Many people understand that it is a good idea to secure a copy of their credit report at least on an annual basis. However, not everyone knows how to go about identifying the credit bureaus that monitor credit activity in their home country or how to work with those bureaus to correct any discrepancies found on the reports. In general, the best way to contact credit bureaus is directly, rather than relying on a third party to handle the communication.
Your first step in learning how to get in touch with credit bureaus is to acquire the names and general contact information for the bureaus operating in your country. Many countries have more than on authoritative bureau in operation. For example, the United States is home to three main credit bureaus, meaning that US citizens will need credit bureaus contact info for each of the three.
One easy way to obtain that data is to talk with your local banker. The bank can supply you with telephone numbers, mailing addresses and even physical addresses you can use to contact credit bureaus relevant to your location. In some instances, they may also be able to provide you with forms that must be completed and returned to the bureaus in order to obtain a copy of your credit report.
It is not unusual for credit bureau contact information to also include a website. However, this is where the consumer should exercise a great deal of caution. There are a number of copycat web sites that promise to help you secure a credit report from one or more bureaus with no charge. However, the assistance often comes with the offer of a credit monitoring service that involves a monthly or annual fee. If you don’t take steps to cancel this service after the free introductory period, you may find the free assistance was much more costly than you ever imagined.
Instead of possibly getting confused by a third party provider, contact credit bureaus directly. Most credit bureaus around the country will accept written requests for the data or even process requests over the phone if you can provide details that help to establish your identity. While on the phone, ask if the bureau operates a web site of their own. If so, add the data to your list of credit bureau contact info and visit the site. In future, you may be able to use the sites to contact credit bureaus for periodic updates or to contest erroneous information that appears on your reports.
