Credit Dispute Letter
A Guide on Writing A Credit Repair Letter
Copyright (c) 2010 Suzy Vanstrusen
We often hear the advice to check on our credit report at least twice a year. But surprisingly, there are people who do not really know what to do next after finding out that their credit report is indeed, inaccurate. Some are intimidated about writing a credit repair letters, not knowing what to say or how to address the problem. In this article, we will talk about what you should do if you find errors, omissions or any inaccuracy in your credit report.
Verify the wrong information. Before even thinking about filing a dispute, make sure that you are in the position to complain. Look closely in your credit report and carefully analyze the items that seem to be erroneous. For instance, if you think the charges are incorrect or have already been paid, check your receipts or past billing statements. You do not want to go through the process of disputing only to find that you were the one mistaken all along. If you really think that you have a valid reason to file a dispute, then you can now proceed to the next step.
Send a dispute letter. Where should you send your dispute letter? This should be sent to the credit bureau who issued your credit report. In order to ensure that your complaint will get the attention it deserves, address your letter to the Complaint Department of the Bureau.
Observe correct letter format. A letter of dispute is a business letter and therefore you should observe correct formatting. Your personal information- complete name, address, telephone number and e-mail address- should be written at the top of your letter so that the bureau would immediately know who is sending the letter and where to send their response.
Explain the problem clearly. You can observe sample credit dispute letter from the web but it is recommended that you compose your own letter. Enumerate the items you want to dispute and explain why you want them to be corrected or deleted from your credit file. Clearly state if the item you are disputing is wrong or incomplete.
Be polite and request the credit bureau to correct these wrong information in your credit report. Include a copy of your credit report and mark the items in dispute so you can refer to them in your letter more easily.
Send copies of supporting documents. If you have bills, receipts, transaction records that can help in clarifying the items you are disputing, enclose them in your letter as this can speed up the result of the investigation. You must also enumerate all the documents you have enclosed in the mail at the last part of your letter.
Follow up. It will usually take up to 30 days before the investigation is completed. Nevertheless, it is also recommended to make a follow-up call regarding the status of your dispute at least a week after sending your letter. This way, you would know for sure that your letter has been received and that action is already taking place.
About the Author
Suzy Vanstrusen is a credit analyst and a writer of the website EzCreditRepairSolutions.com and has been providing consumers with tips and tricks in repairing your credit. Check the site for more tips on
how to fix your credit
.
where can i find a letter to dispute my credit report?
There is a letter than we can print to demand that they investigate an account or something. it is very frustrating, i have 4 accounts on my credit which arent truly mine but they wont remove them!!
This is an example that you can type out yourself.
I found it in the new microsoft word.
[Your Name]
[Street Address]
[City, ST ZIP Code]
April 20, 2008
[Recipient Name]
[Title]
[Company Name]
[Street Address]
[City, ST ZIP Code]
Dear [Recipient Name]:
Your company has made several errors on my credit report, and I ask for your immediate assistance in correcting these errors. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you have a legal obligation to make these corrections.
I believe the errors result from the fact that another man in Springfield has the same name as mine, and his credit history is appearing on my current credit report. As a result, I have been unable to obtain a car loan, and am sure to face problems when I apply for a home loan next week.
Following are the errors in my report:
Line 16: Two bankruptcies.
I have never declared bankruptcy.
Line 24: Slow payments to the Adventure Works store.
I have never shopped at Adventure Works.
Line 31: Checking account at Woodgrove Bank frequently overdrawn.
While I do have an account at Woodgrove, it was overdrawn only once in the past nine years.
Please take care of these problems at once. I am applying for a pre-approved home loan next week, so it is imperative that you deal with this immediately. Please phone me at (425) 555-0190 to notify me when this problem has been resolved.
Thank you,
[Your Name]
[Title]
Sample Credit Dispute Letter
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