topic Re: I hate Equifax in Rebuilding Your Credit

I hate Equifax

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 23:13:28 GMT

Just got re-investigation report - They just verified that the DOFD was 8/2007 on an account that they reported both 8/2007 and 7/2007 and 6/2007 as 180 days late.

What do I do when their own report is completely contradictory to its own "verified" information??

The OC is reporting it wrong, and so are they. Help!!

Re: I hate Equifax

Anonymous — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 03:29:15 GMT

I know this won't help you but I totally understand and welcome to the nightmare that is credit reports.

Re: I hate Equifax

Anonymous — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 06:59:07 GMT

Equifax is synonymous with inconsistency and innacuracy. They always have been and always will be the worst of the big 3 so long as they continue to ignore legitimate disputes.

Re: I hate Equifax

Anonymous — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 22:41:10 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Equifax is synonymous with inconsistency and innacuracy. They always have been and always will be the worst of the big 3 so long as they continue to ignore legitimate disputes.

I totally feel you, they are one of the worst. But in all fairness, if I had to rate my extensive experience with the bureaus, I would say #1 and the worst is Experian, the #2 worst is Trans Union and a very close #3 to them is Equifax. The problem that is most annoying with Equifax is that their investigations are incomplete, inaccurate and all over the place. So often times you ask them to update something, they just remove it, which in many cases does more damage to your score. Sometimes you ask them to update and they just add a comment saying Consumer Disputes and leave it at that. They are all evil frankly and to some extent their pissing contest with FICO and their standard leads to them being difficult.

Re: I hate Equifax

traveler2005 — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 06:39:12 GMT

I don't like them either. Portfolio recovery has put in three requests to remove tradeline since January and it is still on report. TU and Exp deleted long ago.

Re: I hate Equifax

Repo-ed — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 11:28:11 GMT

Ugg - I just disputed two accts with them yesterday.

Did you do online or mail?

Re: I hate Equifax

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 04:51:47 GMT

Yes, that much I agree, they tend to drag their feet. But not as extensively as Experian does when they dig in their heels. Also keep in mind a few things:

1. Automated or third-party letters from "credit" fixers hurt you more than they help you.

2. Disputing online is a waste of time and often will not result in the most beneficial result for you.

My suggestions:

1. Dispute only 1-3 items at a time.

2. Dispute in WRITING and preferrably write it rather than type it up. Although if your hand writing sucks and you have to follow it for it to be legible, type it up.

3. Avoid empty threats or long winded explanations, stick to the facts, keep it simple and cite the FCRA sections if you are familiar enough; otherwise avoid, "THIS IS ILLEGAL"

General rule of thumb, if they know they are getting to you or under your skin, you will have less and less success in getting them to do anythign for you. They will screw will you out of spite, all three in fact. Because they know that you don't have either the money or time or the expertise to go to court and sue their fancy lawyers and the FTC is an impotent tool that does nothing just logs the complaints. So ultimately, you need to try and make the best of it with the enemy (thank you USMC for that lesson).

Re: I hate Equifax

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:29:08 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
2. Disputing online is a waste of time and often will not result in the most beneficial result for you.

Based on personal experience, I would disagree with this. I had quite a few tradelines deleted recently through online disputes. They were deleted way faster than if I had done it through written letters. I think if you have tradelines that are clearly incorrect and don't need to provide any supporting documentation, online is effective.

Re: I hate Equifax

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 21:46:59 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:

Based on personal experience, I would disagree with this. I had quite a few tradelines deleted recently through online disputes. They were deleted way faster than if I had done it through written letters. I think if you have tradelines that are clearly incorrect and don't need to provide any supporting documentation, online is effective.

General rule of thumb my friend. Depends on what you are disputing and if they have previously "investigated" and now labeling it as "confirmed" you will be wasting your time online as they will automate the denial, trust me on this. If its a first time on an item and its a simple enough item to verify and possibly they won't care enough to just void it out, then yeah its an expeditious way to go but just saying be careful, as a general rule, online disputes get handled differently and often fall through the cracks MUCH more often than not. To each their own though and I respect your experience, just telling you based on over a decade of dealing with them on a professional level, they are stubborn mules and they work in counterintuitive ways.

Re: I hate Equifax

bodybuilder510 — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 21:52:43 GMT

Have you requested Method Of Verification? You will be surprised to see results.

Re: I hate Equifax

2012Repair — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 22:58:07 GMT

How and what does 'verify method of validation' mean? I just disputed online with EQ a line item I cannot validate / verify myself. It is posted by AFNI and is $598 dollars. The original debt dates back to May 2006. I disputed (online) and received a completed investigation report by EQ stated verified and belongs to me. So, I need a bit of help.

1. How do i find out who the original debt owner is

2. How does EQ come back and verify something i cant even verify

3. How is it the original debt dates back to 5/2006 and reaged in 2009

4. How do i go about inquiring with AFNI without shooting myself in the foot

5. How do i request Method of Verification with EQ?

Thanks ina dvance for advice provided.

Re: I hate Equifax

bodybuilder510 — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 23:08:45 GMT

To my understanding, you have a right to request method of verification. I would call and ask. They should provide you with all the info they used to verify that the debt is valid.

