The Process
LCA makes use of several consumer laws that protect and enforce our rights including the: Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Fair Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA), Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) and Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA) in helping clients to enforce their legal rights and improve their credit. We adhere to the most stringent privacy guidelines to protect your personal information.
STEP 1: Enroll with LCA
Call or email us at 1-888-385-6742 or Sales@LegalCreditAssist.com. We will request important personal information that we will need to assist you. Finally you will be directed to order your credit reports (go to either (or if you’d prefer, we can order your reports for you. Once you obtain your credit reports please mail them to use as soon as possible. Do not write on or modify them in any way.
STEP 2a: Order Your Credit Reports (FREE or Paid)
To order your credit reports for FREE (once per year, per person unless other circumstances apply-see below), simply go online to: www.annualcreditreport.com and follow the instructions to order one credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus, or you can call: 1-877-322-8228 to order your free credit reports. If neither of these is an option because you were not able to pass the security questions, you can simply mail in your request (form is available online at: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/requestformfinal.pdf) and mail with copy of your picture ID (with current address) and social security card to:
Annual Credit Report Request Service
PO Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
Whether you go online or call, you will be asked security questions including your full name, address, social security number, date of birth, and other questions only you should know such as the amount of your monthly mortgage or car payment.
Other ways to get your credit reports for FREE…
According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you qualify for a free report from the three major credit agencies if:
* You are unemployed and intend to apply for employment within 60 days
* You receive public welfare assistance
* You believe your consumer file contains inaccurate information due to fraud; and/or
* You have been the subject of adverse action, such as a denial of credit or insurance, within the past 60 days
STEP 2b: Order Your Credit Reports (Paid)
If you need to pay for your credit reports just contact each of the three credit bureaus by phone and/or by mail and provide the following information: full name (including Jr., Sr. III, etc.), date of birth, Social Security number, current street address, previous address(es) in past three (3) years, phone number, signature (for letter) and applicable fee in check or money order payable to the appropriate credit bureau at the address below.
Equifax Information Services, LLC – $11.00 Fee
PO Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374
1-800-685-1111
Experian – $11.00 Fee
PO Box 2104
Allen, TX 75013
1-888-397-3742
TransUnion – $11.00 Fee
PO Box 1000
Chester, PA 19022
1-800-888-4213
STEP 2c: ECS Will Order Your Credit Reports
If you don’t wish to go through the steps of ordering your credit reports, ECS will order them for you.
STEP 3: Review and Forward Documentation
You will receive a welcome email from ECS within minutes of signing up with us online with further instructions on how we will process your account. We will also send you an enrollment welcome kit with pre-addressed labels for mailing in the updated credit reports. You will also be asked to forward copies of your driver’s license (with your current address) and social security card (or other official document with your Social Security number) as well as a copy of a utility bill.
STEP 4: Send in Your Credit Reports
You will receive all three separate consumer credit reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion within approximately two – three weeks. Once you receive any credit reports (and/or letters), use the pre-addressed address labels included with your welcome kit or just send them to ECS Processing at PO Box 4476, Seattle, WA 98194.
STEP 5: We Go to Work for You
Once we’ve received your credit reports and information, we will send correspondence to dispute negative items on your behalf. These letters are designed to communicate your dispute in such a way that the credit bureaus will accept the dispute and conduct an investigation. While this may sound easy, any person who has attempted to dispute his or her own credit will tell you otherwise. According to federal law, the credit bureaus can ignore your dispute under a variety of conditions. In our experience, a large percentage of dispute letters sent directly from consumers are rejected under one pretext or another.
STEP 6: You Receive Updates from the Credit Bureaus
The credit bureaus have up to 30-45 days to respond. You should begin paying attention to your mail for ANYTHING that has a return address from Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion about four (4) weeks after you send ECS your credit reports. Even if it looks like junk mail, forward it to us. Forward it to us, even if it’s a report with no improvements. Simply forward everything from the credit bureaus as you receive it.
If you do NOT receive anything from a credit bureau within 50 days, PLEASE NOTIFY US IMMEDIATELY, by email, preferably. We will need another copy of your most recent report or update, so make a copy of your copy and forward us the best copy.
STEP 7: Repeat Steps 5 – 6 until You Get Your Best Results
Every client is different, but the average time for a client to remain with us is five (5) to eight (8) months. In that time, you should see a significant improvement in your credit file and credit score. Welcome to your fresh start!
