The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is the federal agency responsible for enforcing consumer financial protection laws including the FCRA and FDCPA. When credit bureaus fail to conduct reasonable investigations or furnishers ignore your disputes, a CFPB complaint is one of the most effective escalation tools available.
Why CFPB Complaints Work
- CFPB forwards complaints directly to the company within roughly one business day
- Companies are expected to respond within 15 days and close within 60 days
- All complaints enter the public Consumer Complaint Database monitored by regulators
- Patterns of complaints trigger CFPB examinations and enforcement actions
- Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion are under ongoing CFPB supervisory authority
When to File
- A bureau failed to investigate your dispute within 30 days
- A furnisher ignored your 623 direct dispute
- A debt collector refused to validate a debt or continued collection after a validation request
- A bureau is re-inserting previously deleted information without notifying you first — an FCRA violation
How to File
Visit consumerfinance.gov/complaint. Select the product type, describe your issue factually and chronologically, reference specific laws violated (FCRA Section 609, 611, 623; FDCPA Section 809), attach copies of dispute letters and responses, and state the specific resolution you want. A strong narrative is 300-600 words — concise and factual.
State Attorney General Complaints
File with your state AG in addition to the CFPB. State AGs often have additional enforcement tools and many states have credit reporting laws providing greater protections than the federal FCRA.
When to involve an attorney: If CFPB and state AG complaints fail and you have clear evidence of FCRA or FDCPA violations, consult a consumer law attorney. FCRA violations entitle you to statutory damages of $100-$1,000 per violation, actual damages, and attorney fees if you prevail. Many consumer law attorneys take these cases on contingency.
More in this dispute series:
- Credit Dispute Guide: The Complete FiStarr Playbook
- 609 Letter: How to Dispute Credit Report Errors
- 611 Letter: Holding Bureaus Accountable After a Dispute
- 623 Dispute Letter: Go Directly to the Furnisher
- Debt Validation Letter: Stop Collectors Cold
- Collection Removal Guide: Every Strategy That Works
- Late Payment Removal: Dispute, Goodwill, and Negotiation
- Goodwill Letter: Ask Creditors to Remove Late Payments
- Identity Theft Dispute: Block Fraudulent Accounts Fast
- Charge-Off Dispute: Remove or Correct Charge-Offs