Self Help Legal Center: Southern Illinois University School of Law

Legalities

Legalities, a weekly column that appears in the Help section of the Southern Illinoisan, is a free service of the Self Help Legal Center. You can visit the Southern Illinoisan website at: http://www.southernillinoisan.com

Q: I have been denied credit by a used car dealer. I asked for a copy of my credit history and they told me that I would have to pay them for a copy. Is this right? Where can I go to get a copy of my credit report?

A:Whether you can get a free copy of your report depends on what you mean when you say that the used car dealer "refused to give you credit".

If you applied for a loan, and you gave the used car dealer (or any other lender or financial institution) information so that they could check your credit history, and you were denied this loan, then the dealer should provide you with the name, address, and telephone number of the credit bureau that gave them your report. If you request the report within 30 days of your denial, the report should be free.

If this is not the case or if you would prefer not to go through the used car dealer, then you need to contact a credit reporting agency for a copy of your report. You can contact the three major credit reporting agencies by sending a written request to:

Equifax: PO Box 105873, Atlanta, Georgia 30348;

Experian: PO Box 8030, Layton, Utah 84041;

TransUnion, PO Box 390, Springfield, Pennsylvania 19064;

There will likely be a charge for your report (usually less than $10) and most bureaus will require you to complete several forms before they will send you your report. You are entitled to one free copy of your credit report per year if you certify in writing that you are unemployed and intend to apply for a job within 60 days; or you are receiving public assistance; or you believe that your report is wrong due to fraud.

For more information about your credit history or report, check out our web site at http://www.siu.edu/selfhelp. When at the web site, click on the Consumer logo.

Do you have a legal question? Write us at Self Help Legal Center, SIU School of Law, Mailcode 6804, Carbondale, Illinois or e-mail us at selfhelp@siu.edu. Not all questions will be answered and may be edited for space or content.

Legalities is written by the Self Help Legal Center, a public service of the SIU School of Law. The Self Help Legal Center cannot provide legal representation. It can, however, help you find the answer to your legal problem. This column is for general legal information purposes only and the advice given in this column may not apply to your situation. For specific legal advice about your situation, you should consult an attorney licensed to practice in Illinois. This column is not meant to give legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship.