For many years, regular mail was the only way people could dispute their credit scores. Some credit repair specialists still believe that hand-written letters are the most effective way to contest negative credit information, but it seems to me that these people have unnecessary cyber-phobia. The three bureaus actually encourage people to use their online forms to initiate investigations.

Do You Really Need Credit Bureau Addresses?

If you still want the mailing addresses, Equifax and TransUnion both provide their addresses on their websites, inviting people to make written challenges at any time. Experian, however, makes it more difficult to obtain its address. They want you to purchase a credit report. On its website, Experian actually says that you can use the address listed on the report you buy. If you do not want to purchase a report, try calling their 1-800 number and see if a customer representative will provide the information.

The only addresses you really need are the web addresses of the credit bureaus. First off, snail mail cannot be traced once it has been placed in an outgoing mailbox. When you request credit information online, on the other hand, you will receive confirmation emails that contain dispute numbers. Using these confirmation numbers, customers can view the status of their requests on the Internet at any time.

Of course, making inquiries online means giving the bureaus your email address. These companies will not send hordes of promotional emails to your inbox, and if they do, you can always opt out of their mailing lists. There really is no reason to choose traditional mail over email to launch credit disputes.