Your Right to Dispute Inaccurate Information
Under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and Washington's RCW Chapter 19.182, you have the right to dispute any information in your credit report that you believe is inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable. Both the credit reporting agency (bureau) and the furnisher (the creditor or lender that reported the information) have legal obligations to investigate and correct errors. Errors on credit reports are more common than most people realize. A 2021 Consumer Reports study found that 34% of participants found at least one error on their credit report. Common errors include accounts that do not belong to you, incorrect payment history, outdated negative information, and duplicate entries.
Step 1 — Dispute with the Credit Bureau
You can dispute errors directly with the bureau that is reporting the inaccurate information — Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion. You may need to dispute with all three if the error appears on multiple reports. Online disputes: • Equifax: equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services • Experian: experian.com/disputes/main.html • TransUnion: transunion.com/credit-disputes By mail: Send a dispute letter by certified mail with return receipt requested. Include: • Your full name, address, and date of birth • A clear description of each item you are disputing and why • Copies (not originals) of any supporting documents • A copy of the relevant section of your credit report with the disputed item highlighted The bureau must investigate your dispute within 30 days (45 days if you submit additional information during the investigation period). If the information cannot be verified, it must be deleted or corrected.
Step 2 — Dispute with the Furnisher
In addition to disputing with the bureau, you should also dispute directly with the furnisher — the creditor, lender, debt collector, or other entity that reported the inaccurate information. Send a dispute letter to the furnisher's address listed for billing disputes (not the general customer service address). Include the same documentation you sent to the bureau. The furnisher must: • Investigate the dispute • Review all relevant information you provide • Report the results to the bureau • Correct or delete inaccurate information If the furnisher continues to report information it knows is inaccurate, it may be liable under the FCRA.
What Happens After You Dispute
The bureau must notify you of the results of its investigation in writing. If the dispute results in a change, the bureau must: • Provide you with a free updated copy of your credit report • Notify any person who received your report in the past six months (two years for employment purposes) If the bureau determines the information is accurate, you have the right to add a 100-word consumer statement to your file explaining your position. This statement will appear on future credit reports. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you may: • File a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) at consumerfinance.gov/complaint • File a complaint with the Washington Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division at atg.wa.gov • Consult an attorney — the FCRA provides for actual damages, statutory damages of up to $1,000 per violation, and attorney's fees for willful violations
Disputing a Debt You Do Not Owe
If a debt collector contacts you about a debt you do not recognize or believe you do not owe, you have the right under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) to request verification of the debt within 30 days of the collector's first contact. Once you send a written verification request, the collector must stop collection activity until it provides verification. If the debt is the result of identity theft, file a report with the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov and obtain an Identity Theft Report. You can use this report to dispute fraudulent accounts with the bureaus and furnishers, and to request that the bureaus block the fraudulent information from your credit report under FCRA Section 605B.