DIY Credit Repair: Sample Letters
You'll start the dispute process with all three credit bureaus with an initial dispute letter. What follows are the guidelines which should be followed for this letter and all successive letters, should additional letters be needed. Depending on what you receive back from the credit bureaus after you send this letter will determine how to evaluate what your next step should be.
Remember, you will make significant improvements in your credit if you are persistent and follow through with focus and deliberation. Otherwise, the alternative to having bad credit come off your credit reports is waiting seven to ten years, the time allowable by law for the credit bureaus to report your credit history, to be dropped from your reports.
You can use the following example letters as guides, as needed, to begin a complaint in writing:
1st Dispute
Your NameYour Address
Your Phone Number
Your Social Security Number
April 19, 2024
Customer Service
Credit Bureau Name
Credit Bureau Address
Customer Service:
The following account(s) on my credit report is (are) in error. These
inaccuracies are
hurting my chances to obtain (a home loan, car loan, credit card, etc.). If
they are not
corrected soon, I will be subject to severe financial difficulties.
Dear Customer Service:
This account is incorrect:
Acme Auto Finance, Account Number: 74024130374
The Acme Auto Finance account is being incorrectly reported. Your report states that I was late 30 days once and 60 days once. I have never been late. I always pay this account on time. Acme Auto Finance mistakenly credited my payments to another account. This wrong information needs to be deleted from my report.
I expect a prompt correction to this report and its proper notification in writing.
Sincerely,
(Sign your signature.)
John/Mary Doe
2nd Dispute
Your NameYour Address
Your Phone Number
Your Social Security Number
April 19, 2024
Customer Service
Credit Bureau Name
Credit Bureau Address
Customer Service:
It has been approximately one month since I sent you the letter below. A photocopy of my certified mail receipt is attached. I have not heard anything specific from you regarding this matter. By law, you must respond within a certain time. I believe the FTC defines this time as 30 days.
The following account(s) on my credit report is (are) in error. These inaccuracies are hurting my chances to obtain (a home loan, car loan, credit card, etc.). If they are not corrected soon, I will be subject to severe financial difficulties.
This account is incorrect:
Acme Auto Finance, Account Number: 74024130374
The Acme Auto Finance account is being incorrectly reported. Your report states that I was late 30 days once and 60 days once. I have never been late. I always pay this account on time. Acme Auto Finance mistakenly credited my payments to another account. This wrong information needs to be deleted from my report.
I expect your prompt resolution to this matter in writing.
Sincerely,
(Sign your signature.)
John/Mary Doe
Letter of Demand 1
Your NameYour Address
Your Phone Number
Your Social Security Number
April 19, 2024
Customer Service
Credit Bureau Name
Credit Bureau Address
Customer Service:
I have written to you twice before regarding incorrect information which is appearing on my credit report. You claim you have verified the accuracy of this item. I don't know how you could have done this, since this item is blatantly wrong. It is obvious you are only repeating the information.
Either correct the item immediately, or I will take whatever actions are necessary to protect myself and my financial well-being. This action may include holding you responsible for my financial losses.
The following account(s) on my credit report is (are) in error. These inaccuracies are hurting my chances to obtain (a home loan, car loan, credit card, etc.). If they are not corrected soon, I will be subject to severe financial difficulties.
This account is incorrect:
Acme Auto Finance, Account Number: 74024130374
The Acme Auto Finance account is being incorrectly reported. Your report states that I was late 30 days once and 60 days once. I have never been late. I always pay this account on time. Acme Auto Finance mistakenly credited my payments to another account. This wrong information needs to be deleted from my report.
I have made the effort to understand the Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act. You are liable for this error. If you do not correct this wrong information, I will be taking stronger action.
Sincerely,
(Sign your signature.)
John/Mary Doe
Letter of Demand 2
Your NameYour Address
Your Phone Number
Your Social Security Number
April 19, 2024
Customer Service
Credit Bureau Name
Credit Bureau Address
Customer Service:
In reviewing the latest version of my credit report, it's noted that some of your mistakes were corrected / none of the specified mistakes were corrected. However, there are mistakes still remaining. And, this is not a matter of some right and some wrong. As I have stated before, they are all wrong.
You claim you have verified the accuracy of this item. I don't know how you could have done this, since this item is blatantly wrong. It is obvious you are only repeating the same incorrect information.
