Some credit reporting errors are mere annoyances.
Others, however, can be potentially devastating to your financial welfare.
Even more challenging still can be the long, drawn-out process of contacting the credit reporting bureaus, lodging formal error correction requests, and dealing with the financial setbacks that come as a result of not being able to properly leverage your credit on account of someone else’s errors or malfeasance. This process can take months or even years before corrective action is taken.
Equifax, Experian, and Transunion each have their own processes for addressing credit reporting errors. Much of the steps they offer to correct credit reporting errors can be completed using their respective websites. And, much of the time, these steps can be useful for many consumers.
But, sometimes you hit a wall. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, resolving your credit reporting error is a losing battle until you hire an attorney.
This raises the question of when. When is it time to say enough is enough and hire an attorney who will act on your behalf to restore your credit?
Knowing When to Call in the ‘Big Guns’
At the Law Office of Matthew R. Osborne, PC, we specialize in providing consumer law-related legal services, including credit reporting error correction. We know how frustrating and helpless it can feel not knowing what actions to take to fix a credit reporting issue.
One strategy is to go through the motions outlined by the credit reporting bureaus and hope for the best. But, as we all know, hope isn’t a strategy.
Here are some signs that it’s probably time to reach out to a consumer law attorney for assistance in fixing credit reporting errors:
- You’re not getting anywhere on your own. Even after you’ve done everything that the credit bureaus require, the errors are still there. You’re being forced to watch your credit rating drop through the floor, even though the reasons why have nothing to do with anything you’ve
done.
- The credit errors are too complicated or numerous. There are lots of reasons why credit ratings can sink. Life events like divorce, bankruptcy, health issues or job losses can create a miasma of credit complexity that needs the attention and focus of a qualified legal professional to untangle.
- You’re being ignored, declined, or refused by credit reporting agencies or your debtors. This can be a maddening situation. You can do all of the right things and file all of the right documents to try and fix your credit reporting problem, but yet all you get is radio silence or refusal after refusal.
- You’ve tried working with a ‘Credit Repair Company’ to no avail. Credit reporting companies rarely have legal experts working for them. Instead, they often have employees that are trained on how to administratively repair credit over time, which is much different from a state-licensed attorney taking legal action on your behalf to remedy the problem at its root.
If you’re experiencing one or more of the above credit error resolution ‘symptoms’, then you should consider hiring a credit attorney.
What Will a Credit Attorney Do?
Before you get too excited, know that hiring a credit report lawyer is not likely to magically make all of your credit reporting errors disappear overnight.
However, retaining legal counsel and representation in matters of credit reporting error resolution can go a long way in returning your credit score to where it belongs, even if that takes time and expense to you.
A knowledgeable credit attorney will:
- Analyze your credit reports and identify errors you might not have detected
- File credit reporting disputes directly with the bureaus, on your behalf
- Communicate with your debtors to negotiate collections accounts, when appropriate
- Provide legal representation in court, if needed
- Advise you on the best steps you can take to improve your credit over time
In order to succeed with the above tasks, a credit attorney needs to know the state laws related to consumer protection in cases of credit reporting error resolution.
The team at Matthew R. Osborne, PC knows exactly how to get the credit bureaus to take action in cases of credit reporting errors. Sometimes, all it takes is a letter sent to the right person or department. Other times, there may need to be numerous exchanges before the wrongs can be made right.
However it all shakes out, having a qualified, reputable credit attorney working for you will only hasten the overall process and get you back on the road to credit recovery sooner than later.
To learn more about how we can help you with your unique credit situation, contact our offices today.
