Should I Mail Letters to Dispute My Credit Report, or Do It Online?

While credit bureaus let consumers dispute credit report items via three methods -- online, mail or phone -- each of the options has their own benefits. Choosing the method best for you will depend on your situation. A person who needs results the fastest will find mailing letters takes longer while the person who needs proof of time, should consider mailing the dispute.

Evaluate

Evaluate why you are doing a credit dispute. This is important to determine the best method of disputing an item on your credit report. Conditions that are time sensitive are best filed over the phone or online. When filing a dispute online or by phone, the dispute is immediately put into motion and the 30-day clock begins to run down. The drawback to both of these methods of disputing is you do not have proof of your dispute or the time received. The credit bureaus are required to complete an investigation within 30 days -- without proof of your dispute, you are unable to enforce the 30-day time limit allowed by federal law.

Online

Your credit report will provide you with the website address of the credit bureau to initiate an online dispute. You will be required to enter the credit report number, your name and other identifying information as required by the credit agency. Depending on the credit bureau, you might be shown a copy of your credit report or you might have to fill in the information from your printed credit report you have on hand. Enter in the reason you are disputing each account and submit the dispute. You might receive an email confirming your dispute was received but this email might not have the details of the dispute. Depending on the credit bureau, you will receive your results of the dispute either by email or via mail.

Mail

Any time you are not in a time-sensitive situation or do not need your credit investigation completed as soon as possible, mailing the dispute is best as it provides you with the proof you will need to enforce the rules of credit disputing. The credit report will provide you with the mailing address to send your credit dispute. Type a letter including your name, address, credit report number, and the last four digits of your Social Security number. Include a copy of a bill or driver's license to prove your identity. You can black out the account number or driver's license number. The credit bureau is interested in ensuring that you are the person initiating a dispute. Include the account number and name of all accounts you are disputing, and include a brief reason why you are disputing the account. The reason can be brief and simple such as: incorrect information, not my account, not joint account.

Record Keeping

Mail the dispute letter by certified mail, which requires a return receipt. This will force the credit bureau to sign for the letter, and you will receive a card showing the signature and the date the letter was received. This is the date you begin the 30-day countdown. The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires the credit bureaus to remove any account that a creditor has not corrected within the 30 days allowed for the investigation. When disputing online or via phone, write down the date and time of the dispute, and if by phone, the name of the person you spoke to.