How to Dispute Inquiries With TransUnion

When a lender looks at a copy of your credit report, an inquiry is posted to your file. Every lender who looks at your report for the next two years will be able to see who has looked at your file. This can affect your ability to get new credit if there appears to be too many loan applications. When lenders pull your credit report without permission, this could indicate possible identity theft and you should consider disputing the inquiries with the credit bureau TransUnion. Fortunately this is fairly easy to do, through phone or postal mail.

Instructions

1

Write down a list of the unauthorized inquiries appearing on your TransUnion credit file. These should be lenders with which you never made a credit application or had an account. Remember that your current financial institutions, such as a credit card company, do have the right to view your credit reports at any time.

2

Call TransUnion at 1-800-916-8800. Tell the customer service representative that you have unauthorized inquiries on your credit report and that you wish to dispute them.

3

Write a letter disputing the unauthorized TransUnion inquiries as an alternative to calling. You should note that you did not apply for credit and/or do not have credit with the company in question, and that you wish the inquiries be immediately removed. Send your letter certified mail to TransUnion, 2 Baldwin Place, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19022.

4

Wait about 30 to 45 days to receive a response. If TransUnion will not remove the inquiries after their first investigation, you may wish to send another letter and/or contact the lender who pulled your credit reports.