Many people trust that large, respected companies and financial institutions will follow all the rules and regulations at the state and federal levels when dealing with something as important as their credit histories. They may believe that the majority of violations under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) are the fault of small, new, or fly-by-night companies. Unfortunately, that assumption couldn’t be further from the truth. Even big, well-known companies sometimes break or “bend” the rules set forth in the FCRA, and it probably happens more often than many people think it does.
Although consumers are given the right to dispute incorrect information on their credit reports and other violations of the FCRA, the truth is that it can be difficult at times. Sadly, many companies get away with these abuses because the individuals affected are not aware of their rights or are not able to legally take action against a big corporation on their own.
Common Ways Companies Violate Consumer Rights Under the FCRA
Consumers receive many different protections for many different situations under the FCRA. However, violations of some of these rights are more common than others. Here are some examples of frequently-reported violations under the FCRA:
- Reporting debts after they have been paid off
- Reporting old debts or illegally re-aging debts
- Mixing up files, such as reporting credit information for someone with a similar name or social security number
- Otherwise reporting inaccurate or incorrect information
- Inappropriately releasing credit information
- Failing to appropriately investigate or forward disputes
- When applying for a job, and the company pulls your credit report and does not hire you because of your credit and does not notify you of the use of your report
While these may be some of the most common issues, consumers should also understand that it’s not a complete list of potential violations, and individual circumstances can vary. If you’re unsure or have questions, don’t hesitate to start investigating your rights with an experienced consumer attorney.
Getting Help When Large Creditors and Companies Refuse to Respect Consumer Rights
If you believe that your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act may have been violated, and you haven’t been able to resolve the issue on your own, reach out to our experienced attorney at 804-282-7900. The Consumer Law Group is devoted to protecting and fighting for the rights of consumers, and we would be happy to discuss your situation with you in detail.
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