You may be relieved to find out that the item that’s adversely affecting your credit score isn’t an error after all. Phew! The next step is to get it corrected.  That’s when the process of disputing it begins! As there are three national credit bureaus, you have to write to all three of them if the error is on all three reports. The letter needs to include the problem and the details of the issue to back up your dispute. Then, you have to make sure it gets read! Yes, sometimes disputes do slip through the cracks.

Here is how you can prevent that from happening:

How disputes slip through the cracks

Often, letters are put through an automatic computer program that reads and evaluates them. Everything is automated these days! However, this means that no one is reading your letter and evaluating it for its merits. The error may not be removed simply because it may be missed by the system.

Make sure a person reads your letter

Here are some tips and tricks you can use to ensure yours gets read by an actual person:

• Use an envelope of a different color – anything that’s unusually sized or shape will be attention grabbing
• Hand write, don’t type – this is so that a computer program won’t be able to read your letter. An actual employee has to do it instead.
• If you’re typing, use an unusual style or color, and use italicized font

Use unusual stationery that’s unique or eye-catching, so that it stands out

• Pile on all your supporting documents until your letter becomes a thick pile of paper.
• Staple it multiple times, or even staple it at places that are not traditional

However, make sure that your handwriting is still legible and comprehensible. Keep in mind that the goal is to make it difficult for a computer program to read it, but not too difficult for a person to read and comprehend it. All the necessary information should also be included.

But sometimes, you may not have to do all of that

Yes those methods do sound a little wacky! But they do work. The times when you don’t have to go through all that trouble are when your dispute letter needs to be sent to a creditor or bill collector. Most of the time there is an actual person handling letters of dispute that come  in this case so you don’t have to worry.

A Professional Can Make the Process Easier

In these days of automation you’re never sure whether a real live human will be responding to you. We’ve all experienced the frustrations of automated call centers. In the case of dispute letters, drafting one such that a person will attend to it is indeed a skill. It’s difficult for the uninitiated to do it properly and to be sure it reaches the hands of someone who will respond. Luckily, credit repair specialists are experts at writing dispute letters. We know little tricks of the trade to get problems resolved efficiently. If you need help, don’t hesitate to contact us today. We will be there at every step of the way to get your error resolved.