Ok, this is a new one (to me at least).... There are 2 inquiries on my report from CSC credit services, which is my local Equifax affiliate. wtf? i know Equifax is a CRA, but are they a CA too? I noticed they're listed on this site as a main competitor of TeleCheck's. TeleCheck is a CRA and CA. Does this mean Equifax is not just a storer of info, but a debt collector too? and why in the hell are they snooping around in my credit reports? are they planning to surprise me with some new collection I'm not aware of yet? anyone else have an inquiry from CSC on their reports? Do i sound paranoid? lol
Yes Equifax is also a CA atleast for checks.. not sure about anything more, they were handling a bounced check of mine for CompUSA.
I know EQ and EX have CA devisions, not sure about TU. And affiliates probably are more likely than the main CRAs to act as CAs... I found these links by just going to their sites and clicking the Business links... Equifax Debt Recovery http://www.equifax.com/biz/solutions/debtrecovery.shtml Experian Credit Solutions http://www.experian.com/credit_solutions/index.html One of the services on Experian's Credit Solutions is to provide for skip-tracing access to phone numbers from inquiries, gee, I wonder if they show these as soft inqs, or if they skirt the FCRA in providing this information.
on my reports, they're hard inquiries. Ok, in my TeleCheck thread, someone (i think butch) raised the question of whether a CRA who also acts as a CA (on some accounts, for some consumers) is bound by the FDCPA. Should i write them and ask what their permissible purpose was?
Re: Equifax inquiry on Experian rep csc is listed on my report as a tri merged mortgage reporter, My mortgage broker stated that CSC provides trimerged reports for mortgage lenders as well as single reports for some auto dealers.
the ftc's opinion to telecheck answers this... yes, any company, is a collection agency if they are collecting the debt of another company. so if the company is acting as a collection agency, they are bound by the fdcpa, unless another type of exemption precludes that.
Another possibility: "A consumer reporting agency may furnish a consumer report to another consumer reporting agency for it to furnish pursuant to a subscriber's request. In these circumstances, one consumer reporting agency is acting on behalf of another." 16 C.F.R. Sect 604 (2004). That is the FTC Statements of General Policy or Interpretations.
I know they look hard CM, but they're not. (At least mine aren't) I have to deal with CBC myself. Another EQ aff. ((
