How to get FREE reports to file Online Disputes with the 3 Credit Reporting Companies

STORY:

So today I get an email alert from Equifax (free from Paypal) saying that my credit limit has been reached with my Bank of America credit card. Problem is, I've never had a Bank of America account in my entire life before! So at this point I'm really mad! I call Bank of America and they tell me someone must have inputted the incorrect social security number (mine). They have all of the account information under someone else's name/address but with my social. So now I have someone's home address, credit card #, and full name.

They told me it was corrected and I have nothing to worry about. They told me it would come off my credit report after some time and nothing else needs to be done (which I think is BS). What I don't understand is why it says the account was opened in 01/01/05, and yet I have never seen this on any of my reports since last year. I wonder if this has reached the other credit bureaus. Can I make them pay for my other credit reports?

I honestly have no clue what to do at this point. Any suggestions? My credit score must be somewhere around 800 and I'm about shop around for a mortgage for a new home sometime soon and I don't want anything negative in my account.

EDIT: I changed the title of the thread, since I figured out how to get a free report to file disputes online for all 3 credit bureaus. So maybe this can help someone in the future, since they weren't that easy to find. I directly linked them below:

Equifax Report for Online Dispute

Experian Report for Online Dispute

TransUnion Report for Online Dispute

The following central site allows you to request a free credit file disclosure, commonly called a credit report, once every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. www.annualcreditreport.com

I would suggest you to dispute it with Equifax as well, just incase if BOA does nothing.

ArbolLoco said: get your free annual credit report tomorrow and dispute the account.

I would, but I used up all 3 free reports already. I won't be able to get another free one for another 2 months or so.

You can get it free if you suspect that there's identity theft. So yeah.

just call the credit agencies and they will verify ur info with u, then let u dispute.

u need to get this done asap.

I had the similar issue with Experian.
They had some stranger's collection record on my credit report, but Equifax & Trans didn't (from citi identity monitoring 3 free reports).
Thought about my options (sue, and etc), and reached to a conclusion that I didn't have many.
Paid $15 to get Experian credit report online and disputed it online.
They removed it next day.
Still a bit pissed off about paying my own $15 to fix their mistake & whatever possilbe damages it might have done on my credit.
But sometimes the best thing to do is just accept it and walk away.

Well, they are correct. You can also dispute this with credit agencies and ask them to remove the info, but my experience is that it will disappear by itself. Wait 1 month if time is not critical resource for you, sheck report again. It should disappear. It not - start disputing.

The Equifax link is just a link for ordering the report, not for disputing anything.

use your current confirmation # of your free Equifax report to dispute it online. enter your name, ssn, address, #, etc. Equifax will give you a list of your current accounts. just pick the fraud account to dispute it.
or make a call to Equifax, you can use your free Equifax confirmation number to touch a rep. it's easy.

you can only dispute from a bureau, because the dispute result will spread to another 2.

Privacy Matters 123 for $30 for a year

That will pull fako scores and reports from all 3 ...at $30 for a year, its hard to beat.

I don't understand how this is any harder than a stamp plus: "I was receantly denied credit or experienced adverse action please send me a copy of my report."

Print out 3 copies and wait for your report in 7-10 days.

Life is so easy when you read the laws governing things...

You have to pay for your scores.

I would recommend, "freeze" your credit with all the three agency. It will cost you $10 each but it is worth. They will provide you "PIN" and thereafter no one can get your your credit report or access your credit scores without your permission. You can open it up for certain days or for a particular party for a certain period.

to dispute online with Equifax, click on the OP's link and get your CR, then goto http://www.Equifax.com/online-credit-dispute/ and you candispute online

Vmaxer said: I updated the quick summary with this LINK that has links to all three online disputes.

Thanks and just what I need.

Bump to prevent archiving. I think it's good to have this thread going, as the methods and links may change and therefore may need updating.

JustLJ said: You might try filing a police report too, to give you some additional backup in case BOA "forgets" to correct it.
better advice.

Bump

I know this may be a dumb question but can you get a report if you don't have a dispute?

I'm pulling 3 credit reports (1 week trial) and see that Experian reports 2 delinquencies, while other two agencies do not. In the reports themselves, I don't see any problem.
Trying to access online dispute with Experian, and getting this message. Any idea / similar experience ??

================================================
We are unable to allow access to our online dispute service at this time. You must have a current copy of your personal credit report in order to dispute information.

If you recently obtained an Experian credit review from another company, then you may want to try your dispute later. Our system does not yet recognize your order.
If you have not obtained a copy of your personal credit report, you may call 1 800 204 1410 to order your report through our automated service. If you are entitled under state or federal law, your report may be free.
=================================================
Another annoyance:
When filling online forms, I was asked to provide credit card numbers from the list of credit cards fro my records. Some cards are old, closed, and numbers are well forgotten. For example, during my life I had many CC from BoA, only one is active, but when I typed its number, the system rejected it. How do you deal with this ?

Thanks

I was unable to retrieve my Equifax credit file online (Online Delivery Unavailable... I'm not sure whether it stems from the fact I submitted a dispute 30-45 days back or not)

Anyway...

For those with the same issue as me that demand online immediate access to their Equifax file, I was able to find a workaround so that you can view the report online.

1 Order the report by phone* and write down your confirmation number.
2 go here > http://www.equifax.com/answers/correct-credit-report-errors/en_c...
3 enter zip code and submit
4 click on Get Started
5 enter confirmation number received over the phone and click submit
6 click on Start a New Dispute

Voila

*Phone ordering details (as of June 2009)

1)
Dial 800-685-1111 "welcome...note the fee is 7.95..." then press 1 to continue

2)
press 1 for states fee
press 2 for adding fraud/active duty or order credit file/score
press 3 if you have a copy of credit file used for employment purposes
press 4 for unemployed, welfare recipient or fraud victim
press 5 for annual disclosure/FACT
press 6 security freeze
press 7 visually impaired
press 8 minor child

3)
press 1 despite the fee warning
press 2 for recent fraud victim alert
press 3 for adding a fraud alert

4)
Say state name and press 1

5)
enter house number, then SSN

6)
press 1 for combo
press 2 for score only
press 3 for file only

7)
press 1 to add a score
press 2 to receive only the report

8)
press 1 (if denied)
press 2 if not denied

9)
last 4 digits shown on report
press 1 to show only the last 4 digits of your SSN
press 2 to show the whole SSN