It's not hard to get online credit reports free. And it's not hard to get good credit. But
sometimes small mistakes can gradually produce a credit report that only a credit repair clinic
would love. A common situation is a billing dispute in which either the order wasn't delivered
or you were charged for something you didn't order. You don't want to pay the bill, but you also
don't want to jeopardize your credit by having an unpaid bill. So to keep your online credit
reports free of these problems, there are well-defined steps you can take.
The Fair Credit Billing Act gives guidelines for handling billing disputes which will keep
your online credit reports free from being adversely affected. If you have a billing problem,
the first thing you should do is write the credit card issuer at their "billing inquiries"
address. The address is normally on the back of your monthly statement. When you write,
explain why you shouldn't have to pay the bill and include your name, address, account number
and any copies of sales slips or other papers related to the bill. To maintain your credit rights,
the letter must reach them within 60 days after the first bill was sent which had the disputed
charge. It's best to use certified mail for the letter so you can get a receipt of delivery.
The credit card issuer must acknowledge your letter within 30 days of receiving it and must
resolve the problem within 90 days. You are legally able to withhold payment on the disputed
bill while it's being resolved, but you must pay the other bills on your credit card statement.
And doing this will keep your online credit reports free of a delinquency notice.
When you dispute a bill, it doesn't keep your online credit reports free of all consequences.
While the credit card issuer can't take any action against you for withholding payment, it
can apply the disputed amount against your credit limit. It also can't report to credit
agencies that you're delinquent on the bill while it's in dispute, but can only say the bill
is being challenged. This shouldn't effect your creditworthiness in the eyes of other creditors
and they are prohibited from discriminating against you for exercising your rights.
To get online credit reports free and 30 days of credit monitoring free, please go to
free instant credit reports.
