Loan Bank of South Africa journal
Dispute an error on your credit report without paying anyone
Finding an account you do not recognise on a credit report can be alarming. The process for challenging it is free, and you can start it yourself with the credit bureau. Readers in Braamfontein and across South Africa can prepare a short, clear dispute instead of paying a company that promises to erase their credit history.
By Loan Bank of South Africa editorial · · 2 min read
Decide what you are disputing
Go through the report line by line. Mark accounts you do not recognise, balances or payment statuses that look wrong and enquiries you did not authorise. Write each item separately, with the credit provider's name, the account details shown and what you believe is incorrect. Keep personal notes about why, but share only what the bureau needs.
Only inaccurate information can be removed. Accurate negative information, such as a correctly reported missed payment, can stay on the report for as long as the law allows. A dispute is a request to correct an error, not a way to remove true history.
Lodge the dispute and follow its progress
Contact the credit bureau that issued the report and lodge the dispute with it directly. There is no charge for this. The bureau logs the disputed item and contacts the business that supplied the information, asking it to provide credible evidence. While the investigation is open, lenders can see that the item is being challenged.
The bureau should complete its investigation and respond within 20 business days. Note the date you lodged the dispute and any reference number. If the report changes, ask for an updated copy and check that the correction appears.
If the answer does not resolve it
If the bureau has not resolved the dispute within that period, or you disagree with the outcome, you can take a complaint to the Credit Ombud, an industry ombud scheme whose service is free. Keep your original report, your dispute, the bureau's answer and any evidence together so the complaint is easy to follow.
Be cautious of credit repair services that charge upfront fees, promise to clear bad credit, tell you not to contact the bureau yourself or suggest disputing every entry regardless of whether it is accurate. You can do the legitimate part of this work on your own, without cost.
Credit report dispute checklist
Prepare these before you contact the bureau.
- Each disputed entry listed separately with what is wrong.
- Any evidence you hold, such as a settlement or closure letter.
- The date you lodged the dispute and its reference.
- A follow-up after 20 business days if you have no answer.
- No upfront payments to anyone promising to clean your record.