Experian plc

The Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Justice brought an enforcement action against Experian Information Solutions in 2000 over alleged violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act involving consumers' ability to contact the credit bureau about their credit reports. Federal law required nationwide consumer reporting agencies to maintain a toll-free telephone number through which personnel were accessible to consumers during normal business hours. According to the FTC, Experian failed to provide the level of access required by law. The government alleged that since September 1997 more than one million calls to Experian's dedicated toll-free numbers received either a busy signal or a message telling consumers to call back because all representatives were busy. The complaint also alleged that some consumers who succeeded in reaching Experian experienced unreasonably long hold times while attempting to speak with company personnel. These telephone lines were important because consumers used them to ask questions about their credit reports and dispute information they believed was inaccurate. The government alleged that Experian committed knowing violations constituting a pattern or practice of violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Experian agreed to pay a $1 million civil penalty. The settlement also imposed performance requirements designed to ensure that consumers could actually reach Experian personnel. These included standards concerning blocked-call rates and average hold times. The enforcement action was part of coordinated FTC cases against the three major U.S. credit-reporting agencies, but Experian's $1 million penalty was specifically attributable to Experian. Primary sources: Federal Trade Commission — Nation's Big Three Consumer Reporting Agencies Agree to Pay $2.5 Million: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2000/01/nations-big-three-consumer-reporting-agencies-agree-pay-25-million-settle-ftc-charges-violating-fair FTC / United States complaint against Experian Information Solutions: https://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cases/2000/01/experiancmp.htm

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed a federal lawsuit against Experian Information Solutions in January 2025 alleging systemic failures in the company's handling of consumer disputes concerning information contained in credit reports. This case remains unresolved. The allegations described here are allegations made by the CFPB and have not been established by a final judgment. The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires consumer reporting agencies to investigate consumer disputes and remove or correct inaccurate, incomplete or unverifiable information. In its second amended complaint, the CFPB alleges that Experian failed to properly conduct reinvestigations when consumers disputed information contained in their credit files. The Bureau further alleges that Experian failed to delete inaccurate, incomplete or unverified information and failed to provide adequate written notice to consumers concerning the results of reinvestigations. The CFPB also alleges that Experian failed to prevent previously deleted information from being improperly reinserted into consumers' credit reports. According to the Bureau, Experian relied excessively and unreasonably on companies that originally supplied disputed information. The CFPB alleges that Experian routinely did little more than forward a consumer's dispute to the information furnisher and implement that company's response, even when Experian possessed evidence suggesting that the furnisher was unreliable. The Bureau further alleges that Experian failed to follow reasonable procedures designed to assure the maximum possible accuracy of information contained in consumer credit reports. The CFPB has emphasized that inaccurate credit-report information can have serious consequences because credit reports are used in decisions involving loans, credit, employment and housing. The litigation has continued through multiple amended complaints and motions to dismiss. The CFPB's current enforcement page states that Experian filed an answer to the second amended complaint in November 2025. In January 2026, the court granted in part and denied in part a CFPB motion concerning several affirmative defenses raised by Experian. As of the CFPB's latest published case update, discovery is ongoing. The CFPB seeks compliance with federal law, consumer redress and civil monetary penalties. Because litigation remains ongoing, this Rotten Company evidence record should remain classified as unresolved unless and until the case reaches a settlement, judgment, dismissal or other final disposition. Primary sources: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — Experian Information Solutions enforcement case: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/enforcement/actions/experian-information-solutions-inc/ CFPB — CFPB Sues Experian for Sham Investigations of Credit Report Errors: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/archive/newsroom/cfpb-sues-experian-for-sham-investigations-of-credit-report-errors/

The U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission brought a case against ConsumerInfo.com, doing business as Experian Consumer Services, concerning commercial marketing emails sent to consumers. The government alleged violations of the federal CAN-SPAM Act, CAN-SPAM Rule and Federal Trade Commission Act. The case involved consumers who had created free Experian accounts that allowed them to control third-party access to their credit reports, including freezing or unfreezing their credit files. According to the government's complaint, Experian subsequently sent these account holders millions of commercial emails promoting additional Experian products and services. The emails included messages asking consumers to confirm whether a vehicle associated with their account belonged to them, promotions for services intended to boost credit scores, and advertisements for free dark-web scans. The government alleged that these commercial emails did not tell recipients that they could opt out of receiving future marketing emails and did not provide the opt-out mechanism required by federal law. The complaint also alleged that some of the emails implied that they contained important information concerning consumers' Experian accounts even though the messages were commercial marketing communications. DOJ said the government received numerous consumer complaints about the absence of an unsubscribe mechanism. Experian agreed to a permanent injunction prohibiting it from sending commercial emails without the required opt-out notice and mechanism. The federal court also imposed a $650,000 civil penalty. Primary source: U.S. Department of Justice — Experian Consumer Services Agrees to Injunction and $650,000 Civil Penalty: https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/experian-consumer-services-agrees-injunction-and-650000-civil-penalty-allegedly

