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.
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.
"I did then try the Credit Information Ombud - but they only help you after you have exhausted the first query with the credit bureau.
"I don't believe that Transunion ITC is complying effectively with its responsibilities in terms of the National Credit Act," Malan said.
In March, having waited 15 minutes for someone at Transunion ITC to pick up his call, he logged a complaint on the company's website.
Incredibly, on October 1, more than six months later, he got an stock e-mail response, apologising for its lateness and suggesting that he phone the call centre!
As corporate responses go, that's a hot contender for the booby prize.
I contacted Transunion ITC last week, asking why consumers could not download a dispute form online and why the bureau has not increased its call centre capacity.
"And what's the point of the e-mail address, given the ridiculous response time, and the fact that it was no response at all?" I asked.
Responding, Transunion ITC's marketing manager, Tersia van Rooyen, said the experience of Malan and others was "very unfortunate" and was due to "many different elements that were being implemented separately within our business processes".
"These elements are by no means an excuse for the service received, but underline the TransUnion changes for improvement," Van Rooyen said.
The changes included splitting the call centre into two sections, she said, one dealing with consumers who wanted to dispute, as in Malan's case, and the other "supporting the consumer in terms of products purchased via the website".
And consumers will soon be able to log disputes on the Internet, she said.
"Not only will the consumer be able to log a dispute online, but also receive SMS notifications on the progress of a dispute that is logged."
Van Rooyen said Malan's girlfriend's dispute had been resolved.
"I also emailed a free credit report reflecting the changes and confirmed that she was satisfied with the outcome," she said.