FTC Reports to Congress on Credit Report Complaint Referral Program

The Federal Trade Commission has issued a report to Congress on the credit report complaint referral program under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

The Commission is the federal agency with primary responsibility for compliance with the FCRA and operates a system for receiving complaints from consumers about possible violations of the FCRA. Section 611(e) of the FCRA, which was added by Congress in the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACT Act), requires the Commission to establish a program to refer certain consumer complaints to the three nationwide consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) – TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian – and to report to Congress on the information gathered in the program. The complaints covered by the program are those received by the Commission from consumers who have disputed the accuracy of information in their credit report with a CRA and are dissatisfied with the results of the process. This report covers the period from the initiation of the program in 2004 through the end of 2007.

The Commission vote to issue the report was 4-0.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,500 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s Web site provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.

(FCRA Complaint Referral - P044804)