Old debt still showing on report 5 years later

I am extremely disappointed with Experian South Africa. I have double listings on my credit profile for the same debts — one from the original creditor and another from a debt collection agency. All of the accounts are closed, and the debt defaulted over 5 years ago during Covid.

As per the National Credit Act, adverse listings should be removed after 1 year, and defaults older than 5 years should no longer appear at all. Despite this, Experian still reflects both accounts — causing unfair damage to my credit score.

Even worse, all other credit bureaus have already removed or corrected this information. Experian is the only bureau still showing outdated data.

I’ve submitted several disputes via email, yet Experian either ignores them or takes over 2 months to respond, if they respond at all. Their customer service is non-existent — calls go unanswered, and there is no way to get proper assistance.

This is completely unacceptable. Experian is violating my consumer rights by retaining outdated, inaccurate, and duplicate information. I am now preparing to escalate this matter to the Credit Ombud if it is not resolved urgently.