An ACDV is the electronic form a credit bureau sends through e-OSCAR to the company that reported an account, asking it to check a consumer's dispute. It carries a dispute reason code and a short note. The furnisher answers on the same form by verifying, changing, or deleting the account.
Also called: ACDV, automated consumer dispute verification, automated credit dispute verification, dispute verification form
What it means
When you dispute an account with Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion, the bureau usually doesn’t send your letter to the lender. It fills out an ACDV instead. The CFPB’s 2012 report describes the ACDV as the electronic form the bureaus send through e-OSCAR, carrying a dispute code and up to 255 characters of free text.
The furnisher reviews its own records and answers on the ACDV. According to the CFPB, it can choose one of four responses: verify the account as accurate, modify it, delete it, or delete it because of fraud. The bureau then updates your report based on that answer and sends you the results.
Where it comes from
The ACDV is how the bureaus carry out two FCRA duties. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i(a)(2), a bureau must notify the furnisher of your dispute within five business days and include all relevant information. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2(b), the furnisher that gets that notice must investigate, review what the bureau sent, report the results, and correct or delete information that is inaccurate, incomplete, or can’t be verified.
The dispute codes come from a standard list of 29. The CFPB’s report reprints the list, which includes reasons such as “not his/hers,” “account included in bankruptcy,” and “disputes current balance.”
Common problems
- The ACDV reduces a detailed dispute to one code, so the furnisher never sees your key fact.
- Your documents are not attached. The CFPB found the bureaus generally did not forward mailed documents.
- The furnisher compares the ACDV to its own data, sees a match, and verifies, even if its data is the problem.
- The wrong code is picked, such as an identity dispute coded as a balance dispute.
How to dispute it
Lead with the one fact that proves the error, keep it short and specific, and attach proof. If the result comes back “verified,” you can ask the bureau how it verified the item (the method of verification). In FCRA cases, the ACDV and the furnisher’s response are often obtained in discovery to show what each side actually saw.
When it can be an FCRA violation
The FTC’s 2011 staff report says a bureau does not provide “all relevant information” if it only notes the nature of the dispute without passing on the evidence you sent. A furnisher that just confirms its own data matches the ACDV, without a real investigation, may also face liability under § 1681s-2(b).
If an ACDV came back “verified” on an account you can prove is wrong, FCRA Attorneys offers a free case review, and you pay no fee unless we win.
Related
- e-OSCAR
- AUD (automated universal data form)
- Reinvestigation
- Furnisher
- Method of verification
- Direct dispute
- How to Dispute Credit Report Errors With Equifax, Experian and TransUnion
- How to Write a Credit Report Dispute Letter That Gets Investigated
- Dispute letter builder
- Credit report lawsuits
Sources
- CFPB, Key Dimensions and Processes in the U.S. Credit Reporting System (2012)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2, responsibilities of furnishers of information (Cornell LII)
- FTC, 40 Years of Experience with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (2011)
Updated November 2026. This glossary is written by FCRA Attorneys from public sources. It is general information, not legal advice, and is not affiliated with any credit bureau or industry association.