Hines v. Equifax Information Services LLC Settlement

This settlement concerns certain disputes of “hard inquiries,” which are entries showing that someone accessed a credit file. The covered groups are based on Equifax’s records, not simply on whether someone believes an inquiry was unauthorized.

• The Certified Group generally requires all of the following in Equifax’s records: a mailed letter disputing one or more hard inquiries between October 4, 2016 and March 27, 2026; Equifax coding the dispute as “not mine” (001) or “unauthorized” (383); and Equifax sending a document containing “Cons Comm 664.”
• The General Dispute Group covers people whose Equifax records show one or more hard-inquiry disputes between August 31, 2021 and March 27, 2026.
• The notice says people with a New York address who meet the separate New York Subclass definition are also covered. Your notice credentials can identify your group.

Receiving a notice alone does not result in a payment. All class members must file a valid claim. The notice calls for a valid form but does not provide further document requirements.

• You must submit a valid Claim Form by November 29, 2026 to seek a payment.
• The notice directs class members to submit the form through the settlement website.
• The notice does not say whether the form will require supporting documents or describe what documents, if any, must be provided.

The payment estimate depends on the group Equifax identifies for you. The notice does not clearly state how payments work for a person whose circumstances appear to fit more than one listed group, so use the Claim Number and PIN from your notice to identify the applicable group.

• The notice estimates about $300 for Claiming Class Members in the Certified Group.
• It estimates about $100 for Claiming Class Members in the General Dispute Group.
• It estimates about $400 for Claiming Class Members in the New York Subclass.
• These are estimates, not guaranteed amounts. They can be lower or higher because the actual payment depends on the claims rate in this case.

The New York Subclass has its own eligibility definition and a separate estimated payment. It is described as a group within the Certified Group who have New York-related claims.

• The New York Subclass applies to people with an address in New York during the period from November 27, 2017 through September 10, 2024.
• Equifax must have sent the person a Cons Comm 664 document in response to a mailed dispute of one or more hard inquiries.
• The hard-inquiry dispute must have been coded “not mine” (001) or “unauthorized” (383).

The $30 million is a total fund, not a separate $30 million amount set aside only for class-member payments.

• Equifax agreed to establish a $30 million Settlement Fund.
• That fund also covers settlement administration costs, up to $60,000 total in service awards to the named plaintiffs, up to $10 million in attorneys’ fees, and up to $260,000 in litigation expenses.
• Payments to class members are made from the fund, and payment amounts depend on the distribution plan and the number of valid claims.

No payment date is promised. Payments will be sent only after final approval and after any appeals are resolved; appeals can delay payment.

• If the Court approves the settlement and it becomes final, you may choose electronic payment through the settlement website.
• Otherwise, a paper check will be mailed to the address on your Claim Form.
• You may update your mailing address on the Claim Form.

Doing nothing is different from leaving the settlement. Leaving the settlement is also called opting out or requesting exclusion. People who exclude themselves do not receive a settlement payment.

• If you do nothing, you will not receive settlement benefits.
• If the settlement receives final approval, remaining class members give up the right to sue Equifax over the claims this settlement resolves.
• To preserve the right to bring your own lawsuit about those claims, you must request exclusion by November 20, 2026.

Excluding yourself means you will not be bound by the settlement judgment, but you will not receive a payment from this settlement.

• Send a written exclusion request to the Settlement Administrator by November 20, 2026.
• Include your full name, address, email address, telephone number, a statement that you want to be excluded, and the unique identifier from your mailed or emailed notice.
• Mail it to Hines v. Equifax, c/o Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 16, West Point, PA 19486.

Objecting is not the same as opting out. An objection tells the Court why you disagree while remaining in the settlement.

• You may object to the settlement, part of the settlement, or the request for attorneys’ fees and expenses.
• Your objection must be submitted on or before November 20, 2026.
• You must file it through the court’s CM/ECF system or send a letter to the Court, and you must also send a copy to the Settlement Administrator.

At the hearing, the Court will consider whether the settlement is fair and whether to approve the requested attorneys’ fees and expenses.

• The hearing is scheduled for December 10, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
• It is scheduled at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, NY 11201.
• The hearing may be virtual or moved without additional notice.
• You do not have to attend. To ask to speak, you must timely submit a compliant objection and a Notice of Intention to Appear by November 26, 2026.