Credit Bureau Dispute Rights — Fix Errors on Your Canadian Credit Report for Free

Do I Qualify?

• You have a Canadian credit report with Equifax Canada or TransUnion Canada
• There is information on your report you believe is inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated
• You want to add a consumer statement to explain a negative item, even if the bureau won’t remove it

What Is It?

Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada are private companies that collect your credit history and sell it to lenders, landlords, and employers. But they often contain errors — accounts that aren’t yours, payments incorrectly marked late, outdated negative information, or fraudulent accounts opened in your name.

Under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and its provincial equivalents (Quebec’s Law 25, Alberta’s PIPA, BC’s PIPA), you have a legal right to access your credit report for free, dispute inaccurate information, and receive a response. The bureaus must investigate your dispute, correct the error, or — if they disagree — include a brief consumer statement of your position on your file.

How It Works

Step 1 — Get your free credit report. Order your free credit report directly from each bureau:

• Equifax Canada: equifax.ca → “Get My Free Credit Report” (mail or online)
• TransUnion Canada: transunion.ca → “Get My Free Credit Report”

You are entitled to one free report per year from each bureau by mail, or you can request more frequently online. Do not pay for a credit monitoring subscription just to see your report.

Step 2 — Identify the error. Look for: accounts you don’t recognize, incorrect payment statuses, wrong personal information (old addresses, misspelled name), debts that should have been removed (most negative information must be deleted after 6–7 years), or duplicate accounts.

Step 3 — Submit a formal dispute. You can dispute online, by phone, or by mail. Written disputes (mail or secure online portal) create a paper trail.

Include: your full name, address, date of birth, and a photocopy of government-issued ID; the specific item you’re disputing; the reason it’s inaccurate; and any supporting documents (bank statements, settlement letters, account records).

• Equifax Canada disputes: equifax.ca/personal/credit-report-services/ or write to Equifax Canada Co., Box 190 Jean Talon Station, Montreal, QC H1S 2Z2
• TransUnion Canada disputes: transunion.ca/assistance-centre/request-to-update-credit-information or write to TransUnion, 3115 Harvester Road, Suite 201, Burlington, ON L7N 3N8

Step 4 — Wait for the investigation. Under PIPEDA, the bureau must acknowledge your dispute and complete its investigation within a reasonable time. In practice, both Equifax and TransUnion target 30 days for disputes involving third-party creditors (the creditor must confirm or correct the information).

Step 5 — Review the outcome. If the error is corrected: request that the bureau send updated reports to any lender or employer who accessed your file in the past several months. Both bureaus will do this on request.

If the bureau sides with the creditor and won’t correct the item: you have the right to add a consumer statement — a brief note (typically 100–200 words) that appears on your credit report explaining your position. This doesn’t remove the entry but it lets lenders see your side.

Step 6 — Escalate if needed. If the bureau ignores your dispute or refuses to add your consumer statement, file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (priv.gc.ca) or your provincial privacy commissioner.

What Most People Don’t Know

• Negative information doesn’t stay forever. Most negative items — late payments, collections, judgments — must be removed after 6 years in most provinces (7 years in some). Bankruptcies are removed 6–7 years after discharge for a first bankruptcy, 14 years for a second. If an old item is still on your report past these limits, dispute it immediately.
• You must dispute with both bureaus separately. Equifax and TransUnion don’t share dispute outcomes. If the same error appears on both reports, you must file two separate disputes.
• Disputing an item doesn’t hurt your score. There is no penalty for filing a dispute, and lenders cannot see that you filed one.
• The bureaus must reinvestigate, not just take the creditor’s word. Under PIPEDA Principle 9, organizations must correct information that is demonstrably inaccurate. If you provide solid documentary evidence, the bureau cannot simply defer to the creditor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

• Office of the Privacy Commissioner — PIPEDA and Credit Bureaus
• Equifax Canada — Dispute Credit Report Information
• TransUnion Canada — Request to Update Credit Information
• Financial Consumer Agency of Canada — Understanding Your Credit Report
• FCAC — Errors in Your Credit Report
• Office of the Privacy Commissioner — File a Complaint
• Commission d’accès à l’information (Quebec)