How to Challenge Collections on your Credit Report

If you want to remove negative items from your credit report, you have the right to challenge anything on your credit report that is not right.

With negative items on credit report, you can hurt your credit score and can hurt your changes of getting a loan or job. Be proactive and challenge any information that is incorrect and demand the credit bureaus to remove it.

Instructions

1

Get your Credit Report:
Request copies of your credit report from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. This is an important step to finding errors on your credit report. You can get a copy of your credit report cheap or your can get a free credit report online at Annualcreditreport.com.

Examine your credit report and submit any disputed items to the credit bureaus first. They will research and resolve many issues for you.

2

Negotiate with Collection Agencies:
If you owe amounts of $500 or less you can ask that the item is completely removed from you file if you pay your debt in full, which will increase your credit score. This is called a, "pay for delete.

3

Settle Your Debt:
If you have debts of $1000 or more on your personal credit report, negotiating can help. Most creditors are authorized to take less than what is owed. Agree to pay a lower amount in exchange for having the item removed from your credit report. At 25% the creditor is still making a profit. Now there are also loans for people with bad credit; but interest rates are very high.