- 1). Gather all paperwork that verifies that the credit report company's information is not correct.
- 2). Make and file copies of your documentation.
- 3). Call the credit-reporting company to see if the issue can be resolved without filing a formal complaint. Usually the contact information for the company is listed on the credit report or loan/card agreement. Send in your documentation along with a letter that explains exactly what the documentation proves and what you are contesting in the credit report. Do not use automated complaint forms provided by the company. According to Bob Sullivan of MSNBC, these forms just place you in categories and allow the reporting agency to perform only basic investigation.
- 4). Let the creditor know there is a problem on the credit report. If the creditor admits an error, you may be able to end your complaint by having the credit-reporting agency get documentation from the creditor that corrects the error. According to Sullivan, if the agency doesn't respond to to the creditor's information, doing this will give you the advantage in court because you may be able to show that the credit-reporting agency ignored your requests to settle the dispute.
- 5). Call the credit report agency and get the name, address and phone number of the regulatory agency that oversees the credit-reporting agency. Send the regulatory agency copies of your documentation and a letter that explains what you are disputing and how the credit agency has failed to correct the dispute. Typically, you'll need to contact the Office of the Comptroller for national agencies and the Consumer Response Center for credit bureaus, department stores and FDIC organizations.
- 6). Go to the Federal Trade Commission website (ftc.gov) and file a formal complaint against the credit agency through the FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection online form.
- 7). Write to the credit agency and threaten legal action if you are sure it has made a mistake. File a lawsuit as a last resort.
previous post
next post