On January 7, 2025, the CFPB sued Experian, the nationwide consumer reporting agency, for unlawfully failing to investigate consumer disputes properly. The CFPB alleges that Experian does not take sufficient steps to intake, process, investigate, and notify consumers about consumer disputes, resulting in the inclusion of incorrect information on credit reports.
The CFPB alleges that Experian has violated the FCRA’s requirements for handling consumer disputes. Specifically, the CFPB alleges that Experian is harming consumers by:
Conducting sham investigations that fail to properly address consumer disputes. Experian has flawed intake procedures for handling disputes, leading to inaccurate communication of relevant information to the original furnisher. The company often accepts the furnisher’s responses without critical evaluation, even when those responses appear illogical. After investigations, Experian sends consumers notices that are confusing, ambiguous, or incorrect, failing to clearly convey the results.
Improperly reinserting inaccurate information on consumer reports. Experian has not implemented effective matching tools to prevent the reinsertion of previously deleted tradelines. As a result, inaccurate information is often reinserted into consumer reports without explanation from new furnishers, leaving consumers confused after disputing an account's accuracy.
The CFPB’s press release can be found here.
See the full complaint here.
