Use the CFPB complaint portal after a credit bureau leaves a genuine reporting error in place, or when its answer clashes with records you already sent. Want the mistake fixed, not just acknowledged? Write the bureau first. If you know who supplied the line, dispute with that furnisher as well. Save the CFPB complaint for later, when that effort fails and you need a documented response.
U.S. consumer credit reports fall under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, or FCRA. A CFPB complaint is free. It's not a court decision and can't force deletion of accurate information. This is general information, not legal advice.
Confirm that the item is actually wrong
Read the report itself. Don't judge the file by the score.
A low score is not an error. Neither is a late payment that really happened. Wrong balances, mixed-file addresses, accounts you never opened, and on-time payments marked late are the kinds of items you can dispute.
Order your copies from AnnualCreditReport.com. Sit down and compare Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion line by line. Those three files often disagree, and a correction at one bureau leaves the other two alone.
Old negative items do not stay on the report forever. In most cases, a consumer reporting agency may not report negative information more than seven years old or a bankruptcy more than 10 years old, though the FCRA has exceptions. The FTC's Fair Credit Reporting Act overview explains the law's coverage and the obligations of companies that supply report data.
Dispute directly with the bureau and the data furnisher
The FTC's guide to disputing credit report errors says to contact the bureau and the furnisher. Do that first. You'll need that direct-dispute record if you escalate later.
Send the dispute to the bureau that shows the error. Contact the furnisher too when you know the bank, lender, debt collector, or other company that supplied the line.
Thing is, similar-looking reports can contain different data. Send a separate dispute to each bureau that displays the same false account.
Include enough detail for the bureau to locate the item:
- A copy of the relevant report page, with the disputed entry clearly marked
- Documents supporting your position, such as payment records, account statements, court records, or identity theft documents
- A short explanation of what is wrong and what correction you want
- Copies of prior dispute results or correspondence, if the bureau already reviewed the issue
Keep original documents. You'll need those copies again if you escalate. Certified mail with a return receipt can document delivery if you dispute by mail.
Direct dispute contacts for Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion
Mail is better when you need a packet of records or proof of what you sent, while online disputes can work well for a straightforward error. The FTC's dispute guidance lists these mailing addresses. Check the bureau's current instructions before sending anything, since mailing procedures can change.
| Credit bureau | Online dispute route | Mailing address listed in FTC guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Equifax | Equifax disputes | Equifax Information Services LLC, P.O. Box 740256, Atlanta, GA 30348 |
| Experian | Experian disputes | Experian, P.O. Box 4500, Allen, TX 75013 |
| TransUnion | TransUnion credit disputes | TransUnion LLC Consumer Dispute Center, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016 |
Don't send passwords, your full Social Security number, or original records unless the bureau specifically requires information in a secure channel. Follow each bureau's identity-verification instructions.
How to submit a CFPB complaint about a credit bureau
The CFPB accepts complaints about credit reports and other personal consumer reports. Use the CFPB complaint portal when your direct dispute has not resolved the problem, the bureau has not responded as expected, or you need the company to address how it handled your case.
Focus the complaint on a specific event. "My report is unfair" is hard to investigate. A sentence like "Equifax reported a paid account as delinquent after I sent a paid-in-full letter on May 4, and its response did not address that letter" gives the company something concrete to answer.
- Choose the credit reporting complaint category in the CFPB portal.
- Name the bureau, furnisher, or both, and identify the disputed account or personal-information item.
- Describe the timeline: when you found the error, when you disputed it, what documents you sent, and what response you received.
- Upload copies of relevant reports, dispute confirmation numbers, letters, and supporting records.
- State the result you want, such as a reinvestigation, correction, deletion of information that cannot be verified, or a written explanation.
- Review attachments for sensitive information, submit the complaint, and save the confirmation number.
You can receive email updates, check the complaint status, and review the company's response. The CFPB says companies generally respond within 15 days. After a response, you have 60 days to provide feedback through the CFPB system.
A CFPB complaint does not replace your FCRA dispute. It is a way to document the problem and obtain a company response through the agency's complaint process.
Write a complaint that is easy to verify
You can adapt this outline:
On [date], I disputed [account or item] on my [Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion] report. The report states [specific information]. My records show [different fact]. I attached [document or documents]. On [date], I received [response or no response]. I am requesting a reinvestigation and correction or deletion of information that cannot be verified.
Facts carry more weight than labels. To be honest, a short date-by-date account often works better than a long argument because the person reading it needs to see the report line, your evidence, and what went wrong in roughly that order, and yes, repeating the account name can help.
Don't accuse a company of identity theft, fraud, or a legal violation unless your records support that claim. Keep the wording calm and specific. Name any financial effect, such as a denied rental application or loan, only if it happened.
Keep the CFPB and FCRA timelines separate
A bureau dispute is governed by the FCRA, while the CFPB complaint process is the agency's route for sending your concern to the company. These two clocks are separate.
| Process | General timing | What to save |
|---|---|---|
| Credit bureau reinvestigation | Generally 30 days under the FCRA; it may extend to 45 days if you provide additional relevant information during the initial 30-day period | Delivery proof, dispute confirmation, copies of evidence, and the results letter |
| CFPB complaint response | Companies generally respond within 15 days | CFPB confirmation number and the company's response |
| CFPB feedback period | 60 days after the company response | A copy of your feedback and any new documents |
Read the result carefully. A late response does not automatically erase a report entry. If the bureau corrects or deletes the item, get a fresh report and confirm the change. If it says the item was verified, compare that explanation with your records. Send another dispute only if you have genuinely new, relevant evidence.
Match the complaint to the company responsible
The credit bureau is not always the source of the error, since a lender may have reported a paid account as unpaid while the bureau simply included that information in its report; dispute with the lender or collector as well as the bureau in that situation, because the FTC notes that companies supplying information to consumer reporting agencies have duties, including investigating disputed information, and a CFPB complaint can name the company whose handling of the matter is at issue.
Match your documents, dispute, and complaint to the company and report that show the actual problem. Don't complain about all three bureaus if only one report contains the mistake.
Use different steps for identity theft and credit freezes
Accounts you do not recognize belong on a different track. Place a security freeze with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
Freezes are free and stay in place until you ask for removal, according to the FTC's credit freeze and fraud alert guidance. File an identity theft report at IdentityTheft.gov. Keep a copy. That report can support a request to block credit-report information resulting from identity theft.
Turns out, a freeze can help stop new accounts, but it does not remove fraudulent accounts already appearing on your reports. Dispute those fraudulent entries with every bureau that reports them. Put that history and the records in a CFPB complaint if a bureau mishandles the dispute or your identity theft documentation.
What to do if the problem remains unresolved
A written company response is what a CFPB complaint can help you obtain. It can't rewrite accurate negative history, recalculate your score, or decide a lawsuit.
Preserve every report, letter, upload confirmation, and delivery receipt. Your state attorney general or consumer protection office is another contact you can consider.
A consumer-rights lawyer or legal aid organization can explain options for your circumstances if the error caused serious financial harm or remains after repeated, documented disputes.
Download the reports that show the issue today. Mark the exact entries you dispute. Send the direct disputes first. Keep your evidence together, and use the CFPB portal if the bureau's response still does not address the records you provided.