The first step to take in fixing a credit report mistake is to contact the credit bureau that furnished the information. Send a written letter to the credit bureau asking them to investigate the disputed items. Enclose copies of any supporting documents that support your claims. If, during the credit bureau's investigation, they cannot verify the disputed information, then it must be removed from your credit file. The credit bureau must investigate the disputed information (usually within 30 days), unless they consider your request frivolous.
The credit bureau must also forward all relevant information that you provided about the dispute to the company that supplied the information to the credit bureau in the first place. The original company must then investigate the dispute and report their results back to the credit bureau. If the original company finds that the disputed information is incorrect, they must notify all three credit bureaus to update the information in your file. Once the investigation is complete, the credit bureau must give you the results in writing and a free copy of your report if the disputed items are corrected. Upon your request, the credit bureau must also send correction notices to anyone who received your credit report in the past six months (this extends to two years for anyone who requested your file for employment purposes).