Equifax Dispute: How to Fix Errors on Your Equifax Report
Equifax reports feed a large share of card and lender decisions, and its file frequently disagrees with the other two bureaus on dates and balances. Here is how an Equifax dispute runs.
How a Equifax dispute works
Identify the exact error
Wrong balance, an account that is not yours, a duplicate, a re-aged date, or an inquiry you never authorized. Write down the account number and what specifically is wrong.
Send a written dispute
A mailed letter under FCRA §611 creates a paper trail an online form does not. Attach your ID and proof of address, and keep a copy of everything you send.
Wait out the 30 days
The bureau has 30 days (45 if you send new documents mid-investigation) to reinvestigate and must delete anything it cannot verify with the furnisher.
Escalate what survives
If an item comes back verified but is still wrong, request the method of verification, dispute directly with the furnisher, or add a consumer statement.
Where to send a Equifax dispute
By mail
Equifax Information Services LLC P.O. Box 740256 Atlanta, GA 30374-0256Online
equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-dispute — account required.
By phone
1-888-378-4329. Follow anything important with a written dispute.
Mailing details can change — confirm on the bureau's own site before sending.
What is specific to Equifax
Date-of-first-delinquency errors are common here
That date controls when a negative item falls off. If Equifax shows a later date than the other bureaus for the same debt, the item may be re-aged — which is itself an FCRA violation worth disputing.
Employment data lingers
Equifax files often carry outdated employers pulled from furnisher records. It does not affect your score, but stale employment and address data is how mixed files start.
Security freezes must be lifted before some lenders can pull
If you froze Equifax after the 2017 breach and never thawed it, applications can be declined for reasons that have nothing to do with your file's accuracy.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an Equifax dispute take?
Up to 30 days from receipt, extended to 45 if you add documents during the investigation. Results come to you in writing with an updated report copy if anything changed.
What documents should I send Equifax?
A copy of your ID, proof of current address, and any statement, letter, or payment record that shows what the correct information should be.
What if Equifax verifies an item I know is wrong?
Ask for the method of verification, dispute directly with the furnisher, and if it still stands, file a complaint with the CFPB. Keep every letter and mailing receipt.
Dispute all three bureaus at once
Most errors appear on more than one report. Get a free three-bureau analysis, or start disputing for $1 — then $50/month, cancel anytime. General information, not legal advice; only dispute items you believe are genuinely inaccurate.