Federal (Canada)Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents ActSettled

Settled case summary #10 — A collection agency

Organization: A collection agencyComplainant: Anonymous applicant
Plain-language brief

An individual complained to the OPC after a collection agency failed to correct inaccurate information in his credit file, despite his lawyer's repeated attempts. The complainant had paid off a debt years prior, but the collection agency had not reported this to credit bureaux, causing him difficulty in securing credit. The collection agency initially had no record of the lawyer's correspondence. However, after the OPC intervened and the lawyer sent another letter, the agency investigated and confirmed the debt was paid. Consequently, the agency updated the credit bureaux, and the complainant's credit files were amended. The complaint was settled during the investigation.

Key issues
  1. 1Whether the collection agency failed to ensure the accuracy of personal information it held
  2. 2Whether the collection agency failed to correct inaccurate personal information upon request
Outcome breakdownFavours: Applicant / complainant
  • Accuracy of personal information: Inaccurate information corrected
  • Correction of personal information: Information updated in credit files
  • Complaint resolution: Settled during investigation
Outcome

Complaint settled

Reasoning

The collection agency confirmed the inaccuracy of the debt information and took corrective action by notifying credit bureaux, leading to the settlement of the complaint.

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Decision notes
Recommended action / remedy

The collection agency corrected the inaccurate debt information with credit bureaux, leading to the amendment of the complainant's credit files.

This summary is informational only and not legal advice.

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