I highly recommend you NEVER use their online dispute systems, and I'll explain why.

Reason #1: As most of you know, one factor you have on your side when disputing credit is time. Thirty days is not allot time for a credit bureau, or collection agency to properly investigage a dispute. The Credit Bureaus online dispute system is set up in such a way that when you use it, it makes their job that much easier. The information you put into their limited dispute fields falls right into their electronic verification system.

Reason #2: This is one probably the most obvious. You have no proof or paper trail. Much of credit repair is about good records and paper trails.

Reason #3: When the Fair Credit Reporting Act was amended, they put in a section for "Expidited Dispute Resolution" Section 611a(8) the on-line dispute system. If you read that part you will notice the following…

"the agency shall not be required to comply with paragraphs 2,6 and 7 with respect to that dispute if they delete the tradeline within 3 days.'

Paragraph 2 requires the CRA to forward your dispute and all related documentation you provide to the furnisher.

Paragraph 6 requires the CRA to provide you with written results of the investigation.

Paragraph 7 requires the CRA to provide you with the method of verification on request from the consumer.

What it all means…

The Credit Reporting Agency (CRA) can delete a disputed tradeline for 30 days, then the tradeline can reappear when the furnisher (creditor or collector) reports it again in the next cycle. That's because the CRA isn't required to tell the furnisher you disputed it thanks to section 2 being omitted.

Furthermore, you loose your rights to request "Method of Verification" (MOV) a powerful tool in the dispute process thanks to Paragraph 7 being omitted.

Finally, another powerfull tool we use often is the 5 day written notice of re-insertion. Essentially what that means is that if a credit bureau is going to re-insert a previously deleted item, they must inform you in writting 5 days prior to re-inserting it. I've rarely ever seen them give that notice and is how we get many items removed.

That 5 day notice is only required if the credit bureau takes longer then 45 days to complete. IF it's deleted via the expidited system (3 day) the 5 day, written notice is no longer required.

Remember, the credit bureaus are not your friends, nor are their systems set up to assist you.

If you're going to dispute items on your credit report, do it in writing, and do it certified mail.