There are three major credit score reporting businesses in the USA – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Every company (or bureau) has a barely completely different means of accumulating and organizing a client’s credit score data to type a credit score report.
Due to their dimension and complexity, understanding how and who to contact at every bureau could be a irritating expertise. Their official web sites nearly look like they’re designed to confuse their shoppers.
Right here’s the data you’ll want if you wish to contact one or the entire three main credit score bureaus. We’ve sifted by way of the data on their official web sites and frequently replace this text with any adjustments.
Why Would You Must Contact a Credit score Bureau?
You may must contact a credit score bureau for various causes. Listed here are some examples of the most typical functions.
To handle your subscriptions. In the event you’ve subscribed to services or products offered by one of many credit score bureaus, chances are you’ll must contact buyer help or need to cancel your subscriptions.
To dispute inaccurate data or make corrections. Even in case you haven’t subscribed to any of the credit score bureau merchandise, chances are you’ll must get in contact with them to dispute incorrect objects in your credit score report. The identical could be the case if you’ll want to register a reputation change with a bureau.
To guard your private data. Victims of id theft will need to put fraud alerts and safety freezes on their credit score information. This can normally require a phone name on to the credit score bureau.
Contact Equifax
Equifax has a fairly easy contact web page that offers you many alternative methods to get in contact with the bureau. Their contact data differs primarily based on what you’re contacting them for.
For a duplicate of your credit score report
On-line: The quickest technique to entry your credit score report is by way of their On-line Self Service menu. You’ll need to create a MyEquifax account or register if you have already got one. You may as well entry all three copies of your credit score report at no cost each twelve months on AnnualCreditReport.com.
By cellphone: To request a duplicate of your Equifax credit score report, name 1-888-Equifax (1-888-378-4329) any time from 9 am to 9 pm (ET), Monday by way of Friday, and 9 am to six pm (ET), Saturday and Sunday.
By mail: You may as well fill out an Annual Credit score Report Request Type and mail it to the next deal with:
Annual Credit score Report Request Service
P.O. Field 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
In the event you select to request your credit score report by way of mail, be sure to fill out the shape appropriately, place it right into a #10 envelope, and affix the required postage.
For a dispute
On-line: Though Equifax has an internet dispute possibility on their On-line Self Service webpage, we don’t advocate submitting a credit score dispute on-line. It is because there’s a special algorithm in relation to disputing on-line.
For one, there’s no paper path that you would be able to level to, which might generally be the deciding issue when disputing an merchandise in your credit score report. Disputing on-line solely offers Equifax the higher hand by shopping for them extra time. Right here’s an article with extra causes Why You Ought to By no means Dispute Credit score Errors On-line for extra worthwhile data.
By mail: While you’re submitting a dispute, the standard technique goes to be your greatest wager. You possibly can fill out this Dispute Request Type and ship it by way of Licensed Mail to this deal with:
Equifax Info Companies LLC
P.O. Field 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374
Sending it by way of Licensed Mail is vital as a result of it offers you with a receipt that reveals the date your dispute was obtained.
For a fraud alert
On-line: The best technique to place a fraud alert in your account is thru your MyEquifax account. You possibly can entry directions to create an account for this goal on their On-line Self Service web page.
It’s vital to behave quick in circumstances of fraud alerts, so the net possibility goes to be your greatest wager.
By cellphone: In the event you really feel extra snug talking with somebody to put a fraud alert, name their helpline at 1-888-Equifax (1-888-4329) any time from 9 am to 9 pm (ET), Monday by way of Friday, and 9 am to six pm (ET) on Saturday and Sunday.
By mail: To position a fraud alert in your Equifax credit score report by mail, fill out this Fraud Alert Request Type and mail it to the next deal with:
Equifax Info Companies LLC
P.O. Field 105069
Atlanta, GA 30348-5069
For safety freezes
On-line: The best technique to place a freeze or handle a freeze in your Equifax credit score report is to create a profile or log in to your MyEquifax account. You’re in a position to place, quickly elevate, or completely take away a freeze in your Equifax credit score report.
By cellphone: To position a safety freeze by cellphone, name their major helpline at 1-888-Equifax (1-888-378-4329) any time from 9 am to 9 pm (ET), Monday by way of Friday, and 9 am to six pm (ET), on Saturday and Sunday.
By mail: You may as well fill out and ship a Safety Freeze Request Type to the next deal with:
Equifax Info Companies LLC
P.O. Field 105788
Atlanta, GA 30348-5788
For different Equifax merchandise
If you wish to contact Equifax about their credit score monitoring or id theft companies, Lock & Alert, or the 2017 Equifax Cybersecurity Incident, you possibly can attain help workers by cellphone at 1-888-Equifax (1-888-378-4329). Their name heart hours are from 9 am to 9 pm (ET), Monday by way of Friday, and 9 am to six pm, Saturday and Sunday.
Contact Experian
Experian’s Contact Us web page reveals you the right way to get in contact with the bureau primarily based on why you’re attempting to contact it. Like Equifax, Experian additionally affords many of those companies by way of its web site in case you choose to go surfing as an alternative of calling or mailing.
For a duplicate of your credit score report
On-line: To request your Experian credit score report, they advise you to go to AnnualCreditReport.com to get a free copy of your credit score report each twelve months.
In the event you’ve already gotten your free credit score report for the yr and need to get one other one for a price, you possibly can entry your credit score report by filling out their on-line request type and paying round $12 plus tax.
