All 16,8 million "credit active" South Africans are entitled to one free credit record check a year.
But if you've checked your record only to find a negative listing you feel you don't deserve, or other factual errors, you need an effective means of getting the credit bureau to fix the mistakes.
And therein lies the challenge. Communicating effectively with huge numbers of people is not easy, as those who are staffing President Jacob Zuma's complaints hotline have no doubt discovered.
But the credit bureaux have an obligation to put systems in place which allow people to exercise their rights.
The Credit Information Ombud investigates complaints from consumers who feel they've been listed unfairly on a credit bureau, but they won't take up a case if the credit bureau hasn't first been given a chance to make good.
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I've received a number of complaints from consumers recently about their inability to engage with South Africa's largest credit bureau, Transunion ITC.
And because of this, the Credit Info Ombud's office won't entertain their complaint. A classic case of "do not pass go".
Last week I received an e-mail from Marc Malan, who tried to help his girlfriend challenge a negative listing on Transunion ITC involving an alleged SABC TV licence debt.
She discovered this when her application for a credit card was turned down, which is the way most people learn the bad news about their credit records.
"The only way in which a query can be lodged against a Transunion ITC listing is by getting through on their phone line and then requesting a dispute form to be sent to you," Malan said.
"The form is not available on the website - as it should be.
"I tried the listed number on numerous occasions and each time the line rang for longer than 10 minutes before I gave up.
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