Start to finish
What happens, and how long the quiet part lasts
Most of this process is waiting, and most sites hide that. Here is the whole thing in order, including the month in the middle where nobody is doing anything, because knowing that in advance is worth more than a promise.
The deadlines in the chips are statutory. They belong to the credit agency, not to us, and nobody can shorten them.
The free review
Thirty minutes on the phone. You read us what is on the report, we tell you which parts have a route and which do not.
What you hearA straight answer on the call, and a written summary the same day whether or not you go ahead.
Before anything is signed
CROA 1679cYou get the statutory statement of your rights as a separate document, and a written contract you can read without a countdown running.
What you hearTwo documents by email, and a phone number that reaches a person.
Three days to change your mind
CROA 1679eNothing is sent and nothing is charged. If you cancel in this window you owe nothing, and you do not have to give a reason.
What you hearA cancellation form, in duplicate, with the contract. Keep one.
The letters get written
One letter per item, each stating the specific thing that is wrong and the evidence for it. A letter that disputes everything at once is a letter that gets treated as frivolous.
What you hearA copy of every letter before it goes, for you to approve.
They go in the post
Sent so that the date of arrival is provable. That date is the one the clock runs from, and without it there is nothing to hold anybody to.
What you hearThe article number for each letter, so you can track it yourself.
The quiet part
FCRA 611(a)(1)(A)This is most of it. The agency has 30 days from receiving your dispute, extending to 45 if you send more information during the period. Nothing you do makes it faster.
What you hearA note on the day it is sent, and a note on the day it is due. Nothing in between, because there is nothing in between.
Behind the scenes
FCRA 611(a)(2)The agency has to tell the company that reported the item that you disputed it. That is their obligation, not yours, and it has its own short clock.
What you hearNothing. It is included here because you should know it is happening.
The written result
FCRA 611(a)(6)Deleted, changed, or verified as correct. Verified is a real outcome and it happens; the report will say so plainly rather than dressing it up.
What you hearA call the day it lands, and the letter forwarded to you in full.
If it comes back verified
FCRA 611(a)(7)You can ask how they checked. They have to describe the procedure they used and name the company they contacted.
What you hearA call about whether it is worth asking, which sometimes it is not.
If you still disagree
FCRA 611(b)You can add your own statement of the dispute to the file, in your own words. The agency may hold you to one hundred words.
What you hearHelp writing the hundred words, at no charge.
Done
You get the whole file: every letter sent, every reply, every date. It is yours, and it is the thing you hand to the next person who asks.
What you hearOne email with everything in it, and an invoice for the items that reached an outcome.
What a week actually looks like
One ordinary week on one ordinary file, including the days when the honest answer is that nothing happened. Point at a day, or tab to it, and it locks under the rule with the detail beside it. The layout does not move while you read.
| Day | What happened | Who | Rule | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two letters approved and posted | To CRA-02 and CRA-03 | FCRA 611(a)(1)(A) | Clock starts | |
| Nothing | nobody | none | Waiting | |
| Delivery confirmed on both | From the carrier | FCRA 611(a)(1)(A) | Due in 30d | |
| A call you did not ask for | To you | none | Five minutes | |
| An older item comes back verified | From CRA-01 | FCRA 611(a)(7) | Verified | |
| An item is deleted | From CRA-02 | FCRA 611(a)(5)(A) | Deleted |
How long the whole thing takes
The honest answer is about five to seven weeks a round, and often more than one round. We will not give you a date, because the part that takes longest is not ours to control.
- The free review
- Same week, usually within two working days.
- Three days to change your mind
- Nothing is sent. Your right under CROA 1679e.
- Writing the letters
- About a week, including you reading and approving them.
- The statutory window
- 30 days from arrival, or 45. Not ours to shorten.
- If you ask how they verified
- Another 15 days on top, under FCRA 611(a)(7).
What you will hear from us
Four times, and not more. A file that generates a weekly update is a file where somebody is being billed for updates.
- When the letters are ready, for you to approve or change.
- On the day they arrive, with the due date in writing.
- On the day a result lands, whatever the result is.
- At the end, with the whole file and an invoice for the items that reached an outcome.
Between the second and the third of those there is usually a month of nothing. That is not neglect, it is the statute running, and you are not billed for it.