The three bureaus are competitors, not partners
Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion each maintain their own file. An item removed from one can stay on the others.
Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion are three separate for-profit companies. They do not share databases, they do not share dispute results, and they do not coordinate investigations. Each one builds its own version of your credit file from data that furnishers choose to send them, and each can list — or omit — different accounts.
That has practical consequences for disputing. Removing a collection from Equifax does not remove it from Experian or TransUnion. You have to dispute the same item with each bureau separately, and each bureau runs its own 30-day investigation. Treat them like three independent cases, not one.
The rest of this is inside the portal
The step-by-step tactics, exact wording, and escalation sequence live in your Fix My Reports workspace, where they're applied to your own report items. Start with a $1 trial, then $50/month — cancel anytime.