How to correct a background check if they mixed me with a person with the same name, date of birth, and state. Now they refuse to fix it completely!
How to force a complete correction
The key is to dispute using identifiers that the other person cannot share. Start by getting the most detailed version of the item being reported: the court/county, case number, filing date, and any defendant descriptors the court record includes. Then build your dispute around proof that the defendant in that case is not you, especially anything showing a different middle name, address at the time, physical descriptors, or other unique identifiers in the court file.
If you already disputed once and they “verified” it anyway, that’s often the point where a simple dispute turns into a legal problem. When a background check company has been given clear proof and still refuses to correct a mixed-file error, you may have grounds to file an FCRA lawsuit, especially if the mistake cost you a job, housing, or income.
At that stage, the next step is usually to speak with an FCRA attorney, preserve your evidence (the report, your dispute, their “verified” response, and the denial/deactivation notice), and pursue compensation for the harm caused.
What to do if they still refuse
If the company won’t fully fix the mixed-file error after you provided strong proof, save everything: every version of the report, your disputes, their responses, and proof of harm (job denial, deactivation, lost wages, housing denial). At that point, many consumers pursue legal action under the FCRA because the company had notice and still failed to correct inaccurate background check reporting.