I've heard, when shopping for a car, the inquiries do not hurt your credit. Not true. Every car lot I have been to has resulted in a hard inquiry. I have heard that before someone hits your credit report they need your permission first. This is a myth, right? I am in the process of repairing my credit. Looking at my credit report and going through my file I have found a few errors. How do I handle that? Do either of the 3 credit reporting agencies pay attention to how any times the same account is put on the same report? Each time it is reported different, out of the 3, 2 are reported wrong. I do have the proper documentation I just need to write the letters and mail them. I need to find out if you have any suggestions or a form letter to send to the reporting agencies when disputing errors and sending corrections to them. Thank you

Your credit report may be requested every time you make a major purchase like a house or car, buy insurance, or apply for a job. It is needed to evaluate your application and ability to pay. But if you see the inquiries from organizations you have never heard about and have never had a deal with, you may dispute these inquiries and remove them from your credit reports.

You should always check your credit reports with the three credit bureaus, because credit issuers and other companies do not always report to all three credit bureaus. That’s the reason you see some discrepancy between your reports. If you see errors in your credit report, you can also dispute them by contacting the credit reporting company and the information provider.

Write a dispute letter to each of the credit bureaus that have an error. Tell them what you think is inaccurate and include copies of documents to support your position. Explain why you are disputing the information and request that it be corrected or removed. Send the letter by certified mail, “return receipt requested,” so you can document that the credit reporting company received the letter. Keep copies of your dispute letters and documents.

Write a letter to your creditor or other information provider as well. Tell them that you disputed an item and include copies of documents to support your position. The information provider should investigate your request.

Also, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion give you the opportunity to dispute errors on your credit report online. If it is more convenient you can go here or visit the credit bureaus’ websites to dispute the errors on your credit reports.