Method of verification is the common name for your right to ask a credit bureau how it confirmed an item you disputed. If the bureau verified the item, you can request a description of the procedure it used, including the furnisher's contact information, and the bureau must answer within 15 days.
Also called: MOV, method of verification request, description of reinvestigation procedure, how was this verified
What it means
When a bureau finishes a dispute and keeps the item, the result often just says “verified.” A method of verification request asks the bureau to explain how it reached that answer. The phrase “method of verification” isn’t in the statute. The FCRA calls it a description of the procedure used to determine the accuracy and completeness of the information.
Where it comes from
Two parts of 15 U.S.C. § 1681i create this right:
- § 1681i(a)(6)(B)(iii): the bureau’s written results must tell you that you can request a description of the procedure it used, including the business name, address, and phone number (if reasonably available) of any furnisher it contacted.
- § 1681i(a)(7): if you ask, the bureau must give you that description within 15 days of your request.
The FTC’s 2011 staff report gives context for why this matters. It says a reasonable investigation should, at a minimum, check with the source and pass along your evidence, and that it may take more than asking the source the same question and getting the same answer.
What you’ll usually get back
Answers can be brief, for example a note that the bureau contacted the furnisher, the furnisher confirmed the information, and the furnisher’s contact details. The CFPB’s 2012 report explains why: most disputes go to the furnisher electronically as a code through e-OSCAR, and the furnisher answers on the same form. A thin answer can itself show how little checking took place.
How to request it
After you get a “verified” result, send the bureau a short written request citing § 1681i(a)(7). Name the account, give the dispute date or confirmation number, and ask for the procedure used and the furnisher’s contact information. Keep a copy and note the date. Then consider sending the furnisher a direct dispute with your proof and, if the error stays, adding a statement of dispute.
When it can be an FCRA violation
A bureau that doesn’t include the required notice with its results, or doesn’t answer a request within 15 days, may violate § 1681i. More often, the method of verification is useful as evidence: if a bureau “verified” an account you proved was wrong by simply asking the furnisher to confirm its own data, that can help show the reinvestigation wasn’t reasonable.
If a bureau verified an error you documented, FCRA Attorneys offers a free case review, and you pay no fee unless we win.
Related
- Reinvestigation
- ACDV (automated consumer dispute verification)
- e-OSCAR
- Statement of dispute (consumer statement)
- Furnisher
- 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
Sources
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681i, procedure in case of disputed accuracy (Cornell LII)
- FTC, 40 Years of Experience with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (2011)
- CFPB, Key Dimensions and Processes in the U.S. Credit Reporting System (2012)
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.