How to Dispute Your Transunion Credit Report: 11 Steps (2024)

Explore this Article

Written byJennifer Mueller, JD

Last Updated: March 11, 2023References

1. 1

   Decide how you want to submit your dispute. TransUnion offers services that enable you to submit a dispute online, over the phone, or by mailing a letter in the mail.^[3][4]

   • If you want to submit your dispute online, you can begin the process by visiting https://dispute.transunion.com.
   • To submit a dispute over the phone, call TransUnion's toll-free number at 800-916-8800. Representatives are available at that number Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern time.
   • To mail a dispute, send your letter to: TransUnion LLC, Consumer Dispute Center, P.O. Box 2000, Chester PA 19016.
2. 2

   See Also

   3 Credit Bureau Phone Number: Experian, TransUnion, EquifaxHow To Reach a Human at Experian, TransUnion or EquifaxCredit Bureau Phone Number Information - NerdWalletHow to Contact Credit Bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion

   Gather your documents and information. You will need information about the item you want to dispute and evidence to prove it is inaccurate.^[5][6]

   • If you're submitting your dispute over the phone, make sure you have a copy of your TransUnion credit report handy. You will need to give the report's File Identification Number to the representative who takes your call.
   • Regardless of how you submit your dispute, it must include your TransUnion file number, your Social Security number, your date of birth, your current address, the company name and account number for the disputed item, and the reason for your dispute.
   • You also can have TransUnion correct any of your personal information at the same time – for example, if TransUnion is showing an old address, or if you've recently changed your name.

   Advertisem*nt

3. 3

   Draft a dispute letter. If you've decided to submit your dispute through the mail, you'll need to write a business letter describing the item you want to dispute and why it is inaccurate.^[7]

   • Type your letter in a word processing application using the standard business-letter format. Most apps have a template you can use.
   • The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has a sample dispute letter you can use, available at http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0384-sample-letter-disputing-errors-your-credit-report. Just replace the bolded words in brackets with the information that fits your situation.
   • Make sure you include all the information required by TransUnion, including your Social Security number and date of birth, so the person who receives your letter can adequately identify you and your credit file.^[8]
4. 4

   Submit your dispute to TransUnion. Make sure your information is error-free and easy to understand, and that you've included evidence to support your assertions.^[9]

   • Make a copy of everything you're sending to TransUnion before you send it, so you have a copy for your records.
   • If you're mailing your letter and information, make sure you're sending copies of documents – not the originals. Original documents won't be returned and may be difficult for you to replace.^[10]
   • Mail your letter using certified mail with returned receipt requested, so you know when TransUnion has received it.
   • If you're submitting your dispute online, TransUnion allows you to upload digital copies of any documents you want to attach as proof of your dispute.^[11]
   • For disputes submitted over the telephone, the representative who assists you will tell you how best to transmit any documents required to complete the investigation.
5. 5

   Wait for a response. Once your dispute is received, TransUnion will investigate the matter and send you a report of its findings, typically within 30 days.^[12]

   • TransUnion will send notice of your dispute to the individual or business that reported the disputed information. If the information turns out to be in error, the individual or business must provide TransUnion with the correct information to update your credit report. However, if the company or individual verifies that the information is correct, it will remain.
   • If TransUnion does not receive a response within 30-45 days, it will remove the information from your credit report.
   • If you filed your dispute online, you have the ability to check the status of your dispute by logging into your account on TransUnion's website.
6. 6

   Contact the information provider. While you're waiting to hear back from TransUnion, you may want to go ahead and alert the individual or company that reported the information that it is inaccurate.^[13]

   • Keep in mind that under federal law, both the credit bureau and the information provider are responsible for ensuring your credit report is true and accurate. In some cases, you may get faster results by dealing with the individual or company directly rather than going through TransUnion.
   • Typically you can find contact information for the information provider listed on your credit report along with the item you're disputing.
   • Unlike credit bureaus, most information providers only accept disputes through the mail, so you'll have to send a written letter.^[14]
   • The FTC has a sample dispute letter at http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0485-sample-letter-disputing-errors-your-credit-report-information-providers that you can copy and paste into your word processing application. Just replace the bolded words in brackets with your own information.

   Advertisem*nt

1. 1

   Review the results of the investigation. TransUnion will send you a written report letting you know what it determined about the item you disputed.^[15]

   • With an online dispute, TransUnion will send you an email when the investigation is complete and you will be given access to your credit report and the results of the investigation immediately.
   • If you submitted your dispute in any other way, you must wait to receive the report in the mail. Typically this takes an additional five to seven days after the investigation is complete.
2. 2

   Consider adding a statement to your report. If TransUnion didn't find in your favor, you can write a 100-word statement that will be added to your credit report alongside the disputed item.^[16]

   • If you want to see the information your creditor provided to verify the reported information, you'll have to contact them directly. TransUnion can't give you this information for privacy reasons.
   • Your consumer statement will be read by any individual or company that pulls your credit report as long as the item remains listed, so keep that in mind and avoid including personal information, such as sensitive medical information, that you wouldn't want to share.
3. 3

   See Also

   How to Contact the Credit Bureaus - Experian

   Determine if you need to place a fraud alert. If the error was due to a stolen credit card number or other information, you may want to request a fraud alert to keep it from happening again.^[17]

   • If you place a fraud alert with TransUnion, federal law requires them to also notify the other two credit bureaus.
   • Placing a fraud alert on your credit file entitles you to receive one free credit report from all three credit bureaus.
   • Your initial fraud alert will be in effect for at least 90 days. It requires a business or individual checking your credit report to verify your identification before it issues you credit or services, and can make it more difficult for thieves to open more accounts in your name.^[18]
4. 4

   Request copies of your other credit reports. Having found an error on your TransUnion report, you may want to check your reports with Equifax and Experian to ensure they don't have inaccurate information.^[19]

   • You are entitled to one free credit report per year under federal law. If you've not yet taken advantage of that, you can request your free credit report at the government-approved website http://www.annualcreditreport.com/ or by calling 1-877-322-8228.^[20]
   • If you've already received your free report, you'll have to pay a small fee to purchase the other two. Federal law prohibits credit bureaus from charging more than $12 for a report.^[21]
5. 5

   Consider signing up for a credit monitoring service. If you've had repeated issues with inaccurate information in your credit report, you may find a credit monitoring service can help you stay on top of your reports and catch errors more quickly.^[22]

   • TransUnion offers a credit-monitoring service for a monthly fee, as do the other credit bureaus. You also can sign up with third-party monitoring services that will charge a monthly fee for similar monitoring services.
   • Keep in mind that monitoring services don't do anything to prevent identify theft, but alerts can enable you to act more quickly to mitigate damages.
   • TransUnion also sponsors the credit monitoring service Credit Karma, an online service which provides daily access to your credit report, alerts, and notifications free of charge.^[23]

   Advertisem*nt

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question

30 votes - 55%