Equifax $30 Million Settlement Over Uninvestigated Hard Inquiry Disputes
The Equifax $30 Million Settlement Over Uninvestigated Hard Inquiry Disputes settlement offers $30M in total to eligible claimants who be a u.s. resident (including u.s. territories) whose equifax records show equifax received a mailed dispute disputing one or more hard inquiries between oct. 4, 2016 and mar. 27, 2026 (certified group).. The deadline to file is November 29, 2026. Proof of purchase is required.
Deadline: November 29, 2026
Total amount allocated for all claims
Estimated amount per eligible claim
To submit a claim, complete the online claim form or mail the PDF claim form. Online claimants must enter the claim number and PIN from their settlement notice. The claimant must certify under penalty of perjury that they disputed a hard inquiry on their Equifax credit report and suffered economic loss, loss of privacy, or other negative consequences, or that credit was denied due to the disputed inquiry. The class membership is primarily supported by Equifax credit-file indicators referenced in the notice (e.g., dispute coding “not mine”/“unauthorized” and issuance of a “Cons Comm 664” response).
Settlement Summary
Hard inquiries—accesses of your credit file by lenders or other entities—are a key part of how credit decisions are made. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires credit bureaus like Equifax to investigate disputes you submit and to follow reasonable procedures, including correcting or removing information when a dispute is validated. According to the class action described, Equifax allegedly fell short when people disputed specific hard inquiries: the lawsuits claimed Equifax did not properly investigate certain “not mine/unauthorized” inquiry disputes and did not remove disputed inquiries when required, instead sending responses that did not adequately address the consumer’s concern. The case covers disputes tied to specific time windows, including mailed disputes and responses marked with certain Equifax communication codes. The lawsuit was filed to hold Equifax accountable for how it handled these consumer disputes and to give affected people a way to recover money without each person pursuing a separate claim. By agreeing to pay $30 million to settle four related lawsuits, Equifax avoided additional litigation while consumers who meet the criteria may receive estimated payments of roughly $100–$400 depending on the group they fall into (with a higher estimated amount for a New York subclass). With an estimated 3 million potential class members, the settlement is significant because it turns a process issue—how credit bureaus respond to disputed file access—into a large, structured remedy for consumers, subject to deadlines for opting out and filing claims. Broader implications extend beyond this particular settlement: similar disputes often arise when consumers believe inaccurate or unauthorized inquiries remain on their credit reports, potentially affecting lending, housing, or employment decisions. Cases like this typically reinforce scrutiny under the FCRA and related state consumer-protection laws, and they can influence industry practices around dispute intake, investigation standards, documentation, and how “verified” versus “disputed” information is updated. If you fit the described criteria—especially those who received particular dispute-related response codes—this settlement offers a pathway to compensation while signaling that credit reporting systems must take consumer dispute obligations seriously under federal and state regulation.
Entities Involved
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Eligibility Requirements
- Be a U.S. resident (including U.S. territories) whose Equifax records show Equifax received a mailed dispute disputing one or more hard inquiries between Oct. 4, 2016 and Mar. 27, 2026 (certified group).
- For the certified group, the Equifax credit file must show the inquiry dispute was coded as “not mine” (001) or “unauthorized” (383).
- For the certified group, Equifax must have sent a response document containing “Cons Comm 664” (for example, a letter stating inquiries are a factual record of file access).
- Be in the general dispute group if Equifax records show it received one or more hard-inquiry disputes between Aug. 31, 2021 and Mar. 27, 2026.
- Be in the New York subclass if you are in the certified group and your address was in New York and you received a “Cons Comm 664” letter in response to a mailed dispute between Nov. 27, 2017 and Sept. 10, 2024.
- Submit a timely, valid claim form (deadline to file: Nov. 29, 2026).
- Certify under penalty of perjury that you disputed the inquiry and experienced economic loss, loss of privacy, or other negative consequences, or that an entity denied you credit due to the disputed inquiry.
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Important Notice About Filing Claims
Submitting false information in a settlement claim is considered perjury and will result in your claim being rejected. Fraudulent claims harm legitimate class members and may result in legal consequences.
If you are unsure about your eligibility for this settlement, please visit the official settlement administrator’s website using the link provided above. Review the eligibility criteria carefully before submitting a claim.
Class Action Champion is an independent information resource and is not affiliated with any settlement administrator, law firm, or court. We provide settlement information as a service to help connect eligible class members with legitimate settlements.