WHAT HAPPENS IF THE CREDIT BUREAUS VERIFY CREDIT REPORT ERRORS?
WHAT HAPPENS IF THE CREDIT BUREAUS VERIFY CREDIT REPORT ERRORS?
Have you made a dispute to a consumer reporting agency, such as Equifax, Experian or Trans Union? Did the credit reporting agency verify false information? The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law that provides consumers in all 50 states with rights, including the right to an accurate credit report.
Consumers have the right to obtain a free credit report from Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. Consumers can request their free credit report by mail, online or by phone from the Annual Credit Report Service. The Adkins Firm recommends to consumers to obtain their free annual credit reports by mail. Click HERE to download the form to order your free credit report from Equifax, Experian and Trans Union.
Consumers should dispute credit report errors to the credit bureaus, including Equifax, Experian and Trans Union, in writing, and by certified mail return receipt requested. Consumers should keep a copy of their signed and dated dispute letters to each of the credit bureaus. The credit reporting agencies have to provide consumers with the reinvestigation results. Consumers should keep any letters from the credit bureaus in response to the dispute.
Consumers should not dispute credit report errors online or by telephone. The credit bureaus online dispute process limits the information that consumers may submit in support of their dispute. Phone disputes may or may not be recorded and later become “he said she said” disputes. Dispute letters are scanned and saved by the credit bureaus. Consumers can also attach copies of supporting documents when making disputes by mail. The credit report dispute letters and supporting documents will be produced by the credit bureaus in litigation if you have to file a lawsuit. The credit report dispute letters can be used to corroborate what information was to disputed to Equifax, Experian and Trans Union and when the disputes were made to the credit bureaus.
When a credit reporting agency receives a credit report dispute, it must perform a reasonable reinvestigation of the disputed information. The credit bureau must either delete the disputed information or notify the company who provided the information in dispute of the consumer’s dispute. When a credit bureau forwards the consumer’s dispute to the company supplying the disputed information, such as a creditor, then the company must investigate the disputed information and report its findings to the credit bureaus.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act also gives consumers the right to sue the credit bureaus, creditors and debt collectors in federal court for failure to comply with the federal law. The Fair Credit Reporting Act also provides for money damages to compensate consumers for violations of the federal law. Consumers may collect money damages for credit denials, reduction in credit score, high interest rates, out of pocket expenses, and mental anguish, including embarrassment, frustration, and damage to reputation. In addition, consumers may receive attorney’s fees and costs of the lawsuit.
The Adkins Firm represents consumers with credit report errors. The Adkins Firm includes lawyers admitted to practice law in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Texas. Micah Adkins is regularly admitted to protect consumers in federal courts across the country, Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington, D.C. We also have relationships with credit report lawyers across the country. If you have errors on your credit report and need help – contact us 24/7 for a free case evaluation at 1-800-263-9091.