Another day brings news of yet another fed up consumer who filed suit against a credit bureau for failing to correct errors in their credit reports. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a great article detailing the frustrations of a woman forced to file a lawsuit in order to get Equifax, one of the big three credit reporting agencies, to stop screwing up her credit reports -and her life! It's disturbing to know that many of us who have been down that same road, forced to file a lawsuit to get the cra's to fix their systemic problems, continue to read about more innocent consumers forced to follow in our footsteps all apparently due to the same flawed and unreasonable "procedures" continued to be used while handling consumer disputes.
I would be interested to know -what, if anything, they've done to revamp and change their procedures to better improve their practices when handling consumer disputes. If they' haven't done anything to alter their procedures, then it would appear they are continuing to operate as usual using the same broken system while expecting different results.
The AJC article that came out yesterday details the documented frustrations reported by Robyn Mueller, a consumer who is suing Equifax for failing to stop mixing up her twin brother's data with hers.
"You don't understand how much torture I went through," said Robyn Mueller, 39, who lives in Sugar Hill. "All the credit bureaus, they control your life. ... It's not fair for them to steal your identity."
To Robyn...many of us know exactly how you feel! Know you have many supporters! We know first hand the frustrations, anxiety and intrusions their actions (or in-actions) have caused you! I've often said that whenever inaccurate credit reports paint you out to be someone you are not -that is a form of identity theft.
Robyn reports she sent Equifax repeated dispute letters beginning in 2006 --- and included copies of her twin's driver's license, pay stubs and other records hoping to finally prove they are two different people. But like many of us can attest her disputes and repeated requests to fix their errors went ignored and the problem left to fester -until she was forced to file a lawsuit to find relief.
Notably, Robyn's story is much like many other consumers who claim the credit bureaus just can't get it right! For two years the erroneous information contained in Robyn's Equifax credit report caused her so much trouble that she had no credit score. Many lawsuits continue to point out that consumer complaints against the credit reporting industry often remain the same, indicating the only thing that changes is the names of the Plaintiffs.
Yet interestingly, The Consumer Data Industry Association, a trade group for the credit bureaus, is quoted in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution article claiming;
"... the dispute system, with its electronic coding, quickly corrects errors most of the time. Serious, lingering problems are rare."
I doubt consumers (or the facts) would agree with that statement.
The article also notes that regulators at the Federal Trade Commission, the government agency responsible for overseeing the credit bureaus and enforcing the Fair Credit Reporting Act, are expected to announce plans for a major nationwide survey of credit report accuracy later this year.
"One of the big questions out there is how accurate are credit reports and what is the incidence of error?" said Rebecca Kuehn, the FTC's assistant director of privacy and identity protection.
Wouldn't it be interesting to also learn which of the "Big Three" credit bureaus has the most complaints? My emails indicate Experian and Equifax continue to be the most difficult of the big three to deal with. Here's one such complaint from today...
Me and my husband have been trying to get a lien removed from our credit reports for over 1 year. It is a state tax lien that was paid, but the state filed in error and we can not get it off our credit report. I sent them a copy of a letter from the state tax department. I have contacted all three, but only one (TU) took it off.
Karen
Here's a link to Robyn's story and the AJC article "Credit report fix a headache"
For tips on disputing credit report errors and additional info on the credit reporting industry, check out a few earlier blogs;
Complaints against credit bureaus costly, frustrating and endless
Why consumers sue the credit bureaus
Credit Bureau Reform long over-due
I would be interested to know -what, if anything, they've done to revamp and change their procedures to better improve their practices when handling consumer disputes. If they' haven't done anything to alter their procedures, then it would appear they are continuing to operate as usual using the same broken system while expecting different results.
The AJC article that came out yesterday details the documented frustrations reported by Robyn Mueller, a consumer who is suing Equifax for failing to stop mixing up her twin brother's data with hers.
"You don't understand how much torture I went through," said Robyn Mueller, 39, who lives in Sugar Hill. "All the credit bureaus, they control your life. ... It's not fair for them to steal your identity."
To Robyn...many of us know exactly how you feel! Know you have many supporters! We know first hand the frustrations, anxiety and intrusions their actions (or in-actions) have caused you! I've often said that whenever inaccurate credit reports paint you out to be someone you are not -that is a form of identity theft.
Robyn reports she sent Equifax repeated dispute letters beginning in 2006 --- and included copies of her twin's driver's license, pay stubs and other records hoping to finally prove they are two different people. But like many of us can attest her disputes and repeated requests to fix their errors went ignored and the problem left to fester -until she was forced to file a lawsuit to find relief.
Notably, Robyn's story is much like many other consumers who claim the credit bureaus just can't get it right! For two years the erroneous information contained in Robyn's Equifax credit report caused her so much trouble that she had no credit score. Many lawsuits continue to point out that consumer complaints against the credit reporting industry often remain the same, indicating the only thing that changes is the names of the Plaintiffs.
Yet interestingly, The Consumer Data Industry Association, a trade group for the credit bureaus, is quoted in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution article claiming;
"... the dispute system, with its electronic coding, quickly corrects errors most of the time. Serious, lingering problems are rare."
I doubt consumers (or the facts) would agree with that statement.
