CRA sample letters

[Methuss]

Many people ask about sample letters for disputing tradelines. So here is the one I use. It's not complicated, and it doesn't pitch a legal fit. You will also note it does not do anything other than dispute the accuracy of the account tradeline. Since the law requires that they may keep only 100% accurate information in your credit report, this letter is designed to make them do the work. If they cannot verify the tradeline as fully accurate, the letter specifies that they are expected to delete the tradeline entirely. It's up to them to ensure what they are disseminating to others is correct.

This letter comes from a workbook from Dave Ramsey's financial management course. It's posted here with permission (as long as you don't sell it it may be copied freely). I modified it a bit to include the State identification sentance since we all know that's the new CRA stall-tactic. Just print the letter on paper that you have already copied your driver's license on in the lower right corner of the paper or if you have a scanner, drop it in as clip art.

Date __________________________

(From)

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

(To)

______________________________ Credit Bureau

______________________________

______________________________

RE: _________________________________

In reviewing the attached credit bureau report issued by your agency, I have detected

an error regarding the following account(s) in that it is reported inaccurately.

Company Name:_______________________________________

Account Number: ______________________________________

Under the provision set forth in the 1977 Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, I hereby

request your agency prove to me in writing the accuracy of the reporting of this

account. Under the terms of the Act and succeeding court cases, you have 30 days to

prove such accuracy or remove the account entirely from my report. I ask that you

do so.

You will note that this letter was sent certified mail, and I expect a response within

the said 30-day period. Should I not hear promptly from you, I will follow up with

whatever action necessary to cause my report to be corrected.

Incorporated into the bottom right of this letter is a copy of my State issued

identification, as proof of my identity and address. Please feel free to call me if

you have any questions. My home phone number is ___________________________,

and my office number is ____________________.

Sincerely,

____________________________

[Methuss]

This letter is to have your file permanently removed from the prescreening lists the CRA sell. If you use the phone number to call it in, they only remove your name from the lists for 2 years. Under the law, if you submit your notice in writing to the DMA that you don't want to be on their "mailing lists" that they sell, they must remove it forever.

Again this came from a workbook from Dave Ramsey and is can be reproduced as long as it is not sold for profit.

Date __________________________

(From)

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

VIA: Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested

(To)

Mail Preference Service

Direct Marketing Association

P.O. Box 643

Carmel, NY 10512

RE: Unauthorized direct marketing and pre-approved credit card

offers

This letter is your formal notice to remove my name from all direct

marketing and pre-screening databases. I do not wish to receive any

unsolicited offers, especially from credit card companies.

Not only do I request my name to be permanently removed, but I

also request that my phone number and address must likewise be

permanently removed. My correct information is as follows:

(Complete Name)

(Full Address)

(Phone Number with area code)

Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

(Signature)

[andbowd]

Thanks, AB

[veryfrustrated]

I read an older post you wrote that stated the credit agency is required to keep inquiries on your report for 24 months.

I have been trying to help a friend remove about 40 inquiries showing on his report that he never authorized. They are from different cities on the west coast, his work time cards prove he was on the east coast and didn't make the inquiries. He does not recognize the companies, and the few that have contact info will not release any information on inquiries, even though they were done with his social.

He requested alerts to the 3 credit agencies, but that doesn't help remove the 40 inquiries he never made, which are vastly affecting his credit rating.

He filed a fraud complaint with the local police. Even if they catch the individual using his information, this doesn't fix his credit report.

I requested information from the FTC, and I have not gotten any answers.

When he calls the credit agencies for directions on removing fraudulent inquiries, they repeat, over and over, that an alert has been put on the account. This, of course, does not solve the problem.

Is there any recourse? We are going in circles.

[Methuss]

The only legitimate recourse is time. Unfortunately the FTC has weighed in on this and said that even if a credit report was obtained in error, it was still obtained and must be kept track of. Now this is where it gets sticky. The law says credit inquiries must be kept for at least 12 months; and for employment inquiries for at least 24 months. Technically, an inquiry can legally be kept on a report for 7 years, just like any other piece of information, but to keep things simple the 3 bureaus have agreed to keep them for 24 months.

Also, under the FACT Act, any piece of information on a report that is associated with identity fraud must be permanently supressed. Now don't get the wrong idea about this. YOU will still see the inquires because the law says they must show it to you. But creditors would be blocked from seeing them and it would not affect your credit score.

So technically if the inquires are more than 12 months old you can get them knocked off. If they are unauthorized and you send a police report for ID fraud they must supress them even if they are less than 12 months old.

Phone calls are useless. Do it in writing. Modify the letter above and take the ID fraud route if you must to get the bureaus to comply. Sue the bureaus for injunctive relief if they continue to fail in their obligations.

[Been_Ponzied]

My police won't file fraud reports, identity theft reports, or practically ANY reports. Only if someone is murdered. Or so it seems.

[rachael24]

Been, Alot of municipalities are like that...For some reason.

[lil man]

how valuable that info is.

[pickleman773]

Is this still a good letter to use or is there a better one out there?

Please let me know.

Thanks!

Many people ask about sample letters for disputing tradelines. So here is the one I use. It's not complicated, and it doesn't pitch a legal fit. You will also note it does not do anything other than dispute the accuracy of the account tradeline. Since the law requires that they may keep only 100% accurate information in your credit report, this letter is designed to make them do the work. If they cannot verify the tradeline as fully accurate, the letter specifies that they are expected to delete the tradeline entirely. It's up to them to ensure what they are disseminating to others is correct.

This letter comes from a workbook from Dave Ramsey's financial management course. It's posted here with permission (as long as you don't sell it it may be copied freely). I modified it a bit to include the State identification sentance since we all know that's the new CRA stall-tactic. Just print the letter on paper that you have already copied your driver's license on in the lower right corner of the paper or if you have a scanner, drop it in as clip art.

Date __________________________

(From)

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

(To)

______________________________ Credit Bureau

______________________________

______________________________

RE: _________________________________

In reviewing the attached credit bureau report issued by your agency, I have detected

an error regarding the following account(s) in that it is reported inaccurately.

Company Name:_______________________________________

Account Number: ______________________________________

Under the provision set forth in the 1977 Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, I hereby

request your agency prove to me in writing the accuracy of the reporting of this

account. Under the terms of the Act and succeeding court cases, you have 30 days to

prove such accuracy or remove the account entirely from my report. I ask that you

do so.

You will note that this letter was sent certified mail, and I expect a response within

the said 30-day period. Should I not hear promptly from you, I will follow up with

whatever action necessary to cause my report to be corrected.

Incorporated into the bottom right of this letter is a copy of my State issued

identification, as proof of my identity and address. Please feel free to call me if

you have any questions. My home phone number is ___________________________,

and my office number is ____________________.

Sincerely,

____________________________