Credit repair companies must provide this in a written contract that also spells out just what services are to be performed, how long it will take to achieve results, the total cost, and any guarantees that are offered. Under the law, these contracts also must explain that consumers have three days to cancel at no charge. Credit repair clinics do this by challenging every item in a credit file — negative, positive or neutral — with the hope of overwhelming the credit bureau into removing information without verifying it. Credit bureaus are aware of this tactic and often dismiss these challenges on the ground that they are frivolous, a right credit bureaus have under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Credit repair companies are not permitted to collect any fees until after the agreed upon service has been performed. This law is in place to protect you from a typical credit repair scam where a company charges a large upfront fee for service, often times in excess of $1000, and then disappear without doing anything to fix your credit.