This account is incorrect:
Acme Auto Finance, Account Number: 74024130374
The Acme Auto Finance account is being incorrectly reported. Your report states that I was late 30 days once and 60 days once. I have never been late. I always pay this account on time. Acme Auto Finance mistakenly credit my payments to another account. This wrong information needs to be deleted from my report.
I have made the effort to understand the Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act. You are liable for this error. If you do not correct this wrong information, I will be taking stronger action.
Sincerely,
(Sign your signature.)
John/Mary Doe
FTC Complaint
Your NameYour Address
Your Phone Number
Your Social Security Number
April 19, 2024
Consumer Complaints
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20580
Dear Consumer Complaints:
The (Equifax), (Experian), (TransUnion) credit bureau is not responding to my complaints about errors in my credit report. I believe according to the FCRA, I have given them ample and appropriate time. Enclosed are written copies of my dispute, and a photocopy of my certified mail receipt. I am requesting your assistance in this matter as this credit bureau is not performing its obligation to responsibly report my information, and is damaging my financial well-being by ignoring this matter.
Thanks in advance for your assistance.
Sincerely,
(Sign your signature.)
John/Mary Doe
Times Up
Your NameYour Address
Your Phone Number
Your Social Security Number
April 19, 2024
Customer Service
Credit Bureau Name
Credit Bureau Address
Customer Service:
Attached are photocopies of my original dispute letter and my certified mail receipt verifying this letter was sent to you more than 30 days ago. An additional 15 days has passed, and during this entire time, I have not received anything in writing from you regarding this matter; as the law requires.
According to the Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, you have 45 days to respond. Your time is up. Consequently, the items (or accounts) which I disputed, because they were incorrect, must be removed (or corrected).
If this has not already been done, I expect this to be done immediately, and I further expect a prompt confirmation from you that this matter has been handled according to your obligations under the law.
For the record, the Federal Trade Commission is being informed and copied on this correspondence.
Sincerely,
(Sign your signature.)
John/Mary Doe
All letters should contain the following:
1. Your name, address and social security number. Include a photocopy of
part
of your phone, electric or gas bill, etc. to prove that you are who you say
you are.
2. The date you're writing or plan to mail the letter.
3. Place the name and mailing address of the credit bureau near the top of
the letter.
See credit bureau addresses here.
4. Write your opening paragraph to state the following points:
- There is an error or there are errors in your report.
- The error(s) are hurting your credit and causing you problems.
- State what the errors are costing you as a loss in one, no more than two sentences (i.e. a mortgage, car loan, new employment, insurance coverage, etc.).
(Refer to the sample letters as a general guide, but do not copy them word for word. Your letter should appear to be as individual and unique as you are.)
5. Provide the name of the creditor who's reporting the bad credit about you. Include the account number (or docket number for public records) the creditor assigns to your account. If you are disputing more than one item, include all of this information for each creditor. Do not, however, dispute more than three items per letter.
6. State the reason why the negative information is wrong. Since it's far too tedious and complicated, it's unlikely the credit bureau will ever evaluate or investigate your explanation. And, the negative information being reported can be wrong for any number of reasons:
- You got a new billing address, and your bills were received late or not
at all at the
new address. - You pay your bills online and for some reason the creditor's website did
not credit
your account for payment. - You were never late or paid the account in full and have cancelled checks
to prove it.
(include copies of cancelled checks if you have them.) - Your payments were mistakenly applied to another customer's account.
- You disputed a bill because you returned an item which was not removed
from your
balance.
Never admit to, or accept blame for bad credit... I was sick, in the hospital, out of work, my spouse left me, my dog ate my mail, etc. Your negative items will not go away on the basis of the fault coming back to you for any reason.
7. Always sign and print or type your name to the close of every letter.
8. Ensure you have legal proof that you sent the letter and it was received. Certified mail is the most economical method for proof of delivery that the United States Post Office offers. There are other methods such as registered mail, but they're more costly. If you don't use one of these methods, the credit bureau will know you have no proof that it was sent, and could ignore it.
9. Keep copies or photocopies of your letters and your certified mail receipts for all letters you send to the credit bureaus. You may be using these copies for future mailings and to prove your disputes.
Disclaimer
Credit repair is not an exact science as individuals will have different credit issues to deal with, and may sustain unique responses from the credit bureaus. We are providing this resource as a free tool, and cannot guarantee credit repair based on individual situations. Use of this manual, like any resource at Finance Globe is subject to our website terms of use.