How to Use Credit Card Dispute Forms to Your Advantage

If you've recently received a copy of your credit report from Experian, TransUnion and Equifax you believe that contained errors, you can't simply sick back and do nothing. Instead, you have to take action to get those items removed from your credit report now so that they don't negatively affect your credit rating. And, you do this by filling out a credit card dispute form. In this article, we'll discuss how to use credit card dispute forms to your advantage. Let's begin.

Instructions

1

Thoroughly review a copy of your credit report. Go through your credit report line by line and compare it with your records. If you notice any discrepancies at all, circle them.

2

Obtain a credit card dispute form. If your credit report was mailed to you, the dispute form is enclosed in the paperwork. If you obtained the credit report online, you can use the online dispute form that is associated with the reporting agency. Lastly, you can obtain an online credit card dispute form for free by visiting http://www.oskie.com/credit-dispute.htm. Here you'll be able to print it out or save it to your computer.

3

State your case. It is now time to state your case. This is done by calling the reporting agency, mailing in the dispute form or phoning in your information. If you decide to call in the information, give the representative all pertinent information including the creditor's name, account , and explanation of why information is wrong.

4

Fill out correct information. For those of you filling out the information online or via the printed form, you will fill out the company's name, account , and why the information is incorrect. You will need to include a clear explanation of why the reported information is incorrect.

For instance, if your credit card company reported that a payment is 45 days late but you paid the item in full by the deadline, you must indicate this information in the credit card dispute form. For instance, you can say, "The reported information for XYZ creditor is incorrect because I paid the account in full on February 7, 2009 with check 230 for the amount of $200.00. Since this timeframe, I have not made any additional charges. Please update my account accordingly."

5

Double check your information. Check and recheck your inputted information and make sure that you have correctly listed your contact information, company name, account number, current reporting status, explanation, etc.

6

Submit your report form online or by snail mail. For addresses of where to send forms, please visit Equifax at www.equifax.com, Transunion at www.transunion.com or Experian at www.experian.com. Once they receive your information, they'll conduct further review and the credit card company will have to prove that the information is correct. If they can't, it will be automatically removed. Good luck!