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Challenging Information on Your Credit Report

Challenging Information on Your Credit Report

Sesser, December 14, 2007

I have several creditors on my credit report that have no relation to me and several names with different address.

How do I fix it?

Re: Challenging Information on Your Credit Report

Jeff (Editor), December 18, 2007

Unfortunately, it is very common to have inaccurate information on your credit report. There is a process for getting it removed. I will show you how to do it.

The process is more or less the same for each of the three credit bureaus. You need to have a recent credit report (less than 90 days old for Experian). The process will take a maximum of 45 days. If the situation is not resolved to your satisfaction, you can ask that a "statement of dispute" be added to your credit file.

Do not pay for your credit report unless you have to. You are entitled to one free credit report per year from each of the three credit bureaus. Go to http://www.annualcreditreport.com to get your free credit report.

When disputing a creditor's information, the credit bureau will launch an investigation. They will contact the creditor for proof that the company has a business relationship with you. If the creditor cannot provide that proof, the credit bureau will remove the item from your credit report.

Here are the specifics on disputing items on your credit report for each credit bureau:

Experian

Credit report must be less than 90 days old. You will need a "report number" found at the top of your credit report.

Main Dispute Page http://www.experian.com/disputes/index.html

Start Dispute Process https://www.experian.com/consumer/cac/InvalidateSession.do?code=DISPUTE

TransUnion

Main Dispute Page http://www.transunion.com/corporate/personal/creditDisputes.page

Start Dispute Process https://annualcreditreport.transunion.com/tu/dispute/order.jsp?package=DisputeDisclosure

Equifax

Equifax sometimes sells your credit report to other companies. Enter your zip code on their site to find out. If another company "owns" your credit report, you must follow that company's procedures.

If Equifax owns your credit report, you will need the confirmation number at the top of the report.

Main Dispute Page http://www.equifax.com/online-credit-dispute

With any luck, the investigation will resolve your problem. If it doesn't, you can ask the credit bureau to place a statement on your credit report disputing the erroneous items. The statement will show up any time a company pulls your credit report.

It can also help to contact the creditor directly to resolve the situation. Ask them to provide proof of your business relationship (dates, products or services purchased, etc.) They seem to think you did business with them at some point. They should have the details.