- 1). Dispute the negative items with the credit bureau. Each bureau is a separate company so you must file a separate dispute for each bureau's report. You can file a dispute online or by phone and the bureau will receive the dispute the same day. Mailed disputes take longer to reach the bureau.
- 2). Wait to receive a response. Under the FCRA, credit bureaus have up to 30 days to investigate the dispute. This entails contacting the supplier of the negative data, verifying the information and making all necessary corrections in their database. If the bureau cannot verify the data for whatever reason, they must delete the item.
- 3). Receive your results. If you filed a dispute online, the bureau will send your investigation results to the email address you included when initiating the dispute. The results for a mailed or phone dispute are sent to you by regular mail. Along with the results, the bureau will include a fresh copy of your credit report that shows the removal of the negative items.
- 4). Speak with the creditor if you are not satisfied with the results of the investigation. The bureau will verify information; however, if the creditor's records contain an error, you will have to correct that error with the creditor.
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