Quick Answer: This CFPB complaint shows a consumer disputed four medical collection accounts totaling $763 that Equifax reportedly caused their credit score to drop 115 points. Equifax closed the complaint with non-monetary relief, suggesting consumers should document all medical debt disputes and demand validation before accounts hit credit reports.
Date Received: 2018-12-24T00:00:00.000
Product: Medical debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
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Consumer Complaint: XXXX XXXX is reporting FOUR collection accounts under my credit report. My SS # is XXXX, XXXX XXXX, DOB- XX/XX/XXXX. There are no account numbers reported The balances are {$290.00}, {$94.00}, {$99.00} and {$280.00}. This compnay called me ONCE over these accounts, I disputed these accounts right away! Two accounts were paid and setteled and teh other two I paid through my HSA!!!!!!! I asked for proof of what I am now being billed for and they never sent it!!!!! They are in violation of FDCPA 1692 ( g ) ( a ) and ( b )!!!!! My credit score has gone down 115 points due to there inaccurate reporting!!!!! These debts are not owed and they never sent me proof of what I am even being billed for before they reported these accounts to the bureaus!!!!!!! These Four accounts needs to be removed from collections under my credit reporting!!!!
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State/Zip: OH
Company Response to Complaint: Closed with non-monetary relief
Was Company Response Timely: Yes
Did Consumer Dispute Company Response: N/A
Complaint ID: 3108448
The above data is from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Keep in mind that every company will get a complaint from time-to-time, even the great ones. But there are a few key data points that will give you an idea about how well the company values their customers and handles consumer issues.
Look at the item Company Response to Complaint: and Did Consumer Dispute Company Response: to get a better idea of how this was resolved. And the field Consumer Complaint: can give you some context of the issue.
In particular what you are looking for was that the company response was timely and that the consumer did not dispute it. The posting of complaints has proven to be a valuable resource for both companies and consumers.
Know Your Rights: If a debt collector is contacting you, you have legal protections. See the complete list of FDCPA violations collectors commit most often. Use the free Debt Validation Letter Generator to demand proof of the debt, or check this collector’s complaint history with the Scam-O-Meter.
Dealing With Debt? Before you pay a collector, understand all your debt relief options — including ones the collector won’t tell you about. If the debt feels unmanageable, take the 2-minute bankruptcy quiz to see if the math favors a fresh start. Federal Reserve research shows filers recover faster than those who don’t file.
