Why Does this Matter?
Before you learn how to prove you’re not dead, let’s talk about why I am not deceased meaning matters:
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Getting denied for critical SBA or home loans.
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Losing access to your various bank accounts.
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Preventing you from applying for a driver’s license.
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Issues with your health insurance verification.
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Challenges to your identity when applying for a job or apartment.
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The loss of SSA benefits.
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Complete denial or confusion of your tax documents.
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And more!
Gather Your Documents First
Before you start, it’s important to gather all the documents you need and ensure they are in good condition.
If a credit report shows I am deceased, you must disprove this with a collection of accurate, legal, and current documentation. This may include your driver’s license, SSA card, birth certificate, and passport.
Then, you can follow these steps with a reputable consumer attorneys team:
1 – Contact the SSA
Work together by correcting your credit report and contacting the Social Security Administration (SSA) to request a new SSN or have your status fixed. This can be done by calling their customer service department or visiting their website. Once you have contacted them, they will ask you to provide verification documents to contest the deceased notation.
2 – Notify the 3 Big Credit Agencies
You are not dead. However, your credit report shows “I am deceased”, so the three big credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion may not know you are alive. You may have been told otherwise by a service or creditor, but if you want to make sure your name is removed from the deceased list before it’s too late, have our attorneys call or email these agencies right away.
3 – Update any Applications Being Processed
If applications are in progress, contact the company and ask if they can hold off on processing them until you have updated your records. A big reason people hire us is that their reputation has been harmed when no one knows the I am not deceased meaning on a report.
4 – Notify the Company Declaring You Dead
If you’ve been declared deceased, the next step is to contact the company that reported it. This could either be you or our expert team.
You’ll need to send them a certified letter with evidence of your continued existence (e.g., your passport). You also need to include information about why this mistake was made, how it affected you, and what steps they can take to correct it going forward.
If they don’t respond within 30 days of receiving this letter, you may have grounds for further legal action – and we can help!
5 – Report the Company to the BBB
The Better Business Bureau is a nonprofit organization that helps consumers resolve disputes with businesses. If you believe the company is not abiding by its own policy, you can file a complaint with the BBB.
They are likely to receive your complaint promptly and send it to the company for review.
6 – File a Complaint with the FTC
Ask our attorney team to file a complaint with the FTC on your behalf. They won’t be able to fix your credit report themselves, but they will send out letters to companies and tell them to stop reporting it as deceased. The only downside is that these companies might take a few weeks to do this for you.
7 – Hire Consumer Attorneys
As you may know, the credit reporting industry often makes mistakes. It is not uncommon for a creditor to report someone as deceased when they are not, or vice versa.
If you believe that your credit report contains inaccuracies and want to dispute them, then it’s important that you do so properly and timely. The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires creditors who provide information about consumers to be accurate in their reporting.
Our experts understand how to file complaints, deal with credit agencies, and file suits so you can overcome this problem.
Credit Report: Conclusion
Hopefully, you’ve learned a few things about how to prove a deceased notation wrong. It’s essential to take action as soon as possible because the longer it takes for these agencies to update their records, the more damage they can do by causing financial losses and headaches for you. Contact our Consumer Attorneys team today, and let’s work together to fix your record!