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     | Saturday, February 17, 2001 - 11:51 am  Of course you can. You can also change the oil in your car, give yourself a hair cut and do your laundry in the bathroom sink. If you're good with numbers and you have a computer and printer, and especially if you can prepare your disputes during work hours, you'll probably do all right reviewing your credit reports and disputing what's lowering your credit scores. I wouldn't bet on it though and highly recommend a Credit Review if you prepare your own disputes. I for one decided a long time ago that I'm not going to change the oil in my vehicles myself. Not because I can't, but because I don't like to get that dirty. And I ALWAYS hurt myself when I have to do emergency repairs myself. So I choose to pay someone else who does it a lot faster and better and has the expertise and tools AND will tell me about any other apparent problems such as fluid leaks, cracks in the frame, worn brake pads, etc. I really don't think that you should have to spend endless hours doing what they HATE (trying to figure out their credit report and disputing that incorrect late for the third time), only because the creditors and CRAs could not care less about how damaging their incorrect reporting is to you. I routinely advise creditors that my clients expect to be reimbursed. Unfortunately, I don't know of any way to sue for the value of YOUR OWN time in Small Claims Court. Sometimes it tremendously expedites dispute resolutions when creditors expect to be sued for my fee and my clients' damages. If only 1% of the consumers with incorrect credit data on their reports would sue in Small Claims Court, creditors and CRAs would think twice about ruining your credit. It's up to YOU to decide what you WANT to do yourself. There is a tremendous amount of FREE info about credit disputes at the BayHouse Forum, and even a scanned disputed "after bankruptcy" credit report. At least 80% of my clients with credit problems did NOT identify ALL credit data lowering the FICO credit scores. Should you decide to dispute yourself, I highly recommend a Credit Review. Have someone else (friend, relative with a different last name) prepare your letters/faxes. Notify the creditor/CRA in your dispute letter that you are incurring expenses of $75/hour and demand reimbursement. Mention that you want to buy a house, car, whatever makes good credit important to you. It might just get you a little more attention and get your dispute resolved. Don't be afraid to insist on your legal rights. PAY with a check, then sue if you don't get your reimbursement for disputes of INCORRECT credit data. My own highest reimbursement so far was over $2,200. I did NOT have to go to court, but I made my intentions to sue Home Savings very clear when their VPs called me and told me they were not responsible for the invoice I had submitted to them. Of course I should have sued, I'm sure I would have won a huge amount for damages. But as most people, I had no money, no time, no lawyer, and $2,200 was better than nothing. My relative who had handled the dispute for me was very happy to get that check. I am EXTREMELY tired of being told by the FTC and Small Claims Court that MY time has no value!
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