How to Force Credit Reporting Agencies to Remove Debt Buyer's Inquiries

Every time you sign up for a credit card, apply for a loan, or grant a potential employer the right to look into your credit, your credit report may reflect this in the form of credit inquiries. These inquiries show a creditor who is looking into your credit. Having too many of these inquiries, or the wrong kind, can negatively affect your credit score. If you want to remove an inquiry, there are specific steps you need to take.

Instructions

Instructions

1

Know what your credit report says. To remove credit inquiries from your credit report, you'll have to know what is on the report. Request credit reports from the three main credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Always get all three reports, as each credit reporting agency can have different information that can affect your ability to get credit. You are entitled to receive free copies of your credit reports every year, but if you've already received copies in the last year, you'll have to pay for new ones.

2

Inspect the reports. After receiving your credit reports, determine how many inquiries appear. Generally, your credit score will not be seriously affected by inquiries unless you have several of them. A single credit inquiry, for most people, will lower a credit rating by 5 points, and creditors will usually ignore inquiries that are older than 6 months. Having several inquiries at once, however, may be more serious, and challenging them could significantly boost your credit score. If you have numerous inquiries appearing on the same report, look at them more closely and inspect them for errors.

3

Determine if any inquiries are unauthorized. In order for an inquiry to be counted on your credit report, it has to be specifically authorized by you. If any of the inquiries appear that they might not be legitimate, you can write the inquirer and demand proof that the inquiries were explicitly authorized. If they are unable to prove they had authority, you can demand that they contact the credit reporting agency (CRA) and have the inquiry removed. If they refuse, you can contact the CRA yourself and demand they remove the unauthorized inquiry. Make sure you include all relevant information and documents to prove your claim.