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Reviewed By:
Ashley Davison
Ashley Davison
Editor
Ashley is currently the Chief Compliance Officer for Credit Saint, previously the Chief Operating Officer. Ashley got into the Financial world by working as a Logistics Coordinator at Ernst & Young. Coming from a previous career in education, she is eager to teach the world every...
To dispute your TransUnion credit report, file for free online through the TransUnion Service Center, by mail to TransUnion Consumer Solutions, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016-2000, or by phone at 800-916-8800. Explain what’s wrong and include copies of your proof. TransUnion generally has 30 days to investigate and must correct or delete information that’s inaccurate, incomplete or can’t be verified.
This guide walks through each way to file, what to include, what happens after you file, and what to do if you disagree with the result. Each bureau keeps its own file, so check your Equifax and Experian reports too. Our main guide to disputing items on your credit report covers all three bureaus.
Key Takeaways
You can dispute TransUnion errors online, by mail or by phone. Filing is free.
By mail, send your dispute to TransUnion Consumer Solutions, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016-2000. By phone, reach TransUnion’s Consumer Relations team at 800-916-8800.
TransUnion generally has 30 days to investigate. It must correct or delete information that’s inaccurate, incomplete or can’t be verified.
Only dispute information you believe is wrong. Accurate, verified information stays on your report.
What Should You Do Before Filing a TransUnion Dispute?
Start with a current copy of your TransUnion report so you’re disputing exactly what it shows. You can get free reports from all three bureaus every week at AnnualCreditReport.com. Then list each item you believe is wrong and why. Common errors include:
Accounts that aren’t yours, or the same debt listed twice
Late payments you didn’t make
A wrong balance, credit limit or account status (for example, “open” on an account you closed)
Negative items older than the reporting period allows (see the 7-year rule)
Wrong personal information, such as an address you never lived at
Inquiries you don’t recognize
For an inquiry you don’t recognize, TransUnion suggests contacting the company that made it first and asking why. If it was fraud, you can mail that information to TransUnion. TransUnion says inquiry disputes can’t be filed online.
Gather copies of anything that supports your dispute: statements, payment confirmations, canceled checks, letters from the creditor, or an identity theft report.
How Do You Dispute With TransUnion Online?
Online lets you upload documents and track your dispute in one place. TransUnion’s credit disputes page lays out these steps:
Create a free TransUnion Service Center account, or log in if you already have one.
Review your credit report and choose the item you want to dispute.
Add supporting documents that back up your dispute.
Submit the dispute and track it in the same account.
If TransUnion has your email address, it sends updates when the dispute opens, while it’s in progress and when the investigation is complete.
How Do You Dispute With TransUnion by Mail?
Mail is a good choice if you want a paper trail or have a lot of documents. TransUnion’s dispute by mail or phone page asks you to include as much of the following as possible:
Your name, date of birth, address and Social Security number
The name of the company that reported the item and the partial account number shown on your report
The reason for your dispute
Any corrections to your personal information, such as your address or phone number
Send it to:
TransUnion Consumer Solutions
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016-2000
TransUnion accepts standard or certified mail, and its page offers a mailing label you can download. Certified mail with a return receipt gives you proof of when your dispute arrived. Send copies of your documents, not originals, and keep a copy of everything you mail. Our guide on how to write a credit dispute letter shows how to lay out your letter.
How Do You Dispute With TransUnion by Phone?
TransUnion’s Consumer Relations team takes disputes at 800-916-8800, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern time and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time. Have your report in front of you. A phone dispute leaves less of a paper record, so write down the date, the name of the person you spoke with and any confirmation number.
What Happens After You File a TransUnion Dispute?
The Fair Credit Reporting Act’s dispute procedure sets out the steps and deadlines:
TransUnion notifies the company that supplied the information (the creditor or collector) within 5 business days and passes along your dispute and the information you sent.
The company investigates and reports back whether the information is accurate.
TransUnion finishes its investigation, generally within 30 days of receiving your dispute. That can stretch to 45 days if you send more relevant information during the first 30 days.
TransUnion updates your report if the information is inaccurate, incomplete or can’t be verified. It must correct or delete that item. If the company confirms the information is accurate, it stays.
You get the results in writing within 5 business days after the investigation ends. If your report changed, the notice includes a free copy of your updated report.
Two other rules are worth knowing. If TransUnion decides a dispute is frivolous or irrelevant, for example because it doesn’t say what’s wrong, it must tell you within 5 business days. And if deleted information is later put back, TransUnion must tell you in writing within 5 business days. Filing a dispute doesn’t hurt your credit score.
What If TransUnion Doesn’t Change the Item?
If the company confirms the information and TransUnion keeps it, you still have options:
Send new evidence. TransUnion says you can submit your dispute again with supporting documents, such as a letter from the creditor, a billing statement or a canceled check.
Dispute directly with the company that reported it. Creditors and collectors generally must investigate disputes sent to them and respond within 30 days.
Ask how TransUnion investigated. You can request a description of how the investigation was done.
Add a statement of up to 100 words to your TransUnion report explaining your side. Future reports that include the item will note that you dispute it.
File a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or your state attorney general if you believe your dispute wasn’t handled properly. Our guide to your credit report rights explains how.
Generally 30 days. TransUnion has 30 days from receiving your dispute to investigate, or up to 45 days if you send more relevant information during that time. It then has 5 business days to send you the results in writing.
TransUnion Consumer Solutions, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016-2000. That’s the address on TransUnion’s dispute by mail or phone page. Check the page before you mail in case the address changes.
800-916-8800. That’s TransUnion’s Consumer Relations team, available 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern time on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time on weekends.
No. TransUnion says starting a dispute has no effect on your credit score. Your score could change only if the dispute leads to changes on your report.
Yes, if the same error appears on those reports. Each bureau keeps its own file. A company that finds it reported wrong information has to tell the bureaus it reports to, but check each report yourself to confirm. Our guide to getting all three credit reports shows how.
The Bottom Line
Disputing with TransUnion is free and follows a clear process. Find what’s wrong, file online, by mail or by phone with copies of your proof, and watch for the written results. Keep records of everything you send, and check your other two reports for the same error.
Reviewed By:
Ashley Davison
Editor
Ashley is currently the Chief Compliance Officer for Credit Saint, previously the Chief Operating Officer. Ashley got into the Financial world by working as a Logistics Coordinator at Ernst & Young. Coming from a previous career in education, she is eager to teach the world everything she knows and learn everything that she doesn’t! Ashley is a FICO® certified professional, a Board Certified Credit Consultant, a Certified Credit Score Consultant with the Credit Consultants Association of America, UDAAP certified, and holds a Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) Compliance Certificate.
