Method of verification (MOV) is the single most under-used piece of the FCRA. When a bureau tells you 'verified — no change,' §611(a)(7) gives you the right to demand exactly how they verified. Most of the time, they can't answer.
The §611(a)(7) hammer
§611(a)(7) requires a consumer reporting agency to provide, on request, a description of the procedure used to determine the accuracy and completeness of a disputed item. This includes the business name and address of any furnisher contacted.
The statute gives them 15 days to respond. If they don't, or if the description is 'we ran an e-OSCAR match,' you have a stonewall on record.
What a proper MOV response looks like
Furnisher business name and address (not just 'Cap One').
The specific fields verified — balance, DOFD, payment history.
The date the furnisher responded.
Any documents relied upon (statements, application, ledgers).
What to do when they can't produce it
File a follow-up §611 dispute citing §611(a)(7) noncompliance directly.
Escalate to a §623(a)(8) furnisher direct dispute — bypasses the bureau entirely.
File a CFPB complaint. Bureaus track their CFPB complaint rate closely.
If you have a pattern of stonewalling, this is the point where a consumer attorney becomes worth talking to.
Statutes & sources cited
- FCRA §611(a)(7) — method of verification
- FCRA §623(a)(8) — furnisher direct disputes
- CFPB Complaint Portal — consumerfinance.gov