Best to dispute online or via mail?

[RikkiTiki]

Starting to rebuild my credit. A few questions...is disputing online just as effective as the mail?

Also, would you wait until SOL have been reached? Afraid of stirring the pot so to speak.

I have a few late mortgage payments, and a few credit card accounts I stopped paying on about 5-6 years ago after a divorce.

I was just approved for a capital one Platinum card( unsecured). And I hope to be able to get a mortgage again in the next few years.

Thanks so much!

[Medic981]

Welcome to the myFICO forums!

Never ever dispute accurately reporting derogatory items on your credit report. Disputes are for removing inaccurate information from your credit report. By disputing accurate derogatory information, it will be updated and drop your FICO score.

Some people suggest throwing everything against the wall and see what sticks. What can happen is an original creditor (OC) or collection agency (CA) fails to verify the derogatory within the time limit and the derogatory is removed. FICO jumps and success!!!

What happens next is the OC or the CA gets around to verifying and updating the account and BOOM!!! The derogatory is back with a vengeance and your FICO is lower than before. Never ever dispute accurately reporting derogatory items on your credit report. (Unless you want to intentionally trash your FICO scores. YMMV)

[RobertEG]

Online disputes generally dont provide much flexibility for the consumer to include documentary evidence supporting the dispute, or to provide ability for lengthy arguments.

Will your dispute require either?  If so, sending your dispute via mail might be more prudent.

[trusty]

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@RikkiTiki wrote:
Starting to rebuild my credit. A few questions...is disputing online just as effective as the mail?

Also, would you wait until SOL have been reached? Afraid of stirring the pot so to speak.

I have a few late mortgage payments, and a few credit card accounts I stopped paying on about 5-6 years ago after a divorce.

I was just approved for a capital one Platinum card( unsecured). And I hope to be able to get a mortgage again in the next few years.

Thanks so much!

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Here's a great information website that gives examples of how to dispute things.

https://www.creditinfocenter.com/

[trusty]

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@Medic981 wrote:

What happens next is the OC or the CA gets around to verifying and updating the account and BOOM!!! The derogatory is back with a vengeance and your FICO is lower than before. Never ever dispute accurately reporting derogatory items on your credit report. (Unless you want to intentionally trash your FICO scores. YMMV)

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If something pops back up, it's because it wasn't disputed correctly. Otherwise, the credit bureaus seem to be doing a good job of removing things that they themselves have deleted. Usually something can only reappear under another entry; in which case, it can be disputed again.

Either way, worrying about something popping back up is not a reason not to try disputing negative items. The negative item is unlikely to cause any further harm to one's credit, solely based on disputing it. As they say, all they can say is no.

[RikkiTiki]

Thank you. The late payments shouldn't be there, and 1 of the credit card balances is incorrect.

The other things are legitimate and I will wait until they come off on their own.

[RikkiTiki]

For the disputes, would I need to sign up with each credit bureau in order to send it through? Or is there a single website it can be done from? I know there will be monthly fees, I'm just trying to streamline the process.

[trusty]

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@RikkiTiki wrote:
For the disputes, would I need to sign up with each credit bureau in order to send it through? Or is there a single website it can be done from? I know there will be monthly fees, I'm just trying to streamline the process.

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Please reference the website that I linked. It has all of the instructions on how to dispute things.

The best way to dispute things is in writing... via certified mail, return receipt. The reason is because, if something goes wrong, you've kept copies of your documents, and copies of delivery... to prove your dispute timeline. One of the ways that items can get deleted, procedurally, is if a creditor does not respond to the dispute within 30 days.

You typically don't have to sign up with anyone to dispute things, although if you do it online you may have to create a login, in order to verify your identity. The second method would be online, which also allows attachments.

https://www.equifax.com/personal/disputes/

https://www.experian.com/ncaconline/creditreport?type=reseller&rid=R0002

https://www.transunion.com/credit-disputes/dispute-your-credit

The last method would be over the phone; but, it is widely considered to be unreliable, as there is no paper trail. However, some users have reported catching representatives on a good day, and getting a lot accomplished. The phone is a quagmire. Numbers are always changing, departments are in flux... it's difficult to ensure that you're talking to the correct individual, empowered to help you. There's a saying in credit repair... "stay off the phone." It can go really good or really bad. Also, certain phone reps may begin to judge your situation, differently than they would had they just read a letter.

[trusty]

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@RikkiTiki wrote:
Thank you. The late payments shouldn't be there, and 1 of the credit card balances is incorrect.

The other things are legitimate and I will wait until they come off on their own.

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Regarding your situation, consider contacting the creditors directly to dispute late payments. If it is just a misunderstanding, oftentimes if you can get a sympathetic individual to assist you, either by phone or a goodwill letter - then you can forgo the credit bureau.