Fix Your Credit Report

Fix Your Credit Report with Documentation

Creditors must respond to your inquiry about your report within 30 days of a written request as mandated by The Fair Credit Billing Act. Do they respond promptly? Not always. This is why you must keep detailed records of every contact, because disputed errors usually don’t go away by themselves Repair 101: Disputing Errors. Keep detailed notes on every contact you make with every employee of all the credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

Written documentation will impress the court, if your dispute goes to court. Documentation is your best weapon should you get mired in fixing your credit report. It‘s far more difficult for a credit bureau representative to evade or dismiss your dispute when faced with written documentation bombshells you casually lob in during a conversation. Always write your notes as events occur. Make a phone log containing data of whom you contact, date, time, operator number, department number and phone numbers. Always edit your notes and make a coherent log after the contact event is completed for a couple of good reasons.

One, you’ll need clear notes to jog your memory when sending a Credit Repair: Sample Dispute Letter or making the next call, so you can make a list of questions and be more effective during a phone call‘s one-on-one. Don’t forget, the credit bureau rep will be working from a computer screen. trying to play catch up and certainly won‘t be as motivated as you. Your creditability will be enhanced with who-what-when and why references about previous conversation(s).

Two, you must make clear, coherent, time-stamped notes, if this record is ever to be presented to a judge. If notes are added later, this “evidence” could be tossed out as hearsay. A timely, coherent log gives you more creditability. In the legal arena, he who has the best documentation wins.

Act Businesslike On The Phone

Keep your cool and resist the temptation to yell and appear unprofessional. Bureaus love to report that customers become “belligerent” or are “incorrigible,” labels that can demean your status and weaken your power base when trying to fix your credit report. Keep cool no matter what idiot you’re forced to deal with, because everything you do has to look good to a judge. You may have to explain your actions and words. Cool professionalism will win out. Go ballistic and the phone call will generally be short and unproductive.

Cooperate if someone at the bureau asks for additional information. That person may actually be trying to help. Not every bureau employee is rude, although sometimes it may seem so. Act nice and you’ll get more cooperation.

Play Colombo When You Fix Your Credit Report

While on the phone, be curious and play “Columbo,” the world’s most brilliant “bumbling” detective. Ask for the first and last name of the person you're talking to, the name of his supervisor, her team number and the exact name of the department. The reason is that call centers at each bureau have high turnover. Knowing the team number or the case dispute number will help get the next person you talk to on the same page. Yes, you may have to start all over again and bring this person up to speed. Also if the problem you’re trying to resolve doesn’t happen quickly, you’ll need this information when you talk to a line supervisor or above. If the call flounders, keep your main question till the end, appear to be ending the conversation, then ask: “By the way, I’ve got one more question…” This technique will throw the bureau rep off guard who just thought he/she was rid of you.

Be Businesslike With All Correspondence

Send certified letters for everything because the receipts they generate give you a paper trail to follow. Keep in mind that the law requires you to notify a credit bureau of any errors you discover upon review. Send off a letter when you first see errors and begin the disputing process. A good rule of thumb is to address one error per letter. This can get involved and you’ll spend some money doing so. But the end result will be worth it, when your Credit Scores increase.