When credit bureaus fail to respond or resolve your disputes
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is a U.S. government agency that protects consumers in the financial sector. They have the authority to investigate credit bureaus and enforce federal consumer financial laws, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
When credit bureaus fail to properly investigate your disputes or violate FCRA regulations, the CFPB can intervene on your behalf and compel the bureaus to take action.
No Response After 30 Days
Credit bureaus are required to investigate and respond within 30 days. If they don't, file a complaint.
Inadequate Investigation
If the bureau's investigation was clearly insufficient or they verified inaccurate information without proper documentation.
Repeated Failures
After completing all 4 rounds of disputes with no resolution or continued reporting of inaccurate information.
FCRA Violations
If the bureau violated your rights under FCRA, such as failing to provide required notices or continuing to report disputed information as accurate.
Collect all dispute letters, bureau responses, tracking numbers, and evidence of inaccurate reporting. The more documentation you have, the stronger your case.
Go to the official CFPB complaint submission website and select "Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports" as your issue.
File CFPB ComplaintClearly explain the issue, what you've done to resolve it (all 4 rounds of disputes), and what outcome you're seeking. Be specific about dates, account numbers, and bureau responses.
Attach copies of your dispute letters, bureau responses, credit reports showing the inaccurate information, and any other relevant evidence.
The CFPB will provide a tracking number. The bureau must respond within 15 days, and the CFPB will forward their response to you. You can track progress online.
Timeline
The credit bureau must respond to the CFPB within 15 days. The CFPB will review their response and may conduct further investigation if needed.
Bureau Response
Credit bureaus take CFPB complaints very seriously. They often resolve issues that were previously ignored when the CFPB is involved.
Your Follow-Up
You'll receive the bureau's response through the CFPB portal. You can accept it, dispute it, or provide additional information.