The High Cost of a ‘Free Credit Report’

[Kire]

Source: New York Times

The High Cost of a ‘Free Credit Report’

By STEPHANIE CLIFFORD
Published: August 4, 2008

EARLIER this year, Kris Steele, a Web developer in Madison, Wis., who was planning to buy a car, decided to check his credit score.

Mr. Steele, 27, remembered a number of commercials for FreeCreditReport.com featuring a young slacker singing about various life problems — living in the in-laws’ basement, dressing as a pirate to wait on tables in a seafood restaurant — all because he had neglected to check his credit score. The ads were lighthearted and catchy, with lyrics like: “F-R-E-E, that spells free creditreport.com, baby. Saw their ads on my TV, thought about going but was too lazy.”

So Mr. Steele headed to the site and filled out the information form, including his credit-card number, which he thought the site needed to verify his identity.

But a couple of months later, Mr. Steele noticed the site had been charging his credit card.

<snip>

“It’s called FreeCreditReport.com,” he said. “It’s kind of easy to make that assumption. I didn’t see anything in the process of signing up that said, ‘Hey, if you don’t cancel in 30 days or whatever, you’re going to get charged.’ ”

Consumer groups have long objected to sites like FreeCreditReport.com. Consumers may obtain a free credit report each year from the three major agencies, as mandated by an act that Congress passed in 2003. The only authorized site for that is AnnualCreditReport.com.

<snip>

“It’s what I call a protection racket"...said Edmund Mierzwinski, consumer program director for the United States Public Interest Research Group. “The sites are designed to trick people into taking on overpriced, useless credit monitoring, and they do so by attempting to make it appear as if you’re going to get something for free.”



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/04/business/media/04adco.html?_r=1&bl&ex=1218168000&en=13e70dd4b3a5f45b&ei=5087%0A&oref=slogin

---

NYT is getting some interesting investigative stories lately.

For more about this "free credit report" on DU go here.

[davidinalameda]

1. I was suckered in by this as well

I didn't look closely enough at my statements; I ended up paying for probably close to a year-$12 a month

it wasn't that much but it was still more than I wanted to pay for a FREE credit report

[SharonAnn]

72. I figured if they're paying that much for advertising, they're "selling" something.

If it were truly free, they couldn't afford to advertise.

[spanone]

84. i went to that site a few months ago, as soon as they asked for a credit card i was outta there

they don't need a credit card to check your credit, otherwise they would ask for ALL your credit card #'s. the website and commercials are totally misleading. imo

[amerikat]

2. There used to a site called "freecreditreport.org"

It doesn't seem to be there anymore. Someone grabbed the url. now it's a site that gets paid for clicks. disgusting.

[varun]

30. annualcreditreport.com

AnnualCreditReport.com is the official site to help consumers to obtain their free credit report.

[Hugin]

38. ^ This is the real one, people.

Please, don't get snookered.

[Dr.Phool]

78. I just go to my bank, and they give it to me.

[booley]

3. Is this ironic?

Did anyone else notice right below at the botttom is a google ad for free credit reports?

[Kaleko]

12. Firefox with ad-blocker has saved me from that eyesore, thank god.

[Greyskye]

71. AdBlock Plus plugin on Firefox rocks!

I haven't seen a 'target gallery' in ages! :thumbsup:

[evilkumquat]

4. The Only Reason to "Pay" For Your Credit Report

Each of the three bureaus is required, upon request, to provide a free copy of the individual's credit report:

1) Once per year at the request of the consumer,
2) Anytime the consumer has been denied credit based on their report,
3) And in some states, any time something negative has been included in the consumer's credit history.

Unfortunately, since the bureaus are giving it away free, they do it grudgingly by way of providing reports that are not exactly "user-friendly".

If one has a background in reading credit histories (collection agent, loan officer, etc.) the reports are no different than the ones seen on a regular basis. Unfortunately, for the rest of us, the reports usually provided by the bureaus "for free" are often written in credit shorthand with little in layman's terms.

The benefit of actually buying a report is that, since you are paying typically $30 or so, not only do you get a report that is a lot easier to understand, you usually get a "multi-bureau" report which combines the data from all three bureaus into one report, so you are likely not to miss anything that is reported to one bureau, but not the rest.

FreeCreditReport.com is a scam.

[digidigido]

5. You get what you pay for

In this day and age, and the story here http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/05/biggest-identity-theft-ca_n_117094.html
of 40 million credit card numbers stolen, in this age of identity theft, it's not a bad thing to have a monthly credit report sent to
you. The $12 per month can be worth hundreds saved in headaches of repairing your credit if someone steals your identity

[Wednesdays]

94. And if you're charged $12 per month without your consent/knowledge

it's as though your identity were stolen, anyway.

Whatever happened to "truth in advertising"? :shrug:

[Lance_Boyle]

120. giving them your CC # = consent.

