Disputing an error directly with the company that reported it

The credit bureaus don’t create the information in your report. It comes from businesses called furnishers. When something is wrong, you can dispute it with the furnisher as well as with the bureau, and the CFPB suggests doing both.

Who the furnisher is

The CFPB describes furnishers as the companies that supply information to the credit bureaus. Banks, credit card companies and landlords are some examples it gives. If a credit card account on your report shows the wrong balance, the card issuer that reported it is the furnisher.

Going to the source can make sense because the furnisher has the original account records. If it agrees the information is wrong, it’s responsible for telling the bureaus.

The CFPB suggests starting with the credit bureau and then disputing with the furnisher too. For the bureau side, see disputing an error with the credit bureaus.

What to put in your letter

The FTC has a sample letter for disputing errors with information providers. Based on the FTC’s guidance, your letter should:

• Say clearly that you’re disputing information the company supplied to a credit bureau
• Include your full name and address
• Identify each item you dispute, with the account number
• State the facts and explain why the information is inaccurate or incomplete
• Ask the company to correct the item, or to remove information that’s inaccurate
• Include copies, not originals, of documents that support your dispute, such as payment records

The FTC says you can enclose a copy of your credit report with the disputed items circled. Its sample letter also asks the company to reinvestigate and to contact the nationwide credit bureaus to correct the disputed items.

The federal law on furnishers, 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2, says a direct dispute notice should identify the specific information you’re disputing, explain the basis for the dispute, and include the supporting documentation the furnisher requires.

Where and how to send it

Many businesses have a specific address for disputes. The CFPB says to send your dispute to the address on your credit report or to any address the furnisher lists for disputes. If you can’t find one on your report or online, the FTC suggests contacting the business and asking.

Using the right address matters. The law ties some of a furnisher’s duties to notices sent to the address it specifies for that purpose.

Send your letter by certified mail with a return receipt requested, so you can show the business received it. Keep copies of everything you send.

What the furnisher has to do

Under 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2, once a furnisher gets a proper direct dispute, it must:

• Investigate the disputed information
• Review all the relevant information you provided
• Finish its investigation and report the results to you within the same time period that applies to bureau reinvestigations
• If the information was inaccurate, promptly notify each bureau it reported to and give them the correction

The CFPB says furnishers generally must investigate and respond within 30 days of receiving your dispute. If the furnisher finds the information was wrong or can’t be verified, the CFPB says it must correct or delete it and notify all three bureaus, which then update your reports.

If the company keeps reporting it

A furnisher that continues to report information you’ve disputed can’t send it to a bureau without noting that you dispute it. The FTC adds that the bureau must then include a notice of your dispute.

Frivolous or repeat disputes

A furnisher doesn’t have to investigate if it reasonably decides your dispute is frivolous or irrelevant. Under the law, that can include a dispute without enough information to investigate, or one that’s substantially the same as a dispute already investigated. The furnisher must tell you within 5 business days of that decision, give its reasons, and identify any information it needs.

If you don’t agree with the result

If the furnisher finds the information accurate and you still disagree, the CFPB says you can ask the bureaus to add a statement describing your dispute to your file. It will be shared with anyone who requests your report in the future. Learn more about adding a statement of dispute.

Afterward, check your report to see whether the information was corrected. If it’s still there, the FTC suggests checking that the bureau added a notice of your dispute. If the error came from identity theft, the CFPB points you to IdentityTheft.gov. You can also submit a complaint to the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov/complaint.

The short version

• The furnisher is the business that sent the information to the bureau, such as a bank, card company or landlord.
• Write to the furnisher’s dispute address, identify each error, explain why it’s wrong and include copies of your documents.
• Furnishers generally must investigate and respond within 30 days.
• If the information is wrong, the furnisher must notify the bureaus it reported to.
• If it keeps reporting disputed information, it has to note that you dispute it.

Sources

• FTC: Disputing Errors on Your Credit Reports
• FTC: Sample Letter for Disputing Errors on Your Credit Report With Information Providers
• CFPB: How do I dispute an error on my credit report?
• 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2: Responsibilities of furnishers of information

General information, not legal or financial advice. Laws and government guidance change, so check the sources above for the latest.