Let's assume that you send a dispute to Equifax in Atlanta. EQ then forwards your dispute to their affiliate, CSC of Houston, to process the dispute. EQ sends a letter to you dated 9/16/02 and says "we are in receipt of your request for investigation. We have forwarded your dispute to our affiliate CSC of Houston, address, etc." Okay, it is now 10/7, or 21 days after EQ admits, in writing, they have received the dispute. A dispute still has not been started with CSC as of 10/7/02. What date should my dispute have begun? 9/16/02 when EQ received it? some date when CSC starts the dispute? What if CSC never begins the dispute? Then what? My feelings are that no dispute will ever be started via CSC. There is a huge breakdown in communications between EQ and their affiliates. Let me know what you guys think. Lisa
I had a similar situation a few months ago. CBC (eq. aff.) forwarded my dispute to CSC (eq. aff). CSC didn't show where they had received my dispute. Well, they did get my dispute, investigated, and I recieved the results of my investigation in the mail within 30 days. Be patient. It will probably work out fine. If not, keep all your documentation regarding where you sent the info, who signed, etc.
Sirrowan, I have Credit Watch. I pull a report everyday to see if an investigation has been started. There is no investigation going now. Shouldn't the 30 days start when EQ receives it? Even if I give them ALOT of latitiude and say it should start when EQ gets around to sending it to the affiliate, that would have been 3 weeks ago. There is no dispute that EQ received it. They acknowledge that with dated correspondence. If their affiliate never receives it, is that my fault? EQ got it. How do I know that they actually forwarded it to the affiliate at all?
Aren't you supposed to send the dispute to the affiliate directly? I know when I was disputing, I had to send Experian disputes to the local affiliate Credit Data Southwest. By law, the 30 days starts they day the received it. However, being it was not send directly where it needed to go, I would say it probably starts when the affiliate receives it.
LKH, what if CSC never starts the investigation for whatever reason--they never received it, they didn't get around to it, dog chewed it up, whatever. EQ could investigate the dispute. They have contracted out certain areas of the country. Is that my fault? How do I know they actually forwarded it to CSC? Of course CSChas no record at all of the dispute.
Quigs, I just keep coming back to your very statement "convenient for them." My logical mind says that the dispute should begin when EQ receives it. The fact they subcontract at all is not my problem--EQ publishes the info, not CSC. The fact that EQ subcontract to idiots should be EQ's problem.
It also seems to me that the very structure of having affiliates all over the country, with different management, policies, etc just serves to muddy the waters. EQ should not be allowed to benefit from a crappy corporate structure.
Well, I still think the 30 days starts when csc receives the dispute. That being said, you have proof that equifax received it. They say they sent it to csc, so I don't think csc can just say they didn't get it and legally be ok. I would call equifax and ask them how they get the disputes to csc. Ask for the date it was sent and the date csc received it. I doubt they mail. It most likely is done by tape or fax or email. Then when you get this info, it's time to send a letter to csc stating "per equifax, you received this dispute on xx date. Your 30 days to investigate are over on xx date. I will expect you t comply with the FCRA and delete those items on xx date. etc, etc, etc."
LKH, that is what I am thinking too. This could be good news in the long run. I have just been down the CSC road so many times before--I would say that at least 50% of all disputes I send are: 1. lost - "we show we received it but we can't seem to find the original document." 2. never received - "we have no record of that" 3. handled improperly - I stated XYZ acct should be disputed, they put ABC account into dispute 4. not fully dealt with - 2 of the 4 accts listed on the same sheet of paper were actually were disputed. Remember too that CSC does not allow any type of online dispute--only mail and phone calls. I hear that they are not even accepting phone calls now. By mail or fax is literally the only way to get a dispute to them. You are clueless as to start date unless you pull a CW report every day and see when the item is noted as "in dispute." The inquiries section lists "consumer reinvestigation" but no dispute is started. I am just sick of dealing with these idiots. Thanks for letting me vent!
When I had an AFFILIATE (don't have one now, luckily) the instructions said mail to XXXXX AFFILIATE AT XXXX ADDRESS XXXXX CITY...any other addresses will cause EXCESSIVE delays.
LisaMc, I was also subscribing to Creditwatch and nothing was marked in dispute. I was foaming at the mouth mad! I was ready to sue, etc. but my dipute was treated as though it was received by CSC, when CBC received it. They told me over the phone (you could actually talk to a person then) that they (CSC) showed no record of receiving my dispute. I received my results in 30 days.
