e-OSCAR

The e-OSCAR System

When delving into the credit reporting world, it is easy to get lost in the terminology. You see a lot of acronyms in credit reporting such as: CRA, DF, FICO, and FCRA, but this blog will discuss e-OSCAR. 


What is e-OSCAR?

OSCAR stands for “Online Solution for Complete and Accurate Reporting”. The “big three”: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion owns and created this software in 1993. 


Put simply, e-OSCAR is an automated credit dispute system. This system was created due to the mass amount of manpower needed to process consumers’ claims of mistakes on their credit reports.  According to the Federal Trade Commission, at least 1 in 5 consumers has an error on one of their three credit reports and 1 in 4 of these errors have a negative impact on the consumers’ overall credit scores. It is recommend that you check your credit report at least once a year and report anything that seems incorrect. As of now, consumers are able to obtain their credit reports for free once a week until April 2022 due to the pandemic. 


Consumers can submit a complaint to the credit reporting agency by phone, online, or by mail. It is best to submit your dispute by mail, using certified mail, so that you have verification that they received it and that a real person will look into it. 


The bureaus receive letters topping the thousands each day. The bureaus created e-OSCAR to streamline the dispute process. 


Credit Disputes and e-OSCAR

Credit disputes involve a 3-step process: 

  1. The credit bureau receives a credit dispute letter.

  2. An employee reads the letter and assigns one of e-OSCAR’s 29 three-digit codes to classify the type of error.

  3. The employee enters this code along with basic information about the consumer and creditor. They may also enter one or two lines of explanation.


e-Oscar Coding

When the credit reporting agency receives a dispute they enter it into the e-OSCAR system. Next, an e-OSCAR representatives categorize the complaint in one of 29 three-digit dispute codes. These codes include:

  • 001 — not his/hers.

  • 002 — belongs to another individual with same/similar name.

  • 008 — late due to change of address or never received statement.

  • 010 — settlement or partial payments accepted.

  • 019 — included in the bankruptcy of another person.

  • 038 — claims account closed by consumer.


In addition to the code that best fits the dispute, the agency may enter a few lines of explanation. Once e-OSCAR receives this data, the system creates and records a formal dispute. It then distributes the information to the other credit reporting agencies and to the appropriate data furnishers.


Issues with e-OSCAR 

Credit disputes are unique and complicated. Critics of the e-OSCAR system believe that neither a 3-digit code nor 2 lines of explanation are sufficient. Attorneys encourage consumers to send as much evidence as possible to support their claim. This makes it harder to credit bureaus to later claim that the error is your fault because you didn’t send enough informational evidence. Critics also question whether e-OSCAR staff fully review additional documents that provide support to the consumers complaint. 


What to Know About Disputes

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA) has up to 45 days to resolve a dispute. If the error involves an account with your organization, the credit bureau will usually reach out to investigate the item you reported. CRA’s resolve only 15% of complaints without involving the data furnisher. After you provide a response to the dispute, the CRA will notify you of the verdict. The error will either be validated and will be corrected, or they have determined there was no error and the item is reported as accurate. 

New CFPB Bulletin Issues Strong Warning to Furnishers of Consumer Credit Information

Furnishers Are Required to Review Documentation from Credit Reporting Agencies

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the “CFPB”) has issued a Bulletin, dated September 4, 2013, to companies that furnish information to consumer reporting agencies (“CRAs”) regarding furnisher obligations under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (the “FCRA”). The Bulletin is intended to deal specifically with the FCRA requirement that furnishers are required to “review all relevant information” when investigating a consumer dispute. The CFPB Bulletin provides a warning to furnishers that the CFPB maintains supervisory and enforcement authority which it will use to address furnisher violations.

Limitations of the e-OSCAR System | Credit Report Disputes

In a study released this month by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the CFPB found that there are specific limitations on the e-OSCAR system; the electronic system used by the national consumer reporting agencies (Trans Union, Experian and Equifax) (CRAs) to process consumer disputes of the accuracy of their credit reports.  Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the CRAs are required to send data furnishers a notice of a consumer dispute that includes “all relevant information regarding the dispute that the agency has received from the consumer.” 

Understanding How Credit Information Is Reported

In order to effectively protect your credit history, you must first understand how credit information is reported to the consumer reporting agencies. The consumer reporting agencies (Trans Union, Experian, Equifax and CSC Credit Services) receive credit related information and store that information in sophisticated databases. Those that provide credit information to the agencies are known as "furnishers." Furnishers are typically lenders (such as those that provide revolving credit lines, mortgages, student loans and the like) but may also include others like public information venders that collect and provide public record information (such as judgments and bankruptcies) to the consumer reporting agencies.

One common misconception is that when furnishers report your credit information that information posts directly to your "credit report" which in turn is provided to potential creditors when you apply for new credit.  This misconception is wrong for many reasons all of which relate to how the agencies collect, sort and then disseminate credit information.

More About How Trans Union Processes Consumer Disputes - E-OSCAR and the ACDV Process

In 2005, a Trans Union ("TU") representative testified as follows regarding TU's procedures to conduct reinvestigations when a consumer disputes inaccurate information on their credit report: In general, when TU receives a dispute from a consumer, TU investigates the dispute using one of two systems developed for the purpose of processing and tracking disputes: the mail Consumer Dispute Verification process (“CDV”) and; the electronic Automated Consumer Dispute Verification process (“ACDV”) utilized in the instant matter.

How does Trans Union process consumer disputes?

In general, when Trans Union receives a dispute from a consumer, Trans Union investigates the dispute using one of two systems developed for the purpose of processing and tracking disputes, the Consumer Dispute Verification process (“CDV”) and the Automated Consumer Dispute Verification process (“ACDV”).  Through the ACDV process, Trans Union contacts the furnisher of the disputed credit information and, via an automated process, asks the furnisher to verify that the indicative (e.g., name, social security number, address, date of birth, etc.) information on the consumer matches the indicative information maintained in the furnisher’s records and is associated with the particular account being disputed.  Trans Union also asks the furnisher to verify the accuracy of the account information, e.g. account balance, payment history, credit limit, etc., being reported to Trans Union by the furnisher.

If the furnisher verifies that the reported information is correct, Trans Union updates the information on the consumer's credit file and notifies the consumer of that fact. If the furnisher reports that the information is inaccurate or can no longer be verified, or if the creditor does not respond within the required time, Trans Union deletes the information from the consumer's credit file and notifies the consumer that the information has been deleted.  Trans Union may employ additional procedures depending on the precise dispute involved and the circumstances of the case.