Re: I hate Equifax

Booner72 — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:15:39 GMT

@2012Repair wrote:
How and what does 'verify method of validation' mean? I just disputed online with EQ a line item I cannot validate / verify myself. It is posted by AFNI and is $598 dollars. The original debt dates back to May 2006. I disputed (online) and received a completed investigation report by EQ stated verified and belongs to me. So, I need a bit of help.

1. How do i find out who the original debt owner is Send DV letter to the reporting party.
2. How does EQ come back and verify something i cant even verifyThey report what the reporting party reports and don't think twice about it, even if you have proof different - your only hope is to fight it out with AFNI.
3. How is it the original debt dates back to 5/2006 and reaged in 2009Define "reage" - only if the DOFD -- Date of first delinquency -- changes, can it be reaging. They can update it every month so it shows as currently (DOLA == Date of last activity) and AFNI does this, at least they did it to me. The ding to your credit comes when it first hits, not every month that they update. So don't sweat that part.
4. How do i go about inquiring with AFNI without shooting myself in the foot If you contact them, I guarantee you they will want your money, so be prepared to pay it.
5. How do i request Method of Verification with EQ?You write into them and ask for it and I think you have to pay 11.00 fee for doing this. If you use the search box, you will find posts by Robert EG that tell you the exact codes under the FCRA that tell you what to ask for, but basically just what you said, and 11 bucks, should do the trick. I'll tell you for free: They just went with whatever AFNI sent in on a Universal Data Form through their electronic system that goes back and forth between the CRA's and anyone who reports (OC's, CA's, etc).

Thanks ina dvance for advice provided.

GOOD LUCK

Re: I hate Equifax

2012Repair — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:24:25 GMT

2. How does EQ come back and verify something i cant even verifyThey report what the reporting party reports and don't think twice about it, even if you have proof different - your only hope is to fight it out with AFNI.

3. How is it the original debt dates back to 5/2006 and reaged in 2009Define "reage" - only if the DOFD -- Date of first delinquency -- changes, can it be reaging. They can update it every month so it shows as currently (DOLA == Date of last activity) and AFNI does this, at least they did it to me. The ding to your credit comes when it first hits, not every month that they update. So don't sweat that part.

4. How do i go about inquiring with AFNI without shooting myself in the foot If you contact them, I guarantee you they will want your money, so be prepared to pay it.

5. How do i request Method of Verification with EQ?You write into them and ask for it and I think you have to pay 11.00 fee for doing this. If you use the search box, you will find posts by Robert EG that tell you the exact codes under the FCRA that tell you what to ask for, but basically just what you said, and 11 bucks, should do the trick. I'll tell you for free: They just went with whatever AFNI sent in on a Universal Data Form through their electronic system that goes back and forth between the CRA's and anyone who reports (OC's, CA's, etc).

on the above:

2. fight it out with afni...do i dispute it with them directly or ask for debt verification / original debtor from them? as the first communication?

4. if i contact them to determine who the original debtor was for the verification as the first communication, what is the proper communication to fight it out? e.g. if they want to confirm back with me my personal info, am i not to do that?

thanks in advance for response.

Re: I hate Equifax

Anonymous — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 01:42:14 GMT

You can ask for verification method until you are blue in the face and they will give you NOTHING and the best you can hope for is when they say, we used the information displayed on your report, that's it. They will NEVER EVER tell you how they did it or didn't do it and even under subpoena they have simply said, we no longer have any records of that investigation. Experian was fined for this and their reply was, $50,000 fine per case for making over $3 million a day is a good cost benefit parameter and they will gladly pay it.

Re: I hate Equifax

annielorie — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 07:01:11 GMT

2012 repair Boy where my ears burning I just got this deleted of Eq yes Afni and it took along time. First this was an acct that my roomate turned into my name after I moved out I had disputed this account 3 times before I realized that eq was not investigating what I asked. There are some posts that talk about EQ showing DOLA as DOFD but this is wrong clearly on the EQ credit report it states DOLA and DOFD. Afni is so unethical look them up on google pond scum that buys aged debt and some poor shmuck pays them because their tactics are criminal. The last dispute came back as DOLA verified. THen I did over the phone dispute for DOFD explained this is the fourth time I am disputing this and that both TU and EX had already deleted. Tonight on Identity Guard I had aloert to my EQ file its finally deleted. The fall off date is 4/2012. Write Afni for proof of debt Orig bills who is the oc what is the acct number etc. give um 30 days cmrrr if they do not give you any info to validate they cannot keep reporting then send the cra copy of letter cmrrr and have them delete. Chances are they cannot verify and more then likely it has been reaged or not even yours.Keep us posted!

Re: I hate Equifax

2012Repair — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 22:17:03 GMT

Status as of Jul, 2009

Date opened May, 2009

Date of last activity May, 2006

Largest past balance $598

Account Type Open Account

Account holder Individual

Industry Factoring Companies

Descriptions

Collection account

No contact information provided by Equifax

This is exactly what appears in the account item detail.

Thoughts?

Re: I hate Equifax

annielorie — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:51:27 GMT

son of a ... back on my equifax deleted of ex sending a a 11 dollar check for the dofd after this if no luck it will come off july