How to Write a Dispute Letter to Credit Report Agencies
You check your credit report on a regular basis. Everything has been reported correctly until now. You need to investigate the discrepancy in a timely manner; you have rights as a consumer to have your credit information validated or deleted. The best way to dispute any erroneous information on your credit report is to write a letter of dispute to the credit bureau which reported this information (Equifax, Experian or TransUnion). There are a few guidelines to follow in the writing process to ensure the that investigation will go quickly and accurately.
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Instructions
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Highlight all inaccurate personal and erroneous information on your credit report. Any past due accounts that have been delinquent for 7 years should be noted as well. If you have a past due account, but the delinquency is reported inaccurately, highlight that too. A 60-day past due account is more detrimental to your credit history than a 30-day past due. Don't accept any erroneous information on your credit report.
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Write the dispute letter in a business style format. Write your name, social security number, date of birth, address, and any previous address if the current address is less than 3 years old. Follow with the name of the credit bureau, credit bureau address and the date. The addresses of the credit bureaus are as follows: Equifax, P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374; Experian, P.O. Box 2002, Allen, TX 75013; and TransUnion, P.O. Box 1000, Chester, PA 19022.
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Indicate that it is a formal dispute request.
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List the personal information that needs to be corrected or deleted and why. Make a bulleted list of each negative item. State the name of the creditor or collector, amount and reason for the dispute. For example, note if an account has been paid in full and on what date; or, note if an account is more than 7 years delinquent or inactive and should be deleted according to the Fair Credit Report Act.
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Include copies of payment receipts, any other evidence, and correspondence between you and the agency to support your claim.
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State all wrongdoings that have occurred from the erroneous account. Your dispute will be more likely to get immediate attention if you have suffered any wrongdoing. This would include not being able to get credit or being reprimanded at work from constant collection activity directed at your place of employment.
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Mail the letter with a copy of your driver's license or military identification. Send the letter registered or certified mail with a signature request.
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Tips & Warnings
All credit bureaus must validate all information you're disputing within 30 days or delete the item off of your credit report.
