How long does the credit bureau have to respond?

30 days from receipt of your dispute (45 days if you submit additional information during the investigation). The bureau must forward your dispute to the furnisher, require them to reinvestigate, and delete or correct the item if it cannot be verified.

Should I dispute online or by mail?

Mail. The credit-bureau online dispute portals require you to waive certain rights including the right to sue under the FCRA. Send by USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt Requested for a clean paper trail.

Do I need to dispute with all three bureaus?

Yes — you should send a separate letter to every bureau reporting the inaccurate item. Each bureau investigates independently and the same item may show different status across the three. The wizard lets you pick which bureau, but you should generate three letters and mail all three.

What if the furnisher just verifies the same wrong info?

Common pattern. Send a second-round dispute with new information (the original contract, payoff letter, identity-theft report, etc.). If the furnisher continues to report inaccurate info after notice, that is a separate FCRA violation under § 1681s-2(b) — and statutory damages are available.

Debt defense overview

FCRA dispute letter

Get inaccurate credit info deleted.

Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i, the credit bureau has 30 days to investigate your dispute and delete anything that cannot be verified. The wizard below builds a properly-cited dispute letter for Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion — free.

1You
2Bureau + account
3What is wrong
4Review

Full name (as it appears on the credit file) *

Street address *

City, State, ZIP *

Date of birth (optional, helps file match)

SSN — last 4 only (optional, helps file match)

Bureau requires identifying info to match your file. Last-4-of-SSN is the standard — never include your full SSN in correspondence.

Companion tool

FDCPA validation letter

Disputing the debt collector directly? The validation letter forces them to prove the debt under § 1692g(b).

Open the validation wizard

Companion tool

Cease-and-desist letter

Stop collector calls, texts, and employer contact under § 1692c(c) and TCPA. Each post-receipt contact = $500–$1,500.

Open the cease wizard

Full credit-defense kit

Case Pass — $149

Three-bureau letters, FDCPA scanner, deadline tracking, AI Q&A, and unlimited follow-up letters for one credit dispute. 12 months.

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