How to remove collections from your credit report

If you’ve ever applied for credit such as a home loan, auto loan, credit card, etc. - and you’ve been denied, then you know how frustrating that can be. If you have collections showing up on your credit report (whether they are unpaid OR if you’ve paid it off), then these collections are significantly reducing your chances of getting approved for credit and loans, as well as lowering your credit score and resulting in dismal interest rates even if you do get approved. These collections can stick around on your credit report for up to 7 years, so it’s best to try and do something about them if you can.

Absolutely! Removing collections isn’t as hard as you think. The collection removal process takes advantage of strict consumer laws that are put in place to protect people from over aggressive, unfair, and fraudulent reporting of collection accounts. The two main federal laws that apply here are the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). You can leverage these laws and use them to your advantage by holding the three big credit bureaus (TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax) accountable for their reporting, as well as holding the collectors accountable for the collections they report about you.

If you dispute your collections, the credit bureau and the collector must prove that the collection information being reported about you is complete and accurate. If they fail to do this upon your request, then they are required by law to remove the collections completely. The company holding your collection account must provide documented proof that they are legally allowed to collect the debt from you, prove that the debt is within the statute of limitation, prove that the information is accurate such as account balances, and a handful of other key pieces of information. More often than not, collection companies are either unable to provide the required documentation, or they decide that it is not worth the time and effort to do so. And as a result, you can win your dispute and get these collections removed from your credit report.

If you’ve done some basic research, then you’ve probably discovered that you can dispute your accounts online with each bureau individually. However, this method of dispute is completely ineffective - the credit bureaus usually reply with a canned response just confirming that their records are correct. They do not provide any proof, and it’s likely that no human had anything to do with your dispute. You will almost never win a dispute this way.

The way to win your disputes is to open a dispute by sending the bureaus (and optionally the collection agencies) a physical letter through the mail. It sounds like an outdated method of communication, but has a number of advantages. For example, it’s more likely that their automated system will not be able to handle your dispute, and a real human will have to take a look at it. You can also make very specific requests in your letter, such as requesting specific documentation - while you would not be able to do this with an automated electronic dispute.

By using DisputeBee, we have simplified the process of sending physical dispute letters to the credit bureaus and collectors. Most traditional “professional” credit repair companies will charge you more than $75 - $100 per collection, per bureau, for every item they get removed. Some will even have startup fees and monthly fees on top of that. By using DisputeBee, you can generate the exact same letters that the professionals send the the bureaus. Our software automatically creates the letters for you, and then you simply print them out and take it to the post office. You will save yourself hundreds of dollars and get the same results.

Getting started with DisputeBee is fast and easy. You can get started and have fresh dispute letters ready to send in the mail within minutes. Here's how it works:

1. Sign up for DisputeBee
2. Import your credit report
3. Select which collections you want to dispute, and the correct dispute letters will automatically be generated
4. Print the letters out, and take them to the post office
5. Done!