Before I begin, let me say that the reason why everyone is complaining here is basically our own faults. We vote politicians into office who put out weak, lame laws. The FCRA is just that. Pretty ineffective— if you don't believe me then why are there so many complaints against the credit reporting companies? So write your congressman/representative an email telling them they need to focus on protecting our rights, not eroding them.
So back to my story:)
I am taking Equifax to federal court. I'd like to file on behalf of everyone here who has apparently had the same experiences as I have. If I do, I will post an online petition sometime in the future and come back here to let everyone know... Why?
First, let me share with everyone some facts which may help anyone dealing with any of these companies. There are 4 basic rules you MUST follow:
1) Never, never believe anything the say or promise on their web pages.
2) Never, never submit disputes online. They won't count.
3) Never, never speak with them on the phone. They will do everything in their power to smash, bury, delay, or spin in their favor any consumer request.
4) Always deal with them by mail, sent certified/delivery confirmation and with certification number written on all correspondence (and keep a copy for you!)
and #5) is not to expect anything to go your way for a while— you are going to have to fight and argue hard.
I've learned from my experience and from my legal representation a great deal... Namely the 30-day period is commonly misunderstood.in order to have a helpful position, though they have 30 days to validate the debt, there is additional time allowed for them to send you the results. Sad, but true. Though the FCRA says otherwise, it is open to some interpretation and lenience to give them time to mail results to you. You have to work with the system unfortunately.
They LOVE to deal directly with consumers. They can do anything they want basically when dealing with you. They make hundreds of millions of dollars in profit and the chances of you suing are slim, let alone being successful at it.
They do NOT like talking to 3rd parties (ie legal firms). So if you are serious about removing/disputing things, best save up and pony up some cash (about $60 a month currently) to have someone like lexingtonlaw help. They are pros as much as the credit reporting agencies are and it's best to let the pros fight it out.
No, I don't work for any legal firm. I just had to get one myself: (
IF you do call, do not acknowledge anything beyond basic information!!! They are recording every conversation and can and WILL use any means to confuse you and get you to admit to something you are disputing! Once you slip up, you are toast. Again, sad but true. They are the owners of your records, not you! You are a hostile force to them, bent on altering their data...
So I tried to dispute things (online) on 4/29 and as of 7/17 have heard nothing from them. Calling them around 5/30 revealed that they said I never disputed anything. Thankfully I had thought ahead to print out both the online form before I submitted it, AND the confirmation number given back to me!
That I had PROOF I disputed things was IRRELEVANT to them!!!
I had to take 2 months to cool off... Think about why I needed to cool off:)
But wait, there's more... When I tried this all again on 7/17, I was astonished to see that all the items I had allegedly NOT disputed on 4/29 were in fact listed as "consumer disputes, reinvestigation in process". Hmmmm... Magic and fairies at work I guess. So I pointed that little fact out to them and again they denied it and insisted that I "dispute the items again" to which point I said NO and they did it anyway!
One rep said there was not any date info on the disputes, but yet another said they were done on 6/24. Obviously there is a TON of lying and manipulation on their end.
The last rep I talked to— and the native English speakers are the MOST dangerous... Tried very hard to get me to acknowledge every debt and item I had disputed by asking seemingly innocent questions... That she was simply "verifying what I was disputing"... Don't believe them if they say they need to check things... They have the info right in front of them on a computer screen!!! Just tell them you are in a public place and cannot confirm any private information on your credit report other than who you are!
Basically they are given complete freedom to lie, manipulate, and do anything in their power to befuddle and confuse and misdirect you when you call!
I have filed complaints with the FTC, as a gesture. Finding a federal attorney is difficult at best so I'm left with trying to do this pro se. I found some forms online, and I can read the FCRA well enough:) so it looks like I will pay the filing fee, roll the dice, and see if I can make them accountable for something at least temporarily. Wish me luck!
William
Las Vegas, Nevada
U.S.A.
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