How To Dispute My Equifax Report

If you have inaccurate information on your Equifax credit report , you will need to dispute those errors. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) gives consumers the right to review a free copy of their personal credit report and challenge any negative information on their credit bureau reports — such as accounts from identity theft, inaccurate public records, obsolete information, previously deleted accounts, and deceased notations. But many consumers find this process hard to deal with and confusing. Worse, some consumers will pay for credit repair, even though they can draft these disputes themselves and repair their own credit report information. This article will help you challenge the inaccuracies on your Equifax credit report that can cost your points on your FICO credit score or cost you dollars in interest payments. This includes inaccurate information about collection accounts, late payments, public records, and charged off accounts.

Send Your Equifax Dispute By Mail or Phone

You can start the Equifax credit dispute process online, by mail or by phone. Don’t try doing these all at once. We recommend that your Equifax report dispute be in writing, at least for the first dispute. That written dispute creates a documentary record that can be used by you or a lawyer to support a lawsuit, if Equifax refuses to correct your report.

While the convenience of disputing online may be attractive, there are a number of drawbacks to using the online consumer dispute systems at Equifax. Most importantly, the online dispute port provides limited explanations for your dispute, that may require to use a drop down option that does not accurately or fully describe your situation. You also do not receive a copy of your dispute and you may have limited access to go online and retrieve it. For more information on how to dispute, you can see our other article on how to dispute by phone or how to write a dispute letter.

How to Dispute My Equifax Credit Report

1. Get a copy of your Equifax credit file.

There are three important reasons to get your free Equifax credit report before making your dispute request. First, credit reports are being constantly updated. So, you don’t want launch a dispute investigation of account information that may no longer appear on your Equifax report. Second, when drafting your credit report dispute, you will want to include a copy of the disputed information from your Equifax report. Third, even if you know that there is a specific item in your credit history that you want to dispute, you should always check the entire report for errors. You can get a free credit report from each of the nationwide credit bureaus at annualcreditreport.com, but this address will not provide a copy of your free credit score. If you have a security freeze or fraud alert on your report, you may need to provide your PIN number or identification like a driver’s license. You can also check our article on how to get your credit report.

2. Make a working copy of your Equifax report to mark up.

Before you start your letter, make a working copy of the report that you can mark up. Use a pen to circle inaccurate information on the report, and make a short note indicating why the disputed item is inaccurate. Simple notes such as “not my account,” “never lived here” or “incorrect social security number” are enough. You will use the letter to more full explain any incorrect information.

3. Draft a dispute letter.

When drafting your dispute letter, make sure to use your marked up working copy as a reference, and attach that copy to your dispute. Then as to each of the items on your report that dispute, identity the item by its account number, state why it is wrong, and provide supporting documentation for your dispute. Your dispute should challenge any inaccurate item reported by a creditor or lender, as well as any personal identifiers like a false date of birth, address, or social security number. Be sure to include all your contact information including a current address, phone number, and email address where you can be reached for more information. For a complete description of how to draft your dispute, you can see our article on drafting dispute letters, or you can call our office for free help with your dispute at (888) 400-CREDit | (888) 400-2377.

4. Follow up with a recorded call to Equifax.

If you don’t agree with the investigation results of your dispute Equifax allows consumers to make disputes by phone to their dispute center, and announces that it will record the call. While Equifax claims to record these calls, you may need to share a copy of the call with an attorney if your dispute is rejected. So, consumers should make their own copy of the phone dispute. When disputing by phone, you will need to ask the identity or employee badge number of the person who is helping you and which facility they work at. Once you have identified the person who is helping you, ask a) why your written dispute was rejected, and b) ask what you can do to get the item corrected as you had requested. The Equifax representative my let you know that there is nothing that can be done so long as the data provider (the creditor, lender or holder of a collection account) continues to verify the information.

5. Send your dispute by certified mail.

Before you send your dispute letter, be sure to make a copy of the signed letter with all its supporting documentation. Then, mail the written dispute by certified mail to Equifax’s dispute center:

Equifax Information Services LLC
P.O. Box 7404256
Atlanta, GA 30374-0256

You can also get more information

5. Send a copy to the data provider.

If you are disputing a debt, credit card, mortgage, or other credit account, be sure to write a dispute letter directly to that data furnisher — the issuer of the credit card account, mortgage, or debt collector — and include a copy of the dispute letter that you sent to Equifax. As with the Equifax dispute, be sure to keep a copy of the signed letter, any supporting documentation, and send it by certified mail.

6. Let the CFPB know about your dispute.

Finally, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau oversees the the credit reporting agencies , like TransUnion, Innovis, Experian, and Equifax. Send a copy of your dispute the CFPB and they will add the information to their database of complaints. This database allows other consumers to find your complaint and helps to make a record for use by the CFPB.

7. Find a credit reporting attorney to help.

If you have tried to write your dispute but need help, if inaccuracies have driven down your FICO score, or if you just want a professional to assist you with drafting a letter, our office is here to help. You can call for a free consultation to discuss your dispute without any payment, upfront cost. Our office works on a contingency basis and only charges you if we file and recover compensation for you. And after we have helped to restore your credit, we can help with continuing credit monitoring and review. Call today (888) 400-CREDit | (888) 400-2377.