boosting services at different price points. Since the number of inquiries negatively impacts consumers, they feel pressured to pay to restore their scores. 

All three bureaus state in their policies that multiple hard inquiries for auto loans within a specific time frame should be combined into XXXX. However, car dealerships typically run applications through XXXX to XXXX lenders, leading to multiple hard inquiries. The credit bureaus are aware of this and continue to exploit the situation, effectively stealing money from consumers. Our scores should not be at their mercy. 

I urge the CFPB to investigate these unethical practices and implement regulations that prevent credit bureaus from unjustly lowering scores and profiting from score restoration services. Consumers deserve transparency and fairness in credit reporting. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation