How to dispute an item on Equifax (without paying $500 to a lawyer)
Equifax is the bureau most likely to verify items on automation alone. That means the wording of your dispute letter matters more here than anywhere else. Loosn writes the letter the way an FCRA attorney would — and you stay the sender of record on every envelope.
Where to mail an Equifax dispute
P.O. Box 740256, Atlanta, GA 30374-0256. Use certified mail with return receipt — Equifax does not consider regular mail received until it lands on the right desk, which can take weeks. Certified mail forces them onto the 30-day FCRA clock the day USPS confirms delivery.
What Equifax has to do under FCRA Section 611
Within 30 days of receipt, Equifax must investigate the disputed item, contact the original creditor (the furnisher), and either verify the item with documented proof or delete it. If they verify, they must send you the method of verification on request. If they can't verify, they must remove the item from your file and notify Experian and TransUnion.
What works against Equifax in practice
Equifax's e-OSCAR system processes most disputes by auto-matching against the furnisher's record. The weakness: if the dispute identifies a specific inconsistency — wrong date, wrong balance, wrong open-date, missing original-creditor name — the auto-match fails and a human has to review. Most files are then deleted because the furnisher can't produce the source documents within the 30-day window.
How Loosn writes the Equifax letter
Loosn AI reads your report, identifies disputable items, and generates a letter that cites FCRA Section 611, the 30-day investigation requirement, and (where applicable) Section 623(a)(8) demanding furnisher-side reinvestigation. Every letter is FCRA-tight and addressed to the correct Equifax mailing address. On Pro+Auto-Send, Lob.com prints and certified-mails it for you at provider cost.
Frequently asked questions
- How long does Equifax take to respond?
- 30 days from the date Equifax receives your dispute (45 days if you submit additional documentation during the investigation). Certified mail with return receipt is the only way to prove the start date.
- Can I dispute an Equifax item online?
- Yes, but certified mail is more effective. Online disputes are routed through e-OSCAR and often get auto-verified within 24 hours. Mail disputes force human review and produce documented evidence Equifax would have to produce in court.
- What if Equifax says my dispute is 'frivolous'?
- Equifax can mark a dispute frivolous if it lacks specificity or appears to be a copy-paste. Loosn's AI generates item-specific disputes with cited reasoning, which moots that defense. If they still mark frivolous, Loosn AI drafts a follow-up letter citing FCRA Section 623(a)(8) and demanding furnisher-side verification.