How to Get Creditors to Remove Negative Reports

If a company provides a negative report to a credit reporting agency in error, federal Fair Credit Reporting Act allows consumers the opportunity to dispute the negative reports. Inaccurate or incomplete reports must be corrected by the reporting company. If the negative reports are accurate, the company is not required by law to remove the information. Accurate negative information may appear on your credit report for seven years and bankruptcy information for 10 years from the date it occurred, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

Instructions

1

Obtain a copy of your credit report for free at annualcreditreport.com or call 877-322-8228. Have a copy for your records when disputing a credit reporting error.

2

Write a letter to the credit reporting agency, such as Experian, Equifax or TransUnion, explaining the error. Identify the items in the letter that you are disputing. Give an explanation of why you feel the companys negative report is an error. Use the template provided by the Federal Trade Commission (See References.)

3

Attach copies of the supporting documents you have, such as canceled checks or receipts. Do not send originals and make a copy of everything you send for your records. Mail your letter with a return receipt requested.

4

Contact the creditor in writing and inform the company that you have opened a claim regarding the negative report. Send the copies of the documents you mailed to the agency.

5

Receive an update on the results in writing after the agency investigates the dispute. Review another copy of your credit report for free showing the changes at annualcreditreport.com. If the negative reports were found to be an error, the agency will automatically remove them from your credit report.