Date of First Delinquency Changed on 2 Collections

[Anonymous]

So I disputed two collections on Equifax and just got the results. They changed the date of first delinquency by about five years on two medical collections. Is this allowed? Should I dispute it? I was thinking this was against the rules. The DOFD was reported as December 27, 2015 and December 30, 2015 on these two different accounts until today. Now both were updated to May 2021 for DOFD. Pasted the collection info for one directly from Equifax below. Can I just call Equifax and get it resolved more quickly if this is not allowed? Thanks for any help!

Account owner

Individual Account

Original creditor

AUSTIN RADIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATIO

Date reported

05/14/2021

Date assigned

05/31/2016

Account status

Unpaid

Agency

EASTERN ACCOUNT SYSTEM, INC.

Creditor Classification

Medical/Health Care

Status date

05/14/2021

Original amount owed

$61

Balance date

05/14/2021

Date of last payment

Invalid date

Date of first delinquency

05/19/2021

Balance owed

$61

Comments

Consumer Disputes This Account Information Collection Account

[blindambition]

Why did you dispute? If it was to get them removed, they are valid, even with initial DoFD. Too early for EE.

I'd keep a copy of reports showing correct DoFD. That should also be showing correct on reports on Annual Credit.

If you have a legitimate dispute, ask rep to confirm DOFD. Explain you have evidence if DOFD was indeed changed.

[OmarGB9]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

So I disputed two collections on Equifax and just got the results. They changed the date of first delinquency by about five years on two medical collections. Is this allowed? Should I dispute it? I was thinking this was against the rules. The DOFD was reported as December 27, 2015 and December 30, 2015 on these two different accounts until today. Now both were updated to May 2021 for DOFD. Pasted the collection info for one directly from Equifax below. Can I just call Equifax and get it resolved more quickly if this is not allowed? Thanks for any help!

Account owner

Individual Account

Original creditor

AUSTIN RADIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATIO

Date reported

05/14/2021

Date assigned

05/31/2016

Account status

Unpaid

Agency

EASTERN ACCOUNT SYSTEM, INC.

Creditor Classification

Medical/Health Care

Status date

05/14/2021

Original amount owed

$61

Balance date

05/14/2021

Date of last payment

Invalid date

Date of first delinquency

05/19/2021

Balance owed

$61

Comments

Consumer Disputes This Account Information Collection Account

---

I don't see a DOFD reported on this. Date Reported is NOT the same as DOFD. That is simply the date the account was last updated. It was updated to this month because you disputed it and the account was updated with dispute results.

[RobertEG]

There is no blanket prohibition against updating the reported DOFD.

The requirment is that what is reported must not knowingly be inaccurate.

If, upon review of a previously reported DOFD, it is determined that the actual, factual DOFD is different than that previously reported, they are required to promptly correct.

Thus, the issue is not whether they have changed the reported DOFD, but rather whether the now-reported DOFD is accurate.

In the instant scenario. the previously reported DOFD was stated to be in December, 2015.

The first collection then reports a date assigned to the debt collector of May 2016.

By definition, a DOFD cannot be later than the date that the collection was assigned to the debt collector (see FCRA 623(a)(5)(B)(iii)), so by defintion the reporting of a DOFD after 2016 would be inaccurate.

Yes, the updating of the DOFD to 5/2021 is inaccurate, but not simply because a DOFD cannot be corrected/updated.  It is inaccurate because factually it is not possible for a debt to have first gone delinquent after it was placed for collection.

It appears to be a simply error on the part of the debt collector when updating that should be easily resolved......