The article also notes that regulators at the Federal Trade Commission, the government agency responsible for overseeing the credit bureaus and enforcing the Fair Credit Reporting Act, are expected to announce plans for a major nationwide survey of credit report accuracy later this year.
"One of the big questions out there is how accurate are credit reports and what is the incidence of error?" said Rebecca Kuehn, the FTC's assistant director of privacy and identity protection.
Wouldn't it be interesting to also learn which of the "Big Three" credit bureaus has the most complaints? My emails indicate Experian and Equifax continue to be the most difficult of the big three to deal with. Here's one such complaint from today...
Me and my husband have been trying to get a lien removed from our credit reports for over 1 year. It is a state tax lien that was paid, but the state filed in error and we can not get it off our credit report. I sent them a copy of a letter from the state tax department. I have contacted all three, but only one (TU) took it off.
Karen
Here's a link to Robyn's story and the AJC article "Credit report fix a headache"
For tips on disputing credit report errors and additional info on the credit reporting industry, check out a few earlier blogs;
Complaints against credit bureaus costly, frustrating and endless
Why consumers sue the credit bureaus
Credit Bureau Reform long over-due
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Give me a lawyers name that will help US. Equifax
is doing good at our expense.
This world is turning into do wrong and get rewarded do right you get a hand full of fetal matter.Does anyone want to help?
Document all of your complaints with the credit bureaus in writing. And if you believe you need an attorney you can find an experienced consumer attorney at http://www.naca.net -click on search for an attorney and look for one experienced in the Fair Credit Reporting Act. without knowing what area you are in or more about your situation -that's my best suggestion.
As a survivor of ID theft, I have 10 years of documentation and horror stories that have fallen on deaf ears, or so it seems.
For 10 years I have been arguing with EQ that they have the wrong middle inital. For 3 years I couldn't even get a CRA and they claimed they "lost" my social/credit file. Of course, following the law and putting it in writing was not on their agenda.
What state are you in, Jen? You may want to consider getting a good consumer attorney in your area to file suit against them for what sounds like violations (as usual) to the FCRA. Go to http://www.naca.net to find an experienced consumer attorney who knows how to protect your rights. Feel free to email me directly too.
Hi, Equi. has merged someone elses info. with mine and won't change it regardless of my complaints and disputes. they have recently sent me a copy of my credit report which they claim is now updated, to a completely wrong address, (I was lucky it even got to me) and it has my full ss number on the first pages. It's identical to when I complained. The local PD found out that there's someone close by to me who has a similar name, not age nor ss number. and Equi. now refuses to accept their error. I contacted the credit issuers and they accept that Equi. made an error, since they report a completely different ss number. I want to know if I could sue, since i'm not sure if there's a base for this or not. I've never heard of this kind of case before. on my credit file, the other persons info. is placed as the most current and my real info. as AKA or Formerly Known as. I've already spent too much to fix their error. and shouldn't keep spending time nor money for their stupidity. I live in CA.
Carlos -This is actually a problem -cra's reckless handling -or mishandling of credit data. Have you disputed in writing? If so, sounds like clear violations of your right to accurate credit file under the FCRA. If they continue to knowingly contaminate your credit file and credit score with erroneous data and you have notified them of their errors, yes, you have a right to sue under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. To find a good consumer attorney, experienced with the FCRA -and protecting your rights, go to http://www.naca.net and click on search for an attorney in your area. Feel free to email me directly if you have a problem, and do keep us posted.
Denise
Hi, My husband cant get his credit score above 600 due to the credit agencies putting our 23 year old sons, who is a Jr, very poor credit habits on my husbands report. I have been disputing with them over the phone and the Internet for 4 years now. We have taken on very high interest rates due to the negative factors on his report. Every 3 months I check it and once again yesterday now there is a court judgment on it which specifically states "JR" on it but again on my husbands. Any help would be great. THANKS
Connie: You need to put your disputes, noting times you tried to correct in writing and send to each credit reporting agency via certified mail! Once you do so in WRITING, they must under the FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting ACT) they MUST investigate, remove negative inaccuracies and then send you their response along with a corrected credit report. IF they verify as accurate and do NOT correct their errors --then you have a solid case against them. Please check out more info on how to properly dispute, with links below, then send out written letters, and keep me posted on how you make out!
http://www.givemebackmycredit.com/richardson_howto_dispute.htm
more info:
http://www.givemebackmycredit.com/richardson_credit_reports.htm
Denise
Denise
The issue of merged credit accounts was an issue that plagued me for over 5 years. I married one of my long time friend's brothers. This friend and I had very similar names; hers Joyce and mine Joy, same last name. I've known Joyce since 4 grade and we lived in the same neighborhood we even attended the same college, different majors of course. My husband and I even lived with Joyce's parents for while because he and I were saving up for our business. Well after living with the in-laws for sometime my husband and I wanted to buy our own home. This is how I found out that Joyce and I having identical credit reports- To make a very long story short it took me 5 yrs to correct the error and I did so by contact my Attorney General!! Within days of writing my letter to the Attorney General I was on the phone with the Managers of each credit bureau getting our profiles separated! All I had to do was provide my SS card and State drivers license along with Joyce’s and like magic it was fixed they did add a do not merge message to my credit report so that it wouldn’t happen again in the future and I was ok with that. Try it; it worked for me and could possible change your life!