Your dispute came back “verified”: what to do next

“Verified” means the furnisher told the bureau that its information is correct. It does not mean you were wrong, and it is not the end of your options. If the item really is accurate, verified is the right answer. If you have proof it is wrong, you have several next steps, and none of them costs anything to start.

First, read the results letter

Look at what the bureau says it did. The notice should tell you the outcome and your rights to ask how it checked and to add a statement. Compare what it says to what you sent. Did it address your proof, or did it ignore it?

The steps, in order

1. Ask how the bureau checked. Request a description of the procedure it used. The bureau must answer within 15 days. See how to request the method of verification.
2. Dispute directly with the furnisher. The creditor or collector may correct what it reported. See how to dispute directly with the creditor.
3. Re-dispute only with something new. A bureau can decide that a dispute repeating an earlier one, without new information, is not worth investigating. Add new proof, and say what is new.
4. Add a statement of dispute. You can put a short statement in your file explaining your side. The bureau includes it, or a summary of it, in later reports. It does not remove the item.
5. File a CFPB complaint. See how to file a CFPB complaint.
6. Talk to a consumer attorney. The Fair Credit Reporting Act lets people sue bureaus and furnishers that break its rules. Many consumer attorneys take these cases without charging you up front. The National Association of Consumer Advocates keeps a directory. Time limits apply to lawsuits, so do not wait if you are considering this.

What not to do

• Do not send the same dispute again with the same words. It is likely to be treated as repeating your first one.
• Do not pay a company to “get it removed” before you understand these steps.
• Do not dispute an item you know is accurate.

What verification does and does not mean

A furnisher confirming its data is not the same as a court finding that you owe it. If you believe the record is wrong, your proof matters more than the verification. If your proof is weak, gather stronger documents before you try again.

Keep records

Save every letter, confirmation, and date. If the matter ever goes to a complaint or an attorney, the record is what they will start with.

Sources

• Cornell LII: 15 U.S.C. 1681i (procedure in case of disputed accuracy)
• Cornell LII: 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2 (responsibilities of furnishers)
• CFPB: submit a complaint
• National Association of Consumer Advocates

Next steps

• How to request the method of verification

  After a verified result you can request a description of how the bureau checked. The 15-day deadline, what it includes, what to write, and what to do with it.

• How to file a CFPB complaint about a credit report

  How to file a CFPB complaint about a credit report: when it helps, what to prepare, the steps, what happens next, and what a complaint can and cannot do.

• How to dispute directly with the creditor or collector

  You can dispute credit report errors directly with the creditor or collector that reported them. Where to send it, what to include, and what they must do.