Account Dispute Letters

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Account Dispute Letters
 
One of the most common questions I get from people is asking what goes on a dispute letter and how are they supposed to be written?

My answer is always keep it simple, include all the mandatory information the bureaus will require, but never..never…never…never use a template for a normal dispute letter.

Templates are letters that follow a basic style that everyone uses, often replacing only the names, dates, and accounts on the form. Consider this: If a template was easy enough for you to find on Google, how many others like you have used it? You probably guessed it, thousands have used that same letter.


It’s also important to note that many times, a person doesn’t even check your letter. A person may pull the actual papers out of the envelope, but they will often scan your letters through a machine, which then places it into a software system that many of the bureaus share information with called the e-OSCAR. This software scans your letter for similarities with other letters first. They want to make sure that you aren’t one of those “credit repair” companies that sends in thousands of similar disputes every month or are using legal jargon like you are a lawyer who also does credit repair. Many times these types of letters get deemed “frivolous” by the bureau and responded to as such. The end result is that few accounts get deleted this way.
 

My Letter Style:
The goal is to look as much like a normal person as possible, who just ran into some errors on their credit report. When you look like someone with a story, who just genuinely needs help, you begin to work on the emotions of the person on the other side. The relationship becomes warmer and you appear as person to them, not just a number.

This is the reason my first round of letters normally works so well. It’s not uncommon to get multiple items deleted the first round when using these methods.

Our goal is to get our letters read by a human being, so I personally make it as difficult as possible to run my letters through a machine. Hand writing the letters works great, especially when it’s not on traditional printer paper. You could use special designed, different colors, or even different types of paper such as notebook paper. I have sent in stuff written on wrinkled paper torn out of a college ruled notebook just for effect. I have stapled papers together (USPS doesn’t like that much) and used other methods that requires human touch to my dispute letters.
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Consider format is what depends on how your disputes are treated, I try to switch up the format quite a bit. I never use the same style and I change up the order of details such as the address, phone number, etc.
 
There are four major parts you never want to leave out of a letter:

1. Reason (need a car, was looking to buy a home, etc.)
2. Justification (there are errors, inaccuracies, etc.)
3. Accounts (list name, account #, & problem with account, followed by…)
4. Action (Please delete, update, etc.)

 
Here is an example of a dispute letter, however the first account disputes would most likely be hand written:

​Your name                                                                                                                           Address 
                                                                                                                                                Social Sec. #
Date
                                                                                                                                              Date of Birth 
Credit Report #
Bureau (TransUnion, Experian, EQ)
Bureau Address (Street and number)
Nowhere land, T.X. 12345
 
To Whom It May Concern (could also say Dear TransUnion, etc.),
Recently, I walked into my bank to discuss buying a home, car, etc. and they told me there appeared to be some errors on my credit report. That got me curious as I need to purchase (whatever you said earlier).  I examined my report further and now I have a few things that I spotted that do not appear to be correct. There are the accounts in question:
 
Capital One Credit Card (account #1234567)
This is a closed account showing as open and is paid off, but also shows a balance.
 
Etc. etc. This can go on as long as there are accounts to address with this specific bureau.
 
 
Please delete all of these accounts due to inaccuracies and errors as they should not be placed on my credit report. Thank you for your help!
 
(never…ever… sign any dispute you send to a bureau or collector, they will transpose your signature)

​This letter can include all of the accounts in question with the specific bureau addressed on the letter

After finishing the letter, mail them out as soon as you can because of the date already being written on the letter. Always send the letters by certified mail (I know from experience that the bureaus like to act as if they never received it otherwise to frustrate you because by the time you find out they say they didn’t get it, you’ve already wasted several weeks).

Also Important To Remember:
Don’t talk crazy in your letter making threatening statements, acting like a lawyer, or making false claims about identity theft or who you are. Don’t talk down to anyone either as you want to draw some level of sympathy. After a few rounds of letters, my tactics get more aggressive and professional, but never anything outrageous. 

As always, we are here to support you in prayer and advising on where to turn next. If you have questions, concerns, or need help with the next step become a partner with us today and we will assist you with everything you need to help get to the next level.
If you would like our help and partnership, or to do the work for you, visit our credit restoration page https://www.salvationscall.org/creditrestoration.html

 

There are no attorneys on staff here at this ministry. No advice or laws stated on our site should be used to replace sound legal advice. If you have legal questions or are in need of legal consultation, please seek your attorney. God Bless!