Atlanta TransUnion Credit Report Errors Lawyer

Experienced TransUnion Credit Report Error Attorneys Serving Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta Trans Union Credit Report AttorneysTransUnion sells consumer reports that include information about your financial history, employment background, housing history, and criminal background. Companies purchase credit reports from TransUnion to evaluate your eligibility for credit, loans, insurance, housing, and even employment. When there is an error on your TransUnion credit report, the consequences can be significant. It can lead to credit denial, a lost job opportunity, housing denial, and significant emotional stress. The Atlanta TransUnion credit report error lawyers at Weiner & Sand LLC offer consultations to evaluate your credit report problems with TransUnion, including filing a lawsuit on your behalf.

What Information Does TransUnion Include In A Credit Report

TransUnion sells a variety of credit report products, which can contain different information. But, generally speaking, your TransUnion credit report will include the following information:

Personal Information: This includes your name, prior names you’ve used, current and previous addresses, phone numbers, social security number, birth date, and employment history. Reviewing the personal information in your TransUnion credit report can reveal signs of identity theft, fraud, or a mixed file. Be on the lookout for names or addresses you do not recognize, a social security number that does not belong to you, or other suspicious information that does not match your personal information.

Public Records: Public records can appear in your TransUnion credit report. This information can include bankruptcies, judgments, liens, lawsuits, and foreclosures.

Accounts In Good Standing: Your TransUnion credit report will include your accounts that are in good standing (no defaulted on or charged-off). The information about these accounts will include:

  • The name and address of each creditor
  • The account status (open, closed, transferred, charged-off, etc.)
  • Account type (credit card, student loan, etc.)
  • Account relationship (owner, authorized user, joint owner)
  • Balance and payment information
  • Payment history

When reviewing your accounts, be sure to carefully review the payment history information to make sure it does not show any errors or inaccuracies, such as missed payments when you did make payments.

Adverse Accounts / Potentially Negative Items: Your TransUnion credit report will also include accounts that have not been paid as agreed, have been sent to collections, or have been listed in the bankruptcy. You should carefully review any negative information to make sure it is accurate. Negative information generally will stay on your credit report for seven years, and bankruptcies for 10 years.

Inquiries: Your TransUnion credit reports will list each time a third party has ordered your credit report. There are two categories of inquiries: hard inquiries and soft inquiries. Hard inquiries occur when you authorize a company to check your credit report as part of an application. Soft inquiries occur when you check your own credit or third-party checks your credit report to send you a promotional offer. Reviewing your inquiries can be an important step to identify potential identity theft. Be on the lookout for any inquiries that you do not recognize, or that you did not authorize.

Common Errors On TransUnion Credit Reports

You should review your TransUnion credit report for any information that is inaccurate or that does not belong to you. Although the types of errors can vary, here are some of the typical inaccuracies consumers encounter:

Mixed Files. A mixed file occurs when someone else’s information is on your credit report. Your TransUnion credit report should only include your information. If you see accounts, employment history, or personal information that does not belong to you on your credit report, then you may be the victim of a mixed file.

Identity Theft. Your credit report can be one of the best tools to monitor for signs of identity theft. Identity theft can appear as accounts that do not belong to you appearing on your credit report, unexpected changes in your credit reports, collections account for accounts you never opened, and addresses or phone numbers you do not recognize.

Inaccurate Account Information. The accounts on your TransUnion credit report should accurately reflect your financial history with the account. Inaccurate account information can include incorrect payment history (reporting late payments when you were not late); incorrect account status (e.g., closed accounts being reported as “charged off”); reporting an incorrect date of first delinquency, and reporting negative information that is older than seven years.

Public Record Inaccuracies. Your TransUnion credit report may include public records, including lawsuits, judgments, and bankruptcies. These public records are inaccurate if they do not belong to you. For example, you should look for civil lawsuits that you were not a party to; civil judgments that are older than seven years; bankruptcies you did not file; tax liens you paid more than seven years ago; evictions that are not yours; and non-conviction criminal records that are older than seven years (charges, arrests, etc.).

Fraudulent Inquiries. If you do not recognize an inquiry, this could be a sign of fraud or identity theft. It could also indicate that a third party ordered a copy of your consumer report without a permissible purpose to do so.

How To Dispute Errors On Your TransUnion Credit Report

The FCRA gives you the right to dispute any errors on your TransUnion credit report. Follow these steps to dispute an error on your TransUnion credit report:

Step 1. Choose How to Dispute

You can dispute online, by mail, or by phone. We advise that you dispute with a written letter sent by mail, which allows you to retain a copy of your dispute for your records, as well as proof of mailing.

Online: https://www.transunion.com/credit-disputes/dispute-your-credit
By Phone: (800) 916-8800
By Mail: TransUnion LLC, Consumer Dispute Center, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016

Step 2: What To Include In Your Dispute

Your dispute does not need to be long or complicated, but it’s important that you: (1) list each item of information that is inaccurate; (2) explain why it is inaccurate; and (3) explain how it should be corrected. You should include any documents that support your dispute, and be sure to reference them in your dispute letter.

If you have questions about how to write a dispute to TransUnion, the Atlanta TransUnion credit report error lawyers at Weiner & Sand LLC are happy to assist you through the process. We do not charge for these services.

Here is a sample that you can use for your dispute:

Date
Your Name
Your date of birth
Your address

To: TransUnion LLC, Consumer Dispute Center
P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016

Dear TransUnion:

I am writing to dispute the following error(s) on my TransUnion credit report:

Dispute 1:
[Identify inaccurate information, including account name or number].

