Have you ever been denied a job, an apartment or even credit because of inaccuracies on your background check? By the time you are provided with a mailed document supporting their decisions, it’s too late. That job is gone. The apartment has been rented and your good name is already tarnished. However, there are things you can do to win fair compensation for losses you sustained, and you have every legal right to dispute inaccuracies in a background check if it caused you to sustain a loss. Sometimes, even your reputation has been irredeemably tarnished. So, what can you do? Here are some steps to take.
Get Absolute Proof in Writing Why You Were Denied
When it comes to credit reporting, the credit bureaus and the lenders you applied to are required, by law, to send written documentation as to why you were denied credit. When it comes to landlords and employers, their requirements are a bit less concrete. If you feel in any way that you were misrepresented in a background check due to errors in the reporting agency or they had no legal right to run such a background check, an attorney may be able to get the proof you need.
As for inaccuracies such as reporting that you have a criminal background when in fact you don’t, it pays to contact a Fair Credit Law Firm that will not expect payment until they win your case for you. If you sustained a loss due to an agency’s inaccurate reporting, or any error on their part, you really are entitled to fair compensation. With that said, you need to get their reasons in writing. It is the lender’s legal responsibility to do so.
Conditions When You Must Give Permission for a Background Check
Here’s something else you may not be aware of. Unfortunately, with the wealth of information on the internet, almost anyone can find out literally anything in your background if they know how to search. With that said, it is illegal for an employer or a lender or a landlord to run a background check without your explicit permission to do so.
There are times when a parent, for example, wants to know the moral character of a guy her daughter is dating. The law doesn’t strictly forbid that. However, if you are trying to rent an apartment and the landlord asks for your credit information but uses your personal information such as your Social Security Number to run a background check without your permission, they are subject to penalties as written in the law.
When to Seek Legal Counsel
It all boils down to whether or not you sustained any kind of loss due to inaccuracies in a background check, inclusive of one being run without your explicit permission. Did you fail to get a job because the employer ran a check without your permission or there were inaccuracies reported back? The same holds true with anyone from lenders to landlords. Unless they ask and get your permission to run a background check, they can be held liable for any losses present or future you sustain. If you have been a victim of inaccurate or unapproved criminal background checks, you have the legal right to dispute them. Contact a lawyer immediately to get the justice and compensation you legally deserve.