How to Dispute Credit Report Errors

October 1, 2007

Obtain a credit report from the three nationwide consumer reporting companies: Equifax, Experian and Transunion.
In writing, tell the consumer reporting company the inaccurate information on your report. Provide your complete information such as name and address in your letter. Clearly specify each item you dispute, explain why you dispute the information, state the facts, and request that the information be removed from your report or corrected.
Provide copies of documents that support your position and keep the originals of all the documents for your records. Also enclose a copy of your credit report and circle the items you are disputing.
You should document what the consumer reporting company received by sending your letter certified mail with “return receipt requested”.
Usually within 30 days the consumer reporting companies will investigate the items in question unless they find the information to be frivolous.
The information must be forwarded to the organization regarding the inaccurate information on the report. The organization responsible for providing the information will receive notice of the dispute from the consumer reporting company and must review and investigate the information, and report the results back to the consumer reporting companies.
If the information is found to be inaccurate by the information provider, all three nationwide consumer reporting companies are contacted so the information is corrected in your file.
The consumer reporting companies must provide you with a result of the dispute, in writing and a free copy of your report if the investigation resulted in a change.
If the result of the investigation of the dispute resulted in an item deleted or changed then the consumer reporting company cannot put the disputed information back in your file unless the information provider verifies that it is accurate and complete. You must receive written notice from the consumer reporting company which should also include the information providers name, address and phone number.
Anyone who received your report in the past six months can be sent notices of any corrections on your report. The notices will only be sent if you request the consumer reporting company to send them out.
If for any reason the investigation of your dispute with the consumer reporting company isn’t resolved, you may ask that a statement of the dispute be included in your file and future reports.

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