What if I disagree with the results of my credit report dispute?

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is the federal law that, among other rights, gives you the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information on your credit reports. The credit reporting company must take steps to investigate the dispute when you notify them of an error. They are not required to investigate if your dispute is “frivolous.”

What are my rights if a credit reporting company doesn’t respond to a dispute I file, or if they don’t respond accurately or completely?

If a credit reporting company doesn’t respond to your dispute or doesn’t respond adequately, you have rights:

You have the right to add a statement to your credit file. For unresolved disputes, you can ask that a brief statement of the dispute be included in your file and included or summarized in future credit reports. Your right to include a statement in your file applies only to disputes you’ve submitted to a credit reporting company, not to disputes that you’ve submitted directly to companies that provided the wrong information to the credit reporting company.

You have the right to bring a lawsuit. Credit reporting companies that break the law can be held liable for damages and attorney fees. In the case of a willful failure to comply with the law, the company can be liable for actual or statutory damages and punitive damages. Time limits apply to bringing a lawsuit, so be aware of deadlines.

For additional help getting a response from the credit reporting company:

• Speak with a lawyer. You may also qualify for free legal services in your community, if you need additional help and legal advice.
• If you are a servicemember, you can contact your legal assistance office .
• Submit a complaint to your state attorney general . Your state may have additional protections for consumers beyond the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

You can also submit a complaint with the CFPB online or by calling (855) 411-CFPB (2372).

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