The Federal Trade Commission brought an enforcement action in 2005 against ConsumerInfo.com, doing business as Experian Consumer Direct, over the marketing of supposedly free credit reports. ConsumerInfo.com was a wholly owned subsidiary of Experian North America. According to the FTC, consumers were attracted through television, radio, email and internet advertising promising free credit reports and free trials of credit-monitoring services. The FTC alleged that the company did not adequately disclose that consumers obtaining the supposedly free credit report would automatically be enrolled in a credit-monitoring service. Unless consumers cancelled within the trial period, they would be charged $79.95 for the service. The FTC also alleged that consumers were told that their credit-card information was required only to establish their accounts, even though those cards could subsequently be charged for the monitoring service. In addition, the FTC alleged that the company deceptively promoted its freecreditreport.com website without adequately disclosing that it was not associated with the official free annual credit-report program established by federal law. The settlement prohibited deceptive or misleading claims concerning free offers and imposed detailed disclosure requirements. ConsumerInfo.com was also required to provide redress to eligible consumers and surrender $950,000 in what the FTC described as ill-gotten gains. The FTC specifically required future promotions to clearly disclose that consumers would be charged unless they cancelled during the trial period. Primary source: Federal Trade Commission — Marketer of Free Credit Reports Settles FTC Charges: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2005/08/marketer-free-credit-reports-settles-ftc-charges-0

The Federal Trade Commission returned to court against ConsumerInfo.com, doing business as Experian Consumer Direct, in 2007 over advertising for its free credit-report service. The case was particularly significant because it followed the FTC's 2005 enforcement action concerning substantially similar marketing practices. Under the 2005 settlement, Experian Consumer Direct had been required to clearly and conspicuously disclose that consumers obtaining a free credit report would automatically be enrolled in a paid credit-monitoring service unless they cancelled within the trial period. The FTC alleged that advertisements run after the 2005 settlement failed to comply with those disclosure requirements. According to the FTC, consumers responding to the advertised free-credit-report offer could again be automatically enrolled in a credit-monitoring program and charged $79.95. The FTC alleged that the company's failure to adequately disclose the automatic enrollment and charge violated the requirements imposed by the previous federal court settlement. The supplemental settlement required ConsumerInfo.com to surrender another $300,000. It also prohibited the company from misrepresenting any affiliation with the official annual credit-report program available to consumers under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The 2007 action therefore represented a repeat regulatory intervention concerning Experian Consumer Direct's marketing of free credit reports only approximately eighteen months after the original settlement. Primary sources: Federal Trade Commission — ConsumerInfo.com Settles FTC Charges: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2007/02/consumerinfocom-settles-ftc-charges FTC case record — ConsumerInfo.com / Experian Consumer Direct: https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/cases-proceedings/022-3263-consumerinfocom-inc-dba-experian-consumer-direct-qspace-inc-iplace-inc

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau fined Experian $3 million in March 2017 for deceiving consumers about how credit scores it marketed and sold were used. According to the CFPB, Experian represented that the credit scores it provided to consumers were used by lenders when making credit decisions. The Bureau found that lenders did not use those scores for those lending decisions. In some instances, there were significant differences between Experian's PLUS Scores sold to consumers and the credit scores lenders actually used. As a result, consumers could receive an inaccurate picture of how lenders assessed their creditworthiness. The CFPB also found violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act connected with advertisements consumers were shown before obtaining free annual credit reports. Experian agreed to pay a $3 million civil penalty and comply with requirements concerning future representations about credit scores. Primary source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — CFPB Fines Experian $3 Million for Deceiving Consumers in Marketing Credit Scores: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/archive/newsroom/cfpb-fines-experian-3-million-deceiving-consumers-marketing-credit-scores/