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How To Dispute Credit Card Inaccuracies
So you ordered your credit report—great! That is the first and possibly the
most important step towards becoming a credit-savvy consumer. But what if you’re
looking through your report and you see something you don’t recognize? It
could be charge you didn't make, a late payment you think you made on time, or even
an account you don’t remember opening.
You have the right to dispute these possible inaccuracies and a credit bureau has
30 days to investigate them. You can start this process by writing or calling the
appropriate bureau at:
Equifax Information Services
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
Phone: 1 (800) 378-2732 |
Experian
National Consumer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 2104
Allen, TX 75013-0949
Phone: Experian 1 (888) EXPERIAN |
Trans Union Corporation
P.O. Box 390
Springfield, PA 19064-0390
Phone: Trans Union 1 (800) 916-8800 |
Once you’ve made a dispute, the credit bureau must then give you the written
results and a free copy of your report if the dispute results in a change. If your
creditor reports that the information is accurate, you can request a reinvestigation,
although such a procedure may not resolve your dispute. If that's the case, you
may ask the bureau to include your statement of the dispute in your file so that
anyone who pulls your report can see you feel the data in question is incorrect.
However, remember that your comment will stay on your credit report for seven years
and may outlast the original inaccuracy.
It’s important to realize that the 3 major credit bureaus all have separate
credit reports on you. Creditors can choose to report your information to any of
the bureaus…or all three of them. If you successfully dispute an inaccuracy
on your credit report at one of the bureaus, that bureau is required to inform the
other bureaus of the change. However, just to be sure, you should check all three
reports for inaccuracies. Your iCreditReports.com Credit Report is the fast, safe, and
easy way to see your credit information from all three bureaus at once! Order today
to make sure inaccuracies on your credit report aren’t getting in your way.
If all else fails, you may sue a credit bureau in state or federal court for most
violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. If you win, the credit bureau will
have to pay damages and reimburse you for attorney fees to the extent ordered by
the court.
You may also wish to contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to file complaints
against a non-cooperative credit bureau if, after continued attempts, you still
get no response. Although the FTC can't act as your lawyer in private disputes,
information about your experiences and concerns is vital to the enforcement of the
Fair Credit Reporting Act. You may send your questions and/or complaints to:
Consumer Response Center
FCRA
Federal Trade Commission
Washington, D.C. 20580
You may also visit the FTC online at http://www.ftc.gov.
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