Consumer complaint received 2025-05-21 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report — Account information incorrect
Company: Maximus Federal Services, Inc.
State: MA

Complaint narrative:
Dear Cfpb / Credit Report Agency ; In XX/XX/XXXX, Aidvantage reported multiple 90-day late payments across seven of my federal student loan accounts. These were reported despite the fact that I had automatic payments set up, and was never properly notified that my loans had exited forbearance or deferment. I later confirmed that Aidvantage had incorrect contact information ( both mailing address and phone number ) on file for me, which prevented me from receiving any required communications. Once I became aware of the issue, I immediately paid all past due balances and brought all loans current.

The reporting of these late payments, without proper notice, communication, or opportunity to cure, constitutes a failure under FCRA 1681e ( b ) to ensure maximum possible accuracy of consumer information. Additionally, Aidvantage failed to conduct a meaningful reinvestigation after I submitted multiple disputes and goodwill requests, violating FCRA 1681i ( a ). Several of the negative tradelines appear to be duplicate entries, further compounding the damage to my credit profile and violating the FCRAs standard of accurate, non-misleading reporting.

I also assert that the handling and unauthorized disclosure of my federal student loan data to third-party credit bureauswithout proper consent, especially while contact information was incorrectconstitutes a violation of FERPA, which protects my education records under 20 U.S.C. 1232g. I was never given an opportunity to inspect or correct the underlying records before they were reported, in direct violation of FERPA and supporting regulations under 34 CFR 99.10.

Aidvantage has a documented history of litigation related to improper handling of account statuses and communication failures during servicer transitions, and my experience appears to follow that same pattern of misconduct. Your agency is well aware of these servicing transitions and their impact on borrower credit.

I am formally requesting : Immediate removal of all XX/XX/XXXX late payments from all credit reporting agencies ; Removal of any duplicated or conflicting tradelines tied to the affected student loan accounts ; A full written explanation of Aidvantages reinvestigation process, validation of communication records, and legal justification for reporting the 90-day delinquencies without valid notification.

I reserve my rights under the FCRA, FERPA, and applicable federal law, and if this matter is not fully resolved, I intend to escalate it to the U.S. Department of Educations Ombudsman Group, the Family Policy Compliance Office ( FPCO ) for FERPA violations, and pursue legal remedies as permitted by FCRA 1681n ( willful noncompliance ) and 1681o ( negligent noncompliance ).

Relevant case law includes : Cushman v. XXXX XXXX, 115 F.3d 220 ( 3d Cir. 1997 ) : CRAs must go beyond passive acceptance of furnishers ' data during disputes. 

Dennis v. BEH-1, LLC, 520 F.3d 1066 ( 9th Cir. 2008 ) : Failure to conduct a reasonable reinvestigation violates the FCRA.

Saunders v. BB & T, 526 F.3d 142 ( 4th Cir. 2008 ) : Reporting technically accurate but misleading information is still a violation under FCRA.

This issue has directly harmed my ability to obtain mortgage approval and access affordable credit. I request prompt, full resolution.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation