A data dispute is where you flag information on your report that you believe is incorrect. There are two routes, and they aren't equal — one is considerably faster than the other.

Start with the lender#

Resolving it directly with the lender is almost always the quickest approach.

Your report shows which organisation reported each entry, so you already know who to contact. That might be a bank, a lender, a utility supplier or a service provider.

Three steps:

  • Get in touch and be specific. Tell them which information on your credit report you believe is incorrect, and why.
  • Give them time to investigate. Most lenders publish a response time; it's usually around 28 days.
  • Give them time to update. Once they agree, allow a further four to six weeks for new or corrected information to filter through to your report.

The reason this route is faster is structural. Lenders own the data they report. The agencies are reporting what they've been sent — so a correction at source flows through automatically, whereas a dispute raised with an agency means the agency has to go back to the lender anyway.

Then the credit reference agency#

If the lender won't resolve it, or agrees to make a change and then doesn't, you can raise a dispute directly with the credit reference agency reporting the information.

Raise it with whichever agency is showing the incorrect entry. If all three are showing it, you'll need to raise it with each of them separately, since they hold their own records.

How long a data dispute takes#

Once a dispute is raised, the agencies have 28 days under law to respond. During that time they'll:

  • Review the dispute.
  • Check they have everything they need from you.
  • Contact the relevant organisation.
  • Provide their outcome.

While the dispute is running, the agency may add a Notice of Dispute to your file. It's a temporary placeholder saying the information is being contested. It's removed automatically when the dispute resolves and has no effect on your score.

If 28 days pass with no outcome, chase the agency directly.

Where the lender isn't the right target#

Two important exceptions, because going to the lender will waste your time in both.

Court information. County Court Judgments and similar come from the Registry Trust, which gets them from the court. The court controls the data, so a correction starts there — with your case reference number. Disputing a CCJ on your report covers it.

Electoral Roll information. This comes from your local authority. If your listing is wrong or missing, your Electoral Registration Office is where to go, and a confirmation letter from them is what the agencies need. See why the Electoral Roll matters.

Identity fraud is a third case worth knowing about. The agencies normally can't intervene where fraud is suspected — the lender has to act. What to do after identity fraud sets out that sequence.

The key things to remember#

  • Go to the lender first; they own the data and can fix it fastest.
  • Lenders typically respond within 28 days, then allow four to six weeks to show.
  • Agencies have 28 days under law to respond to a dispute.
  • Raise it with each agency separately if all three are showing the error.
  • Court information goes through the court, not the lender.
  • Electoral Roll problems go through your council.