How to Dispute a Credit Card Letter

A number of federal laws provide you the right to formally dispute the a credit card collections letter or billing statement that includes erroneous charges. Disputes can arise for a variety of reasons, including mathematical errors, identity theft, unauthorized transactions, incorrect identification of charges or improperly handled refunds. Knowing how to dispute a credit card letter can empower you to correct these errors before they have a chance to affect your credit score.

Instructions

1

Look over your recent receipts, checkbook register, and itemized account statement to determine which items in the credit card letter or statement are erroneous. You can still dispute collections letters and billing statements with no technical errors, but the credit card company is likely to prove the validity of their claims quickly, leaving you with a missed payment and a damaged relationship with your lender.

2

Draft a formal dispute letter to the credit card company. List your full name, address and telephone number at the top of the letter. List the name of a credit card company representative, or simply the name of the company with "Attn: Collections" or "Attn: Billing" written directly underneath. List the credit card company's address under its name.

3

Inform the company that you are disputing a charge within the 60-day limit imposed by the Fair Credit Billing Act in the body of your letter. List the date and the type of credit card letter received, as well as the specific charge to which your dispute refers. List the reason you believe a specific charge to be erroneous, and request that the company furnish proof of the legitimacy of the debt. State that you understand the company's legal requirement to respond within 30 days and take action within 90 days, and inform the company that you intend to continue making payments on any undisputed amounts during the dispute process.

4

Include information to help the company identify the cause of your dispute after the main body of the letter. According to fair-debt-collection.com, helpful information includes your name as it appears on the account, your account number, the dates and identification numbers of disputed transactions, and the nature of any errors. Sign the letter and print your name under your signature. Send the letter through certified mail to ensure that it arrives.