How to Bring a Complaint Against a Credit Reporting Agency

Filing a complaint against a credit reporting agency requires you to fill out a short form with the Federal Trade Commission.

An institution that reports creditworthiness to the credit bureaus must not be in the habit of making mistakes or reporting false information. If you encounter such an agency, you can make a complaint per the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The agency that governs these complaints is the Federal Trade Commission (FTC); and while it does not intervene in individual disputes, the FTC does have a database where complaints are kept and tracked to establish a history of bad behavior on the part of reporting agencies.

Instructions

1. Browse the Federal Trade Commission website to read over the procedures involved in filing a complaint. Make sure you understand that the FTC will not help you resolve a dispute, but it will make a thorough investigation and file your complaint so it can be used if the same company receives further complaints.

2. Fill out the FTC Complaint Assistant questionnaire online. You will be asked to provide some details about the situation and personal contact information.

3. Follow up with the FTC investigation into your complaint. You can call the FTC at (877) FTC-HELP or write to them at:

   Federal Trade Commission
   Consumer Response Center
   600 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
   Washington, D.C. 20580

References

• Federal Trade Commission: Complaint Assistant
• Federal Trade Commission: The Fair Credit Reporting Act (PDF)
• Federal Trade Commission: Contact Us

Resources

• FederalTradeCommission: Before You Submit a Complaint