TransUnion is a giant in the world of credit reporting. Along with Equifax and Experian, it is one of the three major credit reporting agencies.
But TransUnion does more than track and send lenders your credit scores. TransUnion and its subdivisions also provide background reports for tenant screening and employment background checks. TransUnion, therefore, plays a big role in how people see you – whether it’s a potential landlord deciding on whether to rent you an apartment based on your criminal background, whether it’s a potential employer considering you for a job based on your work history, or whether it’s a current employer checking to make sure nothing in your criminal or driving record has changed.
It’s essential to understand the full scope of TransUnion’s services. Sometimes, the reports they provide landlords and businesses, as well as lenders, contain errors. An error in a TransUnion background check for employment or an error in a TransUnion background check for tenancy, can have major impacts on your life. The lost opportunities that these errors often cause can be devastating.
There are laws that protect you. There are also attorneys, like the lawyers at Consumer Attorneys, who know these laws and know how to get compensation for people who have endured a TransUnion background check mistake.
The TransUnion Background Check Process
Background checks play a big role when it comes to getting a job or an apartment, and rightfully so. Employers and landlords need to know that you are trustworthy, reliable, and not a threat to their business. TransUnion’s role in this process is enormous.
- They collect your data. TransUnion collects the data that employers will use to decide who to hire, and landlords will use to decide who to rent to. Depending on the level and scope of the request, TransUnion will scour criminal record databases, motor vehicle reports, driving records, financial records, and civil litigation databases.
- They prepare your report. TransUnion compiles the data, puts it into a report, and sends it to whoever requested it. Depending on the nature of the request, this could take between a few days and a couple of weeks. A federal law called the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( “FCRA”) requires TransUnion to use reasonable care to ensure the information in their report is accurate.
- Your potential employer or landlord reviews the report. TransUnion likely will not affirmatively tell whoever asked for the background check report what to do, but these reports do play a sizable role in renting and hiring decisions.
- You discover the result. Your potential employer or landlord tells you their decision. If the result is unfavorable, you are allowed to ask why. If it’s because of the TransUnion report, you can contact TransUnion and request a copy of that report. You have the right to a free report if an employer has taken adverse action against you, like denying you a job based on the report. And, you have the right to know which specific information in the report was relied on in making the unfavorable decision.
What you do when you get that report is critical.
TransUnion Background Check Report Errors and Their Consequences
Review the TransUnion report as soon as you receive it. Sometimes, TransUnion’s reports contain errors. These errors can range from small inaccuracies, like misspellings of your name, to major mix-ups, like reporting false information. They are all serious.
- Mistakes related to your personal information. These are mistakes stemming from a data entry error or administrative mistake. Even a minor misspelling or a wrong digit in your social security number can have severe consequences.
- Mistakes related to other databases. Sometimes the data that TransUnion retrieves from criminal databases, motor vehicle records, your former landlords, your former employers, or your former schools can be outdated or just plain wrong. If so, they gave that wrong information to TransUnion.
- Mistakes from fraud or identity theft. If someone else has been using your identity or there has been some other sort of fraud, this could have an impact on your background check report.
The consequences of these errors can be terrible. Losing out on your dream job or a home because your background check was wrong can be devastating. You feel the devastation right away but it also has a long-term impact on your job and housing prospects. It’s a stressful and frustrating situation that nobody should have to face. If this happened to you, do not face it alone. Contact Consumer Attorneys.
The Dispute Process
The FCRA requires TransUnion to have a dispute process in place for when people disagree with their credit and background check reports. If you found an error in your TransUnion background check report:
- Contact Consumer Attorneys. Every case is different and depending on your circumstances and the nature of the TransUnion error, we will advise different legal strategies.
- File a dispute. Collect documents – bank statements, court papers, transcripts, financial statements, screenshots of texts – that confirm the information on the TransUnion report is wrong. While you can file a dispute online, by mail, or over the phone, we recommend doing so via certified mail, return receipt requested. Other methods might cause you to unknowingly waive your right to sue. Write a letter explaining what information is incorrect and provide the evidence you have to support your claim.
- Wait. TransUnion then has 30 days to investigate your dispute. They must investigate and if necessary, check with the entity that supplied them the disputed information. They also must alert you of their findings. If they find that your dispute is valid, they must correct the error and send you an updated report.
- Legal Action. Sometimes situations warrant taking immediate legal action. If the potential employer or landlord explicitly relied on false information or if the error is just glaring enough or if TransUnion fails to obey the FCRA, you may be able to sue. That’s why contacting Consumer Attorneys as soon as you get your TransUnion report is important.
While TransUnion is an enormous company, you must also remember two things:
- Federal laws protect you in these situations. Laws like the Fair Credit Reporting Act exist to ensure that companies like TransUnion maintain and send accurate and fair information. If TransUnion violates these laws, you have the right to hold them accountable.
- The attorneys at Consumer Attorneys protect you in these situations also. Our skilled background check attorneys have a proven track record with cases like this. We know the law, know where to sue, know how to sue, and know how to advocate for you to get you the compensation you deserve.
An error in your TransUnion background check report can be devastating. When that happens, we need to hold TransUnion accountable for these errors. Consumer Attorneys can help you do that and while the job or apartment might be gone, TransUnion should still pay for their mistake.
There are several ways to reach us: call (+1-877-615-1725), email ([email protected]), fill out the online intake form, or use our virtual chat option.