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The Advantages of Disputing With the Original Creditors

If you’ve spent any time researching the Internet, you may have noticed that most credit repair agencies talk about disputing collections with credit bureaus rather than the original creditors. This comes as a surprise, really, considering that disputing directly with creditors is often the most effective approach.

What’s the Difference?

The difference between disputing with credit bureaus and creditors lies within what you’re asking of them. If you’re disputing with a creditor—that is, VISA or MasterCard or AT&T—you’re asking for a thorough investigation into your debt. You’re asking them to verify that you are, in fact, the person who owes, that you owe the amount they claim, that you signed a contract, that the interest rates incurred are accurate, and that all of the other little details of your account are true and correct.

This is good in many cases because it gives you an opportunity to discover any inaccuracies that would otherwise remain unknown, hidden somewhere within your account files. It provides a legitimate opportunity for corrections that could have a great impact on the outcome of your dispute, and ultimately, on your credit report.

When you dispute with collection agencies, on the other hand, you’re not asking for an investigation, you’re asking for a basic verification.

You’re asking them to confirm, quite simply, that you have a debt. Often times, it’s easy for credit bureaus to check their records or contact your creditors to determine that yes, you do in fact have a debt. And that’s about as far as it goes. No details. No essential facts. Can you see how this puts your dispute at an immediate disadvantage? You need to know more about your debt if you want results.

The More You Know…

If you feel there’s a legitimate need to dispute a debt due to a reporting inaccuracy, you need to present a solid case. You need to be able to show that the debt—or some aspect of the debt—is, in fact, inaccurate. And you can’t do that unless you are familiar with all the pertinent information surrounding the debt. Credit Bureaus make this difficult because they simply don’t provide you with the information you need. And that’s the point of making your dispute with the original creditor.

Of course, there is a channel of order you must follow in making a dispute, and you can learn more about that process by researching the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), or by consulting a professional credit repair agency.

Remember: Knowledge is power. And this is especially true when dealing with credit bureaus and collection agencies. Being knowledgeable about your debt with creditors gives you the needed advantage when it comes to debt resolution and credit repair. So if you can’t get the answers you need from the credit bureaus, you might want to consider going straight to the source: your original creditor.

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