Consumer complaint received 2025-08-02 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:
DISPUTE LETTER TO EQUIFAX ( and supplemental notice to TransUnion & Experian ) Date : XX/XX/XXXX To : Equifax XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX  XXXX From : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX  XXXX DOB : XX/XX/XXXX Email : XXXX Phone : ( XXXX ) XXXX Subject : Formal Credit Report Dispute Under the FCRA Request for Immediate Deletion or Verification of Inaccurate and Conflicting XXXX  XXXX XXXX ( Account # XXXX / # XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) XXXX XXXX To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally dispute the accuracy, completeness, and validity of a derogatory tradeline being reported on my credit report by XXXX XXXX. This dispute is being submitted pursuant to my rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ), 15 U.S.C. 1681, and I am demanding an immediate reinvestigation and full verification of this account, or otherwise its prompt deletion from my Equifax credit file. 

Recap of Material Inconsistencies : Upon reviewing my credit reports from TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax, I have identified significant and legally unacceptable discrepancies among the bureaus concerning the same tradeline. These inconsistencies materially misrepresent the nature, status, and validity of this account and directly violate multiple provisions of the FCRA : Mismatched Account Numbers : TransUnion/Experian : Report account # XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Equifax : Reports XXXX  This raises questions of identity integrity and data continuity under 15 U.S.C. 1681e ( b ), which mandates maximum possible accuracy. 

Inconsistent Last Activity Dates : Equifax : XX/XX/XXXX Experian : XX/XX/XXXX TransUnion : XX/XX/XXXX These discrepancies can not coexist and reflect an unreliable reporting timeline in direct violation of FCRA 1681i ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ) and Richardson v. Fleet Bank of Mass., 190 F. Supp. 2d 81 ( D. Mass. 2001 ) which holds that ambiguous or incomplete tradelines may be rendered legally inaccurate. 

Original Creditor Field Missing : TransUnion/Experian : XXXX Bank Equifax : Blank This omission creates doubt as to whether the tradeline is accurately linked to a legitimate underlying debt and violates Metro 2 Guidelines and FCRA 1681e ( b ).

Inconsistent Account Status : TransUnion/Experian : Report Charge Off Equifax : Reports as Open An account can not legally be both charged off and open. This fundamental contradiction renders the account reporting invalid and misleading.

Missing/Conflicting Adverse Ratings : Equifax : No data available TransUnion/Experian : Report Charge Off / Collection Omitting adverse data on one bureau while asserting it on others violates principles of parity and reliability under the FCRAs accuracy standard.

2-Year Payment History Conflict : Equifax : Reports 100 % on-time payments TransUnion/Experian : No payment history available A collection or charge-off account can not simultaneously reflect a perfect payment history, indicating gross error or database mismatch.

No Term Source Type or Account Type Reported : All three bureaus fail to identify whether this is a collection, revolving, or installment account FCRA 1681e ( b ) requires clear and complete data.

Legal Demands Based on the FCRA and Case Law : Under 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ), I am demanding that Equifax reinvestigate this account and either : Provide full verification, including documentary proof and proper account classification, OR Delete the tradeline within 30 days due to the overwhelming inconsistencies and legal deficiencies.

If you verify the account, I demand the Method of Verification ( MOV ) per 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 6 ) ( B ) ( iii ), including : The name and contact information of the party that verified the debt How the verification was conducted Supporting documentation used Case law such as FTC v. TRW Inc., 784 F. Supp. 361 ( N.D. Tex. 1991 ) confirms that credit bureaus must verify information with real evidence, not simply parrot the furnishers claim.

I am including supporting documentation with this letter and request an updated report reflecting all corrections or deletions.

Supplemental Note to TransUnion & Experian ( For Your Records ) : This is also formal notice that the XXXX period to investigate and verify the same tradeline ( Account # XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  ) has already expired under 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ) : TransUnion received the dispute on XX/XX/XXXX and responded on XX/XX/XXXX ( past the legal window ). 
Experian received the dispute on XX/XX/XXXX and failed to respond at all. 

Pursuant to Cahlin v. GMAC, 936 F.2d 1151 ( 11th Cir. 1991 ), your failure to conduct a timely and reasonable investigation constitutes a willful violation of the FCRA. 
As such, you are now legally barred from curing, modifying, updating, or re-verifying the tradeline after the statutory deadline. The FCRA is clear untimely investigations forfeit your right to report the account any further. 

Furthermore, please be advised that a dispute submitted through CFPBXXXX holds equal legal standing to a direct dispute submitted to the credit bureaus, as affirmed under 15 U.S.C. 1681i and supporting case precedent.

Enclosed Documentation : Copy of my government-issued ID W2 document for address verification Screenshots of all conflicting credit report entries Prior dispute letters submitted to TransUnion and Experian via CFPBXXXX Final Notice : If Equifax fails to investigate or correct these material inconsistencies within the XXXX period mandated by law, I will proceed with a formal complaint through CFPBXXXX, and reserve the right to pursue legal remedies under : 15 U.S.C. 1681n ( Willful noncompliance statutory/punitive damages ) 15 U.S.C. 1681o ( Negligent noncompliance actual damages, attorneys fees ) Sincerely, XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief