Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports -- Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem -- Complaint #12010437

Complaint Overview

Complaint ID: 12010437

Company: Equifax, INC.

Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports

Sub-Product: Credit reporting

Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem

Sub-Issue: Their investigation did not fix an error on your report

State: Florida

ZIP Code: 33993

Date Received: 2025-02-09T12:00:00-05:00

Date Sent to Company: 2025-02-09T12:00:00-05:00

Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response: Yes

Consumer Disputed: N/A

Submitted Via: Web

Consumer Narrative

XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX, FL XXXX To : Equifax Information Services XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, GA XXXX CC : Consumer Financial Protection Bureau XXXX CFPB ) XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX D.C. XXXX Subject : Equifaxs Ongoing FCRA Violations, Sham Investigations, and Illegal FTC Dispute Handling FINAL NOTICE BEFORE LEGAL ACTION To Whom It May Concern, This is my final legal notice to Equifax regarding its systemic violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) and its failure to conduct legally required investigations into disputed accounts. Despite multiple disputes, Equifax has refused to perform real investigations, continues to rely on furnishers without independent verification, and illegally forces consumers to submit FTC reports by mail rather than electronically, which is a clear violation of federal consumer protection laws. Equifaxs actions are identical to the deceptive practices that led to its {$15.00} XXXX court-ordered penalty in its recent lawsuit with the CFPB. If Equifax does not take immediate corrective action within 10 business days, I will pursue a lawsuit seeking {$10000.00} in statutory, actual, and punitive damages and file additional regulatory complaints with the CFPB and FTC. 1. Equifax Has Failed to Investigate Disputed Accounts A Direct FCRA Violation Equifax has failed to conduct meaningful reinvestigations as required by law and instead blindly relies on creditor responses. This is especially egregious because XXXX has already removed several of these disputed accounts, proving they are inaccurate, yet Equifax continues to report them. FCRA Section 611 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ) ( 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 1 ) ( A ) ) requires Equifax to conduct a reasonable reinvestigation. Equifax is knowingly violating federal law by refusing to conduct an independent review and instead relying solely on furnisher responses. Equifax can not claim ignoranceit is required to verify accuracy, especially when other credit bureaus have removed the same accounts. Legal Consequences : Each failure to conduct a proper reinvestigation constitutes a willful violation of the FCRA. I am entitled to statutory damages of {$1000.00} per violation, plus actual and punitive damages. 2. Equifaxs Illegal FTC Dispute Handling Forcing Consumers to Submit Disputes by Mail is Unlawful Equifax has repeatedly attempted to force me to submit FTC reports via mail, despite federal law requiring consumer disputes to be accepted electronically. This violates FCRA Section 611 ( a ) ( 2 ) ( 15 U.S.C. 1681i ( a ) ( 2 ) ), which mandates that CRAs must accept disputes in all reasonable formats, including electronic submissions. Under the E-SIGN Act ( 15 U.S.C. 7001 ), Equifax must recognize electronic records and can not force consumers into outdated, burdensome processes designed to discourage dispute resolution. This tactic is deceptive and further obstructs my ability to correct my credit report, in violation of the Consumer Financial Protection Act ( 12 U.S.C. 5536 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( B ) ). Legal Consequences : Equifaxs refusal to accept disputes electronically is an illegal obstruction of consumer rights. This is grounds for further penalties under the FTC Act, FCRA, and CFPA, warranting regulatory intervention. 3. Equifaxs Pattern of Failing to Ensure Maximum Accuracy in Reporting Under FCRA Section 623 ( b ) ( 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2 ( b ) ), Equifax is legally obligated to ensure that furnishers are reporting accurate data. However, Equifax has knowingly continued reporting inaccurate accounts even after XXXX removed them, including : XXXX XX/XX/XXXX Services Accounts Removed from XXXX but still reported by Equifax. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX (XX/XX/XXXX ) Accounts Proven inaccurate, yet Equifax refuses to act. XXXX XXXX XXXX Accounts Multiple accounts removed from XXXX but remain on Equifax. XXXX XXXXXX/XX/XXXXProven to be inaccurately reporting data, yet Equifax refuses to delete it. Legal Consequences : Each failure to ensure accurate reporting is a separate violation under FCRA Section 1681e ( b ). Equifax is subject to statutory damages for each instance of continued inaccurate reporting. 4. Equifaxs {$15.00} XXXX CFPB Penalty Proof of a Systemic Problem Equifaxs failure to conduct real investigations mirrors the same conduct that led to its {$15.00} XXXX penalty in its recent lawsuit with the CFPB. The CFPBs lawsuit cited Equifaxs failure to properly investigate disputes, similar to what I am experiencing. Equifax is knowingly repeating the same violations that resulted in regulatory action, proving that its systemic failures remain unresolved. If Equifax does not take immediate corrective action, I will request the CFPB impose further financial penalties against Equifax for ongoing FCRA violations. Legal Consequences : Equifaxs repeated violations make it vulnerable to additional CFPB enforcement actions. I will seek further penalties through additional regulatory complaints. 5. Legal Action Seeking {$10000.00} in Damages Due to Equifaxs failure to conduct proper investigations, its obstruction of FTC dispute processes, and its continued inaccurate reporting, I am seeking {$10000.00} in damages, which includes : {$1000.00} per violation under 15 U.S.C. 1681n for willful FCRA noncompliance. Actual damages for the harm caused to my creditworthiness. Punitive damages due to Equifaxs reckless disregard for consumer rights. If Equifax does not correct these violations within 10 business days, I will : 1. File a lawsuit demanding {$10000.00} in damages. 2. Pursue additional regulatory complaints with the CFPB and FTC. 3. Request further financial penalties be imposed against Equifax under the CFPBs existing enforcement actions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Complaint #12010437 about?

Complaint #12010437 was filed against Equifax, INC. regarding Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports specifically about Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem. It was received by the CFPB on 2025-02-09T12:00:00-05:00.

How did Equifax, INC. respond to this complaint?

The company responded with: "Closed with explanation". The response was timely.

What is the risk level of this complaint?

See the risk assessment section for details on this complaint's risk profile.

How do I file a similar complaint?

You can file a complaint with the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. Select the appropriate product category (Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports) and describe your issue in detail.

Can I see other complaints against Equifax, INC.?

Yes, visit the Equifax, INC. company profile at readthecomplaint.com/company/equifax-inc to see all complaints, risk scores, and analysis.

Disclaimer

This analysis is AI-generated based on publicly available CFPB complaint data. It does not constitute financial or legal advice.

Related Pages