By cellphone: In the event you choose speaking to somebody, you possibly can request your Experian credit score report over the cellphone by calling 1-888-397-3742.
For a dispute
On-line: Though Experian prefers that you simply file a credit score dispute on-line, we don’t advocate going this route. There are many causes Why You Shouldn’t Dispute Credit score Report Errors On-line. One is that there is no such thing as a paper path like there could be with historically submitting a dispute by mail.
By mail: Experian has a full web page on its web site devoted to directions for disputing by mail. It could be useful to look over it earlier than sending your dispute. While you’re prepared, fill out this Dispute Request Type with any further data hooked up and mail it to this deal with by way of Licensed Mail:
Experian
P.O. Field 4500
Allen, TX 75013
When you ship the dispute and Experian has obtained it, you possibly can examine the standing of your dispute on-line by creating or signing in to your Experian account.
For fraud or id theft
On-line: In the event you suspect that you’re a sufferer of fraud or id theft, Experian has an Id Theft Assist web page that may information you thru the right steps you’ll want to take primarily based on what you’re experiencing.
Telephone: To contact Experian about fraud or id theft by cellphone, name 1-888-397-3742.
For different Experian merchandise
For extra data on different Experian merchandise and the right way to contact the bureau, you possibly can go to this Assist Web page which lays out a wide range of actions you possibly can take. You may as well name their helpline at 1-888-Experian (1-888-397-3742) any time from 8 am to eight pm (ET), Monday by way of Friday.
Contact TransUnion
TransUnion has a Client Assist webpage that takes you thru who to contact primarily based on what you’re attempting to perform. They’ve completely different sections for self-serve assist, managing your subscriptions, and getting technical help, amongst different issues.
For a duplicate of your credit score report
On-line: Like Experian, TransUnion refers you to AnnualCreditReport.com to entry your credit score report at no cost each twelve months. In the event you’ve already obtained your free credit score report and need to request one other one, you possibly can go to the Credit score Report web page to request a free copy by way of the TransUnion Service Middle or a paid credit score monitoring subscription.
By cellphone: TransUnion advises shoppers to name 800-888-4213 to request a credit score report over the cellphone.
By mail: You possibly can fill out an Annual Credit score Report Request Type and mail it to the next deal with:
Annual Credit score Report Request Service
P.O. Field 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
In the event you select to request your credit score report by way of mail, be sure to fill out the shape appropriately, place it right into a #10 envelope, and affix the required postage.
For a dispute
On-line: TransUnion affords an internet service heart that means that you can dispute objects in your credit score report and see the standing of your disputes. With that being stated, we all the time advocate avoiding disputing objects on-line. This provides the credit score union the higher hand and leaves you with much less energy within the disputing course of.
In the event you want any extra convincing, right here’s Why You Ought to By no means Dispute Credit score Report Errors On-line.
If you’ll want to dispute an merchandise in your TransUnion credit score report, you possibly can name 1-833-395-6941 Monday by way of Friday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Jap time.
By cellphone: In the event you choose to speak to somebody on the cellphone, you possibly can discuss to certainly one of their dispute consultants by calling 833-395-6941 any time Monday via Friday, 8 am – 11 pm (ET).
By mail: To dispute by mail, they ask that you simply embrace the next data:
- Private Info: Identify, DOB, Handle, SSN
- Identify of the corporate that reported the merchandise you’re disputing and the partial account quantity (out of your credit score report)
- Purpose to your dispute
- Any corrections to your private data (deal with, cellphone quantity, and so on.)
Upon getting that data gathered, ship your dispute and accompanying paperwork by way of Licensed Mail to:
TransUnion Client Options
P.O. Field 2000
Chester, PA 19016-2000
For a fraud alert
On-line: TransUnion has an in depth web page on its web site for something associated to Fraud Alerts. A fraud alert is a free service that notifies collectors to take further steps to confirm your id earlier than extending credit score. You possibly can place an preliminary fraud alert, an prolonged fraud alert, or an lively army alert in your TransUnion credit score report.
By cellphone: For fraud alerts, contact the Client Relations Division at 1-800-916-8800.
For safety freezes
On-line: To freeze or unfreeze your credit score with TransUnion, the bureau directs you to a Credit score Freeze web page with choices to finish the method on-line. It’s a free service that won’t have an effect on your credit score rating.
By cellphone: In the event you’d relatively name them to put or take away a credit score freeze, you possibly can name them at 1-888-909-8872 from 8 am to 11 pm (ET).
For different TransUnion merchandise
You possibly can go to their Client Assist web page in case you have every other questions or need to know extra about TransUnion’s different companies. This web page contains assist in the type of self-serve choices, subscription administration, and tech help.
Choose-Out of Mailing Lists
In the event you’re uninterested in having your mailbox filled with adverts, prescreened affords for credit score and insurance coverage, and different mail you didn’t ask for, odds are you’ve been subscribed to mailing lists which might be run by the credit score bureaus.
Fortunately, there’s a simple technique to unsubscribe. In the event you opt-out, you’ve got just a few selections:
- Choose out of getting mail affords for 5 years
- Choose out of getting mail affords completely
For both possibility you select, go to optoutprescreen.com or name 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688). To unsubscribe completely, you have to to signal and return the Everlasting Choose-Out Election type you’re going to get after you begin the method.
While you opt-out of those advertising emails you have to to supply some private data, together with your title, deal with, Social Safety quantity, and date of start.