[Explain the reason for the dispute and why it is inaccurate]

[Explain how it should be reported or corrected]

Dispute 2:

[Repeat]

I have enclosed documents supporting my dispute. [Explain how documents support your dispute].

Step 3: Review the Results

You should receive your dispute results from TransUnion within 30 days. The results will have one of three outcomes: (1) TransUnion deletes or corrects the disputed information; (2) TransUnion modifies the disputed information; or (3) TransUnion refuses to correct the error. If the dispute results did not correct inaccurate information, you can add a statement to your TransUnion credit report explaining the dispute in your credit file.

Step 4: Consult A Lawyer

If TransUnion does not fix your credit report after you have disputed, then it is time to speak with a lawyer to discuss your options. The attorneys at Weiner & Sand LLC are experienced credit report lawyers, who can help guide you through the dispute process, and help you recover any losses or damages caused by inaccuracies on your credit reports.

What Kinds Of Damages Can You Recover In A Lawsuit Against Equifax?

Credit report errors can lead to a wide variety of damages, ranging from out-of-pocket financial harm to significant emotional distress. The Fair Credit Reporting Act allows you to recover these damages in a lawsuit. The Atlanta TransUnion credit report error lawyers at Weiner & Sand LLC provide consultations and can discuss any questions you have about a lawsuit against TransUnion for credit report problems, including the damages you can recover. Here are some of the common damages in a credit report lawsuit:

Economic Damages. Economic damages happen when an error on your credit report leads to loan denial, lowered credit limit, raised the interest rate, job loss, etc. Sometimes an error on your credit report can so badly damage your credit report that you choose not to apply for credit. This is an example of economic damages.

Emotional Distress. Credit report errors can cause serious stress. For some people, emotional distress can be difficult to describe or quantify. Talking about emotions can be challenging, and requires people to be vulnerable. Yet, in many credit report lawsuits, emotional distress is the most significant damage people suffer. The FCRA lawyers at Weiner & Sand LLC will help you describe your emotional distress, and recover from it. While emotional distress is highly individualized, here are some common experiences many people go through:

  • Stress as a result of credit denial, loan denial, or job loss
  • The aggravation of repeatedly disputing without any correction
  • Humiliation as a result of reputational harm
  • Anxiety about how to fix your credit report, and being frozen out of applying for credit
  • Sleeplessness
  • Sadness and depression
  • Lost appetite
  • Headaches
  • Loss of interest in hobbies or other activities
  • Worry that the credit report will cause future harm
  • Worry that the credit report may be responsible for prior loan denials

Lost Time. Credit report errors can be a serious time drain. You can lose many hours of time disputing and trying to correct a credit report error. This is time spent writing letters, waiting on phone calls, meeting with creditors, and worrying about the credit report problem. Lost time is a form of recoverable damage in credit report lawsuits because it is time you could have spent doing things you enjoy. Instead, you spent your time and energy worrying about credit report errors and disputes, which were not your fault.

Statutory Damages. In addition to the damages described above, the FCRA allows consumers to recover statutory damages ranging from $100 to $1,000.

Punitive Damages. Punitive damages are awarded to deter future bad conduct by a defendant. The FCRA allows a plaintiff to recover punitive damages when a defendant’s FCRA violation was willful. Willfulness is a legally complex concept. It includes instances where the defendant intentionally violated the FCRA as well as when it acts in reckless disregard of the law. The size of a punitive damages award is affected by many factors including the harm to consumers by the defendant’s conduct, the defendant’s size and net worth, and the egregiousness of the defendant’s conduct.

How Do I Choose An Attorney For A TransUnion Credit Report Lawsuit?

Choosing the right lawyer for your credit report lawsuit is a difficult decision. Here are some considerations:

Experience. FCRA lawsuit are a specialized area of law. It is critical to retain a lawyer who has experience litigating FCRA cases. We have a long and established track record of successfully litigating FCRA lawsuits. The attorneys at Weiner & Sand have been lead counsel in over 100 FCRA lawsuits including single-plaintiff suits, class actions, or arbitrations. We are among the few firms with prior defense-side experience in FCRA litigation. We know how defendants strategize and litigate. We use that information to our clients’ advantage to maximize the value of their claims.

Results. We have recovered millions of dollars for our clients in FCRA litigation. This includes confidential settlements and jury trials, with the vast majority taking place at trial. That’s why if you refuse an offer from your opponent that fully compensates what they’ve done to date then it would be best not just settle but retain one who can go all out by going up against them tooth-and-nail until victory is theirs – The Atlanta Experian credit report lawyers at Weiner & Sand are prepared to do just this.

Recognized by the legal community. Our FCRA attorneys have been named Super Lawyers from 2015 through 2021, a peer-nominated award given to less than 2.5% of lawyers. They have also been recipients of awards for trial excellence, including awards from the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association. In addition to these honors, our attorneys have been selected as speakers and authors on Fair Credit Reporting Act litigation at numerous national legal conferences including conferences held by the National Association of Consumer Advocates (multiple presentations), the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (multiple presentations), the Privacy & Technology Law Section of the Georgia Bar, the Georgia Justice Project (multiple presentations), and the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. We have also been retained as amicus counsel on behalf of the National Consumer Law Center and the National Association of Consumer Advocates to advocate for consumers’ rights in FCRA class actions. Contact us today for help!