Experian is one of three major nationwide credit reporting agencies that collects information to issue credit scores and provide credit reports on consumers. Inaccurate information on your credit report – especially if it's negative – can impact your credit score and affect your ability to obtain home or auto financing or other consumer credit. For this reason, you should review the information in your credit report at least once a year and make sure it's correct. If you find an error in your Experian credit report, Experian is required by federal law to correct it.[1]
Steps
Disputing Your Experian Credit Report Online
- Get a copy of your report. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Experian is required to give you a copy of your report if you request it.
- You may request one free copy once a year. Additional copies will cost a fee which under federal law may not be more than $12.[2]
- You also may request a free copy if you received a notice that you were denied credit.[3]
- You can order a copy of your Experian report by calling 1-866-200-6020 or by mailing a written request to P.O. Box 2002, Allen, Texas, 75013. You will receive your report by mail.[4]
- Review your report and note inaccuracies. Double-check each entry on your credit report against your own records and make sure it's correct. If it's not, write down why. You will need this information when you file your dispute.
- Start a dispute using Experian's online dispute resolution system. Experian provides a web-based system where you can report disputes using the information directly from your credit report.
- You must order a credit report to use Experian's online dispute system. If you have a paper copy, you can access the system using the report number located near your name on the report, or with your personal information. If you want to dispute without a credit report, you can still submit your dispute online at experian.com/upload.[5]
- View your credit report by section. Experian's system shows you one section of your report at a time. When you find the item you believe to be inaccurate, click it to display more detail. If you want to dispute it, click the dispute button.[6]
- Select the reason why you are disputing the information. Experian provides an information section titled "Tell me more about dispute reasons" that explains what each of the reasons means and provides tips on how to dispute credit report information.
- Once you're satisfied you've selected the most accurate reason, you can add any further explanation, such as additional facts or details, before clicking the "Add to Cart" button.
- You will need to repeat this action for each item you wish to dispute, if there is more than one inaccuracy on your report.[7]
- Submit your dispute. After you've successfully entered all your dispute requests, use the navigation bar at the top of the page to go to your cart. Review everything you've entered, then click the "Submit" button.
- Enter your email address when you submit and Experian will send you an email notification when the results of the investigation are ready for you to see.[8]
- Wait for the results of the investigation. Experian sends notice to the company that provided the disputed information as soon as your dispute is received. The source company then has 30 days to verify the information. When you receive your email notification, you can log back into your Experian user account to see the results.[9]
Disputing Your Experian Credit Report via U.S. Mail
- Include address blocks as you would for any business letter. Put your name and mailing address in the first block, and the name and address of the reporting agency in the second block.[10]
- Make sure you date your letter. Credit reporting agencies have a limited time to respond to disputes, and a date on your letter ensures everyone knows the timeframe involved in handling your dispute.
- Describe the entry on your credit report that you believe is inaccurate. Include as much information as possible about the entry. If possible, attach a copy of your credit report with the inaccurate entry marked.
- If for whatever reason you are unable to attach a copy of your credit report, write down the entry exactly as it appears on the report so the Experian employee who reviews your letter will be able to find the specific information you're disputing.[11]
- Explain why you are disputing that information. Include any supporting documents that would help prove that you are correct.[12] For example, if a company is claiming you didn't pay back a $5,000 loan, when you have receipts clearly indicating that the loan was paid in full, you should make copies of those receipts and send them along with your letter.
- Make copies of your dispute letter. After you've completed and signed your letter, you should make at least two copies of it for your records, along with copies of any documents you enclosed.[13]
- Mail your dispute letter with any necessary documentation. Experian accepts dispute letters at their National Consumer Assistance Center, P.O. Box 4500, Allen, Texas, 75013.[14]
- Send your letter and documents via certified mail, "return receipt requested," so you know when Experian received it.[15]
- Wait for the results of the investigation. After your dispute is received, Experian will contact the company that provided the information and investigate the item. Experian will mail you a report once the investigation is complete.
Disputing the Information with the Source Company
- Understand your rights under the FCRA. The Fair Credit Reporting Act not only allows you to dispute an inaccuracy on your credit report with the credit reporting agency reporting it. You also have the right to contact the company responsible for providing the data.
- Under federal law, the company must conduct a reasonable investigation of the dispute. The company cannot ask you to pay a fee for this.
- If the company's investigation reveals that the information is in error, it must not only correct the information but also notify all companies where it provided the information of the inaccuracy and supply the correct information.[16]
- Write a letter to the company that supplied the information to Experian. Your letter should include your name and address at the top, along with the date you're sending the letter. Also include the name and address of the company to which you're sending the letter, as you would on any business letter.[17]
- Identify the information you believe to be inaccurate. In the body of your letter, state specifically each piece of information you believe was reported inaccurately, along with any additional information.
- You should state you saw the information on your Experian credit report; however, if you've seen the inaccuracy repeated on other credit reports tell the company that as well.
- If possible, include a copy of your credit report with the inaccurate information marked.
- Explain why you believe this information to be inaccurate. For example, if this credit card company claims you missed four monthly payments in a row, but you have receipts for each of those four months as well as bank statements or cancelled checks showing the payments were made, mention those facts.[18]
- Provide any supporting documentation that backs up your claim. To return to the previous example, you would include copies of the receipts as well as your bank statements or cancelled checks.[19]
- Make copies of your dispute letter and accompanying documents. Once you've completed and signed your letter, make at least two copies of everything you plan to send to the company to keep for your records.[20]
- Mail your dispute letter to the company. If the company has an address listed on your Experian credit report, mail your letter to that address; otherwise, call the company and ask for the correct address where you should send your letter.[21]
- Wait for the results of the investigation. After the company has completed its investigation, it should mail you a response with a summary of the results of the investigation and the steps that are being taken to correct the inaccurate data, if inaccuracies were confirmed.[24]
Filing a Dispute with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
- Visit the CFPB's website to file a complaint. If you have a dispute, the CFPB will take the matter up with the company on your behalf when you submit the complaint to them.[25]
- In addition to disputing inaccurate credit report items, you also can submit other complaints to CFPB, such as your dissatisfaction with other products such as credit monitoring or identity protection, or if you had problems with the handling of a previous dispute you filed on your own.[26]
- You also can ask questions or submit a complaint by calling the CFPB at (855) 411-2372.[27]
- Identify the type of product you have a complaint about. You start the complaint process online by clicking the title or icon that identifies the type of loan or other product or service you wish to submit a complaint about.[28]
- Set up an account to file a complaint. You will need to create a username and password with CFPB to keep the information you submit secure and enable you to go back and log on later to check the status of your complaint.[29]
- Mention in your complaint that you saw the inaccurate information reported on your Experian credit report.
- Wait for CFPB to get a response from the company. Once CFPB forwards your complaint, the company has 15 days to respond. After that, companies generally are expected to completely close the complaint within 60 days of receiving it.[30]
- Review the response and give CFPB feedback. After you access the company's response under your CFPB account, you'll be able to give the agency feedback on the handling of your complaint.[31]
Tips
- If you find an error on your Experian credit report, you also should check your Equifax and TransUnion reports and make sure the error hasn't been repeated. Since a company that reports inaccurate information to one agency typically reports it to the others as well, it may be more efficient to submit your dispute directly to the company rather than to Experian.[32]
Warnings
- It is impossible to remove information from your credit report if it is current and accurate, even if it's negative. If anyone claims they can, they probably are trying to lure you into a scam.[33]
- Keep in mind that if you dispute a report entry directly with Experian, any inaccuracies found will only be removed from your Experian report – not anywhere else.
Sources & Citations
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