Business Credit Repair

1. Contact the credit provider

If the error relates to a credit facility that you have or have applied for, you should contact the supplier or credit provider such as the bank, telco or utility company that the error relates to.

You can ask them to investigate the incorrect listing and that your Equifax commercial credit file is amended. Search our Creditor Contact Directory to find contact details of most credit providers.

2. Contact Equifax

Equifax offers a free service to investigate the accuracy of information on your Equifax business credit report that's in dispute or might need correcting.

Here's how it works:

a. Submit a commercial correction request

The more information you can provide, the quicker we can investigate. If you are requesting on behalf of someone else, please also include the requester (you) details.

For corrections to the consumer section of an Equifax credit report, you will need to submit a personal corrections request.

Important: By submitting your correction request you understand that the information that you supply to us during the creation of this correction request, including your personal information, may also be disclosed to other interested parties in order to resolve your request for correction. This includes disclosure to the credit provider who has recorded an entry for which you are disputing the accuracy. This disclosure is in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

b. Equifax investigates

Once we receive your correction request, we will provide you with written confirmation that it has been received. Our Customer Resolutions team will investigate your request within 30 days  and provide a response to you in writing. We may, however, notify you that there is a delay and seek to extend this time if we have not concluded our investigation.

Note: Due to the high volume of requests our Customer Resolutions team deals with, they are unable to discuss the progress of your correction request with you over the phone.

c. Equifax contacts the credit provider

If necessary, we will contact the credit provider on your behalf to have them verify the accuracy, or otherwise, of the correction request submitted by you.

d. Equifax reviews the credit provider's response

Equifax will then review the information given by the credit provider or supplier and make amendments, if any, to your commercial credit report.

e. Equifax finalises the investigation

Once the correction has been completed, we will send you a written communication notifying you that the correction has been made. Equifax will also issue you with an updated copy of your commercial credit report.In addition Equifax will notify any recipients of your Equifax commercial credit report within the three months prior to the correction being made, in accordance with its obligations under the Credit Reporting Code. Equifax will do this automatically at the time the correction is made. If the correction request received from you cannot be validated and a correction is not made, Equifax will write to you setting out in detail the outcome of its investigation and why the requested correction(s) were not made.

Be wary of 'credit repair' style organisations

Think twice before paying for the services of a company that claims they can “repair” your credit report or credit history

Some companies claim to be able to remove negative information from your credit report and charge you to do so. This can often cost over $1,000 and it is likely you are required to pay up front.

Free services available to help

By contacting your credit provider or a credit reporting body like Equifax, they can investigate for free and correct information on your credit report if it is inaccurate. If you are still unsure on what to do, you can also ask a financial counsellor or community legal service for advice.

If you are unhappy with the outcome of Equifax’s investigation or would like to make a complaint, please contact our Internal Dispute Resolutions (IDR) team by sending an email to customercomplaintsAU@equifax.com. Make sure that you sufficiently detail your matter and include your full name, contact details, any reference numbers and relevant supporting documentation. Our IDR team will investigate your matter and contact you to attempt to resolve the matter directly. 
 
We want to do everything we can to resolve your matter, so it's important that you raise it with our IDR team prior to having your matter addressed externally. Raising your matter with Equifax directly will often result in a quicker resolution.  
 
If you are still not satisfied with our response, you may contact the external dispute resolution scheme of which Equifax is a member, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). Please note that if you have not already done so, AFCA will likely encourage you to work with us before they investigate your complaint. 
 
How to contact the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA): 
Online:  www.afca.org.au  
Email:  info@afca.org.au  
Phone: 1800 931 678  
Mail: Australian Financial Complaints Authority 
GPO Box 3 
Melbourne VIC 3001 
 
When contacting AFCA, we suggest you include the following: 

• a detailed timeline/chronology of events
• copies of any correspondence with our Customer Resolutions Team and the credit provider 

You may also make a complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). 
 
How to contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC): 
Online: www.oaic.gov.au  
Email:  enquiries@oaic.gov.au  
Fax: 1300 363 992  
Mail: Office of the Australian Information Commissioner   
GPO Box 5218   
Sydney NSW 2001 

We want to do everything we can to resolve your matter, so it's important that you raise it with our IDR team prior to having your matter addressed externally. Raising your matter with Equifax directly will often result in a quicker resolution.