General Credit Topics

[noochski]

How do I get an account updated on my CR? I had to finance some dental work over a year ago and paid the balance within 30 days but it still shows on my report as having a balance of $182.00. It's not a negative or derogatory account, it just isn't showing as paid in full. How can I get this updated, preferably for free?

[DaveSignal]

I had this problem with a store-card account recently on Experian.  I asked the OC multiple times to update and they said that they would, but it never got updated.  Finally, I filed a dispute online with the CRA and within 1 day the balance was correctly reported.

[noochski]

i just go to the CRA website to file a dispute?  I currently use USAA to monitor my scores and reports, but I haven't figured out if I can dispute my reports through them or not. . .

[DaveSignal]

USAA will let you fill experian disputes directly from their credit monitoring service.  Equifax and Transunion allow online disputes too, but you will have to go to their respective websites.

[laz98]

I'm having a similar problem with a student loan.  They're updating my payments correctly on EQ & TU, but for some reason, they stopped doing so on my EX report in March.  Of course, they have no idea what I'm talking about....

[noochski]

How does it work if I have a PFD letter from a CA, but they haven't deleted the entry from your report? Do I have to mail them a copy of the letter?

[BigDaddy18]

I'm pretty sure you just dispute it and the Credit agency will contact the creditor and then it will be settled once the creditor gives the credit agency the zero balance information.  Or something like that.  You don't have to give them anything they do all the investigating.

[noochski]

Thanks.

[HoldingOntoHope]

On the dispute form through the bureaus one of the dispute reasons is balance is not correct. And the USAA monitoring service will redirect you to the appropriate place. I know from experience with this same issue with a creditor.

[RobertEG]

I would advise bypassing the CRA and filing a direct dispute with the debt collector under FCRA 623(a)(8).  It might avoid a dispute flag, and would ensure that all supporting documentation is received by the debt collector.

The inaccuracy is their failure to update, and the controlling statute is FCRA 623(a)(2), which requires "timely update" of reported information so as to maintain its accuracy.

If the issue is one of deletion based on a "promise" to delete, then the current reporting is a bit dicier to contest as actually being inaccurate.  However, even better reason not to dispute through a CRA, as the issue of deletion based on payment of a debt is contrary to their published policy.