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How to Contact the Credit Bureaus
By Patrick Russell, Esq.
Nov 28, 2002 - 11:36:00 AM
There are three major credit bureaus, namely TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. There are numerous reasons why you might want to contact these credit bureaus. First, you may want request a copy of your credit report to merely check to see how you are rated. In some instances, this may be a good idea in advance of making a major purchase to ensure that you have the proper credit rating to complete the transaction. Secondly, you may need to lodge a dispute over a particular charge or transaction if you should discover that your credit report contains information that is incorrect or that does not belong to you.
To do a complete job, you will need to contact all three credit bureaus as they maintain their own separate databases and reports on you. As separate entities, these credit reports may be slightly different from one another. As such, an error appearing on one credit report may or may not appear on the other two credit bureau reports.
To begin, you may contact the credit bureaus by mail, online or telephone. The process for disputing an item on your credit report is roughly the same with each credit bureau. The information for each of the credit bureaus is as follows:
Equifax. To request a copy of your credit report, you should write to Equifax Disclosure, P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241. You can also try calling 1-800-685-1111 or online at www.equifax.com. To begin a dispute you must write to Equifax Information Services, Dispute Department, P.O. Box 740256, Atlanta, GA 30374-0256.
TransUnion. To request a copy of your credit report, you should write to TransUnion, P.O. Box 1000, Chester, PA 19022. You can contact them by telephone at 800-888-4213 or online at www.transunion.com. For disputes, you should write to TransUnion, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19022. You can also begin a dispute over the telephone at 800-916-8800, but you will need the file number from your credit report to begin.
Experian. To request a copy of your credit report, you should write to Experian, The National Consumer Assistance Center, P.O. Box 2002, Allen, TX 75013. You may also call 888-397-3742 or go online at www.experian.com.
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