How to Repair a Credit Report Online

Errors on your credit report require your attention as they may lower your score and reflect poorly on you credit history. You will have to contact the credit reporting agency that made the error to get the error corrected. Each of the three credit reporting agencies, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, have specific procedures to handle disputes. You need to know these procedures to get the error corrected.

Instructions

1

Find out which credit reporting agency the incorrect credit report came from. You may have requested your credit report from the company specifically, or you may have requested a free annual report from the website Annualcreditreport.com. Credit reports from the three credit reporting companies may differ. The error may only appear on one report, or it may appear on all three, so it is best to check them all.

2

Learn the credit reporting agency's policy on disputing errors. You want to make sure you follow the dispute procedure properly so the issue is rectified quickly. Each agency publishes their policy online. To file your dispute, you will need to have a recent copy of your report. Take note of the 10 digit number at the top of the report.

3

Fill out the online dispute form on the reporting agency's website. You must provide information including your name, Social Security number and address. If you have documentation that proves the report is in error, have copies on hand to send if needed.

4

Submit your online request. It can take several weeks to hear back from the credit reporting agency and you will have to log-on to their website periodically to check the status of your request. You can request written notification, but usually you will hear back faster if you continue to check online.

5

Follow up with the dispute if you do not hear back. Once your dispute is rectified, you should receive a new copy of your corrected credit report. Even after your report has been corrected, continue to check your credit report annually. New errors can appear at any time, so stay on top of your credit by getting a free copy each year.