Credit report errors can derail your finances, yet getting them fixed has become harder. Two of the three major credit bureaus—Experian and TransUnion—have sharply reduced the rate at which they correct mistakes or provide other relief to consumers who file complaints.
According to data from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Experian's relief rate plummeted from nearly 20% of complaints in 2024 to less than 1% in 2025. TransUnion's relief rate dropped roughly in half starting in summer 2025. By contrast, Equifax, the third major bureau, did not see a similar decline. The shift has alarmed lawmakers, with four U.S. senators—led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren—sending letters to these companies demanding answers about their dispute-handling processes and staffing.
One Colorado accountant spent nearly a year trying to remove a $240,000 debt she didn't owe from her credit report. She contacted the credit bureaus four times, including through the CFPB's complaint system, but they refused to correct the error. The mistake lowered her credit score by roughly 85 points and delayed her plans to move into a more accessible home with her disabled father. When she finally sued, TransUnion settled quickly, but Equifax and Experian continue to deny wrongdoing in court.
The credit bureaus are required by law to respond to consumer complaints filed through the CFPB. Relief can take many forms—from fixing an error to providing financial compensation. Yet the recent dramatic drop in relief rates suggests these companies are simply dismissing more complaints without helping consumers.
The bureaus argue that many recent complaints are illegitimate, pointing to a flood of submissions from bots and third-party credit repair firms that charge customers fees to challenge negative items. Consumer complaints to the CFPB have indeed risen sharply, exceeding 4 million last year. Still, legitimate errors do occur, and consumers shouldn't be stuck with mistakes they didn't create.
The timing of the shift is notable. The decline in relief rates coincided with staffing and leadership changes at the CFPB following the change in administrations. The agency had previously pushed credit bureaus to fix errors and respond to consumers more quickly. Senators have now asked the companies to provide detailed information about their dispute-handling processes, staffing levels, and any communication with the CFPB regarding dropped enforcement actions.
If you believe your credit report contains an error, you have the right to dispute it directly with the credit bureau and through the CFPB. Getting relief may take persistence, but the stakes are too high to ignore mistakes that could affect your access to credit, housing, or employment.
Source: https://www.propublica.org/article/credit-report-mistakes-lawmakers-letter