CFPB complaint against EQ filed

[Medic981]

I have for the past six months attempted to get an erroneous or perhaps fraudulent address removed from my EQ credit file. I filed a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau after three dispute attempts and six months of EQs failure to remove this address at which I have never lived at, received mail at or used to apply for services or credit. 

EQ sent me confirmation numbers with documentation stating that the disputed address had been removed from my credit file after each time I disputed. However, today, November 30th, the freaking address remains on my credit report. Three strikes EQ and it is time for CFPB to go to the plate. This is my first time to file a complaint with the CFPB and I hope that they will be able to straighten out this mess. I will keep the forum updated with its progress. 

[calyx]

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What is it with EQ?

I have three addresses - I've never been to, known about, applied from, or have any association with, and same thing - filed disputes, EQ mailed  & emailed me notifications that they would be removed each time, and they're still on there.  I've been fighting these since July.     I was thinking of filing a complaint in January - I look forward to seeing how it goes for you (maybe I should go ahead and file, too...).

[Brooklyn2018]

Good Luck, Medic!!🤞

[RobertEG]

Sometimes the re-additional of personal identifier information is not due to a knowingly or negligently inaccurate additon by the CRA.

If a furnisher who is reporting information to the CRA is regularly, when they do updated reporting, including the old or inaccurate personal identifier information as part of their data string, it can result in the correction being undone.

Have you contacted all furnishers and checked to be sure that they are not re-reporting the inaccurate address info?

[Medic981]

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@RobertEG wrote:

Sometimes the re-additional of personal identifier information is not due to a knowingly or negligently inaccurate additon by the CRA.

If a furnisher who is reporting information to the CRA is regularly, when they do updated reporting, including the old or inaccurate personal identifier information as part of their data string, it can result in the correction being undone.

Have you contacted all furnishers and checked to be sure that they are not re-reporting the inaccurate address info?

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Thanks for replying @RobertEG. This address was on my report before any of my current or closed accounts were obtained. While my last name is fairly unique and uncommon, I do have an estranged cousin who has the same first and last name with a different middle name who lives in the town the address is connected with. I suspect my cousin applied for some credit and it appeared on my file. I do not have any unknown accounts on my credit files. The only erroneous information on my credit files is this unknown address. 

When I disputed the address, this triggered a fraud alert to be placed on my credit files. I placed a freeze on all of my CRA files as well.

I have TrustedID by Equifax for free as a consequence of Equifax's data breach. I check my EQ credit file just about every other day if not daily and the address has always appeared on my associate addresses.

I have become tiresome fighting EQ to have this removed, even though it is seemingly innocuous, it has no place on my bureau file. I just hope this CFPB complaint will give me some traction in getting it removed.

[Medic981]

I received a confirmation from CFPB

We've sent your complaint to the company, and we will let you know when they respond.

Their response should include the steps they took, or will take, to address your complaint.

Companies generally respond in 15 days. In some cases, the company will let you know their response is in progress and provide a final response in 60 days.

Only time will tell.

[RobertEG]

The CFPB is not a court of law, and thus cannot reach a binding legal judgment on an administrative complaint filed with them.

The CFPB first conducts a preliminary investigation by sending a letter to the furnisher, gathering their facts and side of the story.

That alone might lead a furnisher to delete contested information, or otherwise give the consumer what they want.

However, if the furnisher responds back to the CFPB by denying the assertions made in the complaint, then there is a legally unresolved issue.  The furnisher is entitled to due process, and the CFPB is entitled to file a civil complaint with the courts seeking mandatory compliance with any finding that the CFPB might deem as appropriate.  However, the CFPB cannot simply require the furnisher to comply with their admin finding.

The CFPB normally does not move to filing a civil action on individual consumer complaints, and normally only moves forward with civil action if they have received multiple complaints on the same matter, or if the complaint involves a substantial number of consumers.

The CFPB keeps a database of complaints filed, which can then be used if future complaints begin to show a pattern, or involve multiple offenses affecting a broad base of consumers.

Often, there is a middle ground, wherein the CFPB will obtain an admin settlement agreement with the furnisher, which a voluntary agreement to do this or that, and thus avoiding the filing of a civil action to compel compliance via a court judgment.

CFPB complaints have clout, but the Bureau does not have the authority to make legal findings on its own, and thus how far the Bureau pursues the matter varies depending upon the severity and number of consumers involved.

[Medic981]

Thank you for that detailed response. I had an idea of what the CFPB was able to do but not to that degree. 

[Medic981]

Here is an update about my CFPB complaint against Equifax.

This morning I logged into TrustedID to view my credit bureau consumer report and voila! The address which has plagued me was gone! I still have not received an update from the CFPB. When I filed my complaint it stated could take up to 15 days for a response from EQ. 

This is the first time I have filed a complaint with the CFPB. I am satisfied as to the end result. Now, the trick is, will the address remain off of my report?

[spiritcraft1]

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@calyx wrote:

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What is it with EQ?

I have three addresses - I've never been to, known about, applied from, or have any association with, and same thing - filed disputes, EQ mailed  & emailed me notifications that they would be removed each time, and they're still on there.  I've been fighting these since July.     I was thinking of filing a complaint in January - I look forward to seeing how it goes for you (maybe I should go ahead and file, too...).

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Same deal with me...  they said they were gone.  It is screwing up my being identified with EQ (logging in) and has caused me to be denied membership in a couple CU's.