I then asked the doctor's office to call Equifax and tell them that it had been their fault, and that they were satisfied with the outcome (to have it removed from his credit report). They did that, but Equifax REFUSED to remove it from his credit report because, according to them, it was still late getting paid--even though we'd never received the bill, and therefore couldn't pay it. According to them, we are responsible for checking to make sure all of our bills were paid by the ins co, not the doctor to make sure they were billed properly or on time or even to us.

This part of your story is where someone is trying to pull wool over your eyes. Equifax never makes these decisions. Whoever told you that is not being square with you. Equifax would have only communicated with whoever put the listing there in the first place. Take these steps:

1. Look at your Equifax report. Find out exactly who put a mention of this matter on your credit report. Almost certainly, it wasn't the doctor's office but it was a collection agency.

2. Communicate directly with the collection agency. See that they agree that the whole matter should not have been on your credit report. If they don't agree, then go to your former doctor (their client) and ask them to apply influence. Repeat step 2 as necessary.

3. When step 2 is successfully completed, ask the collection agency to remove their listings with the credit bureaus. Write Equifax and explain that you have communicated with the collection agency and they have assured you they would remove the information, and that you want them to investigate the listing and remove the incorrect information from your credit reports, sending you a new copy when they are done.

Robb