Your credit report contains information on your address, your current credit, and the timeliness you use in paying your bills. It also shows instances of public records, such as your being sued or if you have filed for bankruptcy. The information in your credit report is sold to companies that need your credit information to make an assessment on your credit worthiness. You are protected by law that mandates that your credit information is kept correct and up-to-date.
As a consumer, you have the right to dispute items on your credit report that you believe are inaccurate or incomplete. Follow this link for an example dispute letter that may work for you.
To be aware of what is being reported on you, you may wish to review your credit report every six months. Your credit information affects many of your credit decisions. Before you apply for a major loan or a mortgage, apply for a job or buy a car, you will want to get a copy of your credit report so you can see what your future creditors or employers will see before they see it. Then, if there are errors or omissions in your report, you can dispute those items before anyone has access to your file.
A. When you find items on your credit report you believe are inaccurate or incomplete, you should write a letter to the credit bureau that is reporting the information and explain why it is inaccurate. You may send copies of documents that support your statement. (Please, throughout the procedure, only use copies. Keep your originals!) Send your information by certified mail. Attach the receipt to the copies of your correspondence, so you will have a record of what is sent.
B. After the representatives at the bureau receive your letter, they have 28 days to respond to you. The bureau's response to you will let you know that the disputed information:
- has been corrected, or
- has been removed from your file, or
- stands as originally stated, before the dispute
C. If you are not satisfied with the response from the bureau, either because
- you do not agree with the manner in which your item was corrected (see B.1., above), or
- you disagree with the bureau for not correcting or removing the item (see B.3., above).
You may file a “note of correction” within 28 days of receiving the credit bureau’s response, asking that your “note of correction” be added to your file. Your “note of correction” should:
- contain fewer than 200 words
- provide exact information on why you believe the information is inaccurate or incomplete
- request that the “note of correction” be added to your file. That information, when it is added to your file, will be made available to creditors.
When the bureau receives your “note of correction”, the bureau representatives will respond to you within 28 days letting you know whether the note will be added to your file. The bureau can make a deliberation when your note is received regarding whether it is an appropriate statement to be added to your file. For example. the representatives of the bureau may think the note
- will not work in your favor, or
- is inappropriate for publication
If that is the case, the bureau will apply for a ruling from the Office of the Information Commissioner
If, after 28 more days
- you have not heard from the bureau, or
- you have received a deliberation that your note will not be included in your file, you may appeal to the Information Commissioner at the following address:
Information Commissioner
Wycliff House
Water Lane
Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF
Phone: 01625 545704
Fax: 01625 524510
Email: Mail@ico.gsi.gov.uk
When you write, your letter should include
- your name and address
- the name and address of the bureau you are communicating with
- details of the incorrect information, including
- why you think the information is incorrect
- why you think, if the information is not changed, you will suffer, and
- the copy of the original “note of correction.”
You are protected by the Data Protection Act of 1998. If you believe the bureau is failing to help you revise inaccurate or incomplete information on your report, you may ask the Information Commissioner to make sure the bureau is meeting the requirements of that Act.
Please allow for delivery delays when observing the 28-day time limits associated with these disputes.
Follow this link for an example dispute letter that may work for you.
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