Disputing Bogus Debt

[Deleted]

Does anyone have experience disputing bogus debt on their credit reports? I had something pop up recently I have no knowledge of, so I called the company and they have no record of any debt and they stated they do not use this company for collections. Where do I start?

[CurlyQ284]

When I log in to get my free credit report once a year there's a little button to hit that says "dispute" and you can select the reason for disputing it etc then it takes 30 days for the company to respond. That's the only way I've ever done it.

[Deleted]

Mar 2, 2015 14:40:10 GMT -5 kevin arnold said:

The credit reporting bureaus each have a process to dispute errors. It's pretty simple. I'd start there.

So, I would need to contact the bureaus directly and dispute and not talk to this company at all? Who holds them accountable for making up shit?

[spankswife]

You are entitled to 1 free credit report form each of the 3 bureaus each year (federal rule), through annualcreditreport.com

You can view each report separately. On the report there is a "Dispute" button next to each item. You just click it, and follow the simple steps. They will get back to you. It is very simple, and has worked fine for me.

[Deleted]

Mar 2, 2015 14:55:30 GMT -5 kevin arnold said:

Mar 2, 2015 14:45:57 GMT -5 @libellula said:

So, I would need to contact the bureaus directly and dispute and not talk to this company at all? 

Correct.

Who holds them accountable for making up shit?

The FTC. The credit bureaus have nothing to gain for "making up shit". This could just be a simple data error, that happens all the time.

I meant the company that reported the debt. Who do I report them to?

[underwaterrhymes]

Mar 2, 2015 15:15:49 GMT -5 @libellula said:

Mar 2, 2015 14:55:30 GMT -5 kevin arnold said:

Correct.

The FTC. The credit bureaus have nothing to gain for "making up shit". This could just be a simple data error, that happens all the time.

I meant the company that reported the debt. Who do I report them to?

You contact the credit bureau and report that this particular charge is not legitimate. The credit bureau investigates and resolves the issue. It could be the company made a mistake. Or it could be someone is using your information. That's why it's so important to keep an eye on your credit.

[escrow]

I think you can send a demand letter to the collections agency telling them to verify the debt is yours. If they cannot do this they have to remove it. I think I read this when I was going crazy over house buying and read a lot on myfico.com

[thedutchgirl]

It is better to go through the credit bureaus. That way if you don't get the response you want, you will have the ability to sue the reporting company. This is the process the Fair Credit Reporting Act makes.

[riffraff]

I just went to whatever report it was on (experian, transunion, etc. ) and dispute it online.