How to Dispute Inaccuracies in a Credit Report by Fax

The Federal Credit Reporting Act gives American customers the ability to dispute any inaccurate or misleading information on their credit reports. If you find an inaccuracy on your credit report, you must contact both the credit bureau and the creditor holding the debt. This process is relatively simple, but you must be sure to correctly file the paperwork. It is possible to submit this information by fax, but it is less secure.

Instructions

1

Pull a copy of your current credit report if you suspect inaccuracies. Go to www.AnnualCreditReport.com. This site gives all consumers a free copy of their credit reports from all three credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion). Make several photocopies. Circle the inaccurate information (highlighting will show up black on facsimiles).

2

Collect the documents you have that support your argument. This can include cancelled checks confirming payments, bank statements showing disbursements or paid-in-full letters. All of these documents must be photocopied, too. Circle any relevant information.

3

Draft a business letter to the credit bureaus. Write your name, address, Social Security number and account number. Briefly explain the reason for the dispute and reference the documents. Make sure to number this Page 1.

4

Determine which credit bureau is reporting the inaccurate information (it could be all three). Find the contact information for the company in question (see Resources). Call the toll-free number and ask for the fax number for the credit dispute department.

5

Fax in your letter and supporting documentation. Make sure to get a fax confirmation. The credit bureaus must respond to your request in 30 days, and correct the error within 90 days.