Disputing Credit Report without Report Number?

[chryanna]

I live in NYC, which means that paid Collections/Charge Offs should fall off my report five years from the DOFD. On my Transunion and Experian accounts this happened about six months ago without action on my part. It's not off my Equifax one though, and I'm guessing it won't just drop off. I have my Equifax report through Quizzle, but there's no "report number" I can find, which limits my filing an online dispute. 

I've called their customer service number (still on the phone) and since I've currently been on hold for 27 minutes (and counting!) and one of the earlier announcements said the only way to do it by phone was through their automated service with an Equifax report number, I don't have high hopes for this. I'm guessing even if I do it by mail there will be a similar limitation.

I already pulled my free credit report for the year. Is there any way to dispute an item on my Equifax account without a report number?

If not, what's the cheapest way to get an updated report with the requisite number?

Thanks in advance

[RobertEG]

Send a written dispute if you wish to pursue as an inaccuracy of info in your file.

There is no requirement that a written dispute have any credit report number.

They are required to conduct a reinvestigation if it meets the requirements of section 611(a).

Additionally, I would not suggest filing of a dispute as the initial request.

There is actually no current inaccuracy under the FCRA,and they may not simply assume a current address of record establishes current NYS residency.

I would simply send proof of your NYS residency, advising the CRA that you qualify under the NYS exclusion provision, and requesting exclusion on that basis.

[chryanna]

Thanks for your help, Robert. I finally got through after 51 minutes of hold time (worst ever with a customer service department) and the representative said it'd be off my report within 48 hours.

Your response made me curious though, is there a difference other than a semantic one between filing a dispute and taking your course of action? I'm pretty confident that CRAs have the obligation to remove information that they're illegally providing under state law just as much as inaccurate information precluded by the FCRA. Law's a law.  And I have just as much right to dispute it being on there. 

Is there some other advantage you were thinking would be conferred by your less direct route?

[RobertEG]

The NYS statute only applies to current residents of that state.

It would be reasonable for the CRAs to apply the federal FCRA standard until such time as the consumer provides proof of currrent NYS residency.

To exclude based only on a current address provided some time ago, and in view of the fact that current address reporting has no specific time requirments under the FCRA, might not be considered prudent by the CRAs.

Its an administrative rather than dispute process.  A dispute will place a flag in your file that will remove certain information from scoring until the flag is removed.

[Anonymous]

You can use the report number from your free report you've previously pulled.