It SHOULD also be equivalent to "knowledge of," but then again this assumes that people READ AND UNDERSTAND the legally-binding contracts they sign. :eyes:

[napoleon_in_rags]

6. They must be screwing people somehow, to pay for those FUCKING ads around the clock.

I've memorized them all. I was excited to see the new one, where having lost his "use sub-compact" car, he now rides a bike. I'm still anxiously awaiting the remainder of his possessions being taken away so we can see him in ocre robes with a begging bowl sitting beneath the bodhi tree.

These ads bother the shit out of me because of what they demean: Living with family, working a job feeding people, driving a gas efficient car or bike. The ads are like an anti-public service.

[Norrin Radd]

9. Yeah, that bothers me too.

[Skittles]

10. yes

apparently only losers work in restaurants that cater to tourists :thumbsdown:

[Wednesdays]

95. And it makes no sense, either

Does an improved credit score mean you can stop working? Would it really give you an edge when you're trying to get a better job? :shrug:

I seriously doubt it.

[PCIntern]

18. Yes and they bother the shit out of me b/c

when I hear the frigging thing I CAN'T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. Then of course, I hear it again...it may be the most effective (read: annoying) jingle I've heard in years.

[dmr]

83. I can't mute fast enough, same with those aging men

rockin' for their erection. "Viva Viagra" I think it is.

I hate most commercials and can usually tune them out, but some are like fingernails on a chalkboard to me.

Don't get me started on the Pepto Bismal one -- ughhhhhhhh .....


Edit: spelling

[Tangerine LaBamba]

87. Oh, bless you and thank you!

I thought it was just me. The mute button is my new best friend.

That "Viva Viagra" commercial is about the most vulgar thing I've ever seen, and I am hardly a bluenose. But it just grosses me out in a way I would not have thought possible.

Let's just forget that Pepto Bismol atrocity .................

[napoleon_in_rags]

91. I know, that's the worst of all! I want revenge.

I'm going to start making up my own versions and singing them everywhere.

I was born in my dream land, my USA dream land
but they didn't tell me, its debt was so bad.
So instead of looking forward to my parents suburb
there'll be a quality of life worse than Jalalabad
Now we can't get more loans,
and the Chinese own our homes,
all because George Bush gave us these vast foreign loans
if I'd gone to Democraticunderground.com,
I would be a happy Frenchman with a dog and yard!

;)

[Heather MC]

27. I thought I was the only one. When he sings about his Girlfriends bad credit

I always think, if you could have had a dog and a yard without her, do it anyway?
Why can't his Credit get those things? Maybe I over analyze

[JeanGrey]

46. When you are married her credit becomes YOUR credit too.

[Heather MC]

49. My husband and I bought a house, we only used his name, my credit didn't matter

and I am on the title

[JeanGrey]

52. You're lucky.

[elehhhhna]

96. does not. that's why you should keep seperate credit accts if you are

going to have tham at all. keep your own credit and credit score clean that way.

[JeanGrey]

115. Yes it does matter. My nephews both married women with

horrible credit and they couldn't get a mortgage because of it. When I married my husband he had such a terrible driving record our insurance went up by half. When you marry you get it all. Ask any ex wife or ex husband who they came after for bills.

[elehhhhna]

117. Hubs credit: great, mine: not so much., Got the mort using his

credit score & income only (we decided to live beneath our means long ago & it works), but as joint tenants. The nephews shoudl look at smaller homes, maybe? If they qualify w/o thier wives' incomes, they can get mortgages.

[napoleon_in_rags]

90. No you're right, that's what drives me crazy:

Because you're credit doesn't keep you from getting a good job etc, the only valid ad is the car. The ads are attacks on the poor lifestyle. But what would credit change for the poor? Only the ability to get loans, and giving loans to the poor (who couldn't pay them off) is EXACTLY what created the mortgage crisis!!!

[Cooley Hurd]

97. I dig the ads...

...the freecreditreport.com guys remind me of Violent Femmes, in a way.:crazy:

[napoleon_in_rags]

98. hehehe. I can see it. Violent femmes is who they'd be with good credit.

"My credits high as a kite, and I just might, stop and check you out" lol

SErioulsy, I just wish they'd bitch about other things. Like how hard it is to keep a BAND together or get good gear when you're paying off debts, not the fact that they are forced to ride gas efficient cars rather than SUVs.

[Greyskye]

7. Here's how to REALLY get your free credit reports

https://www.annualcreditreport.com

Each of the three major credit reporting companies (TranUnion, Experian, and Equifax) will give you one free credit report per year. By going through the above link, you can get choose which of the three agencies to utilize - or you can get all 3 companies reports at once if you prefer.

I check a different company every 4 months (I set a calendar event to remind me) and it doesn't cost a penny. They will charge you a small fee if you want to get their "credit score", otherwise you get a personal history showing if you've been late on your house payment in the last 40 months, etc.

When you go through the process (and it only takes a few minutes to do) the companies will attempt to persuade you to buy their service, but just keep an eye on the forms and make sure that you don't click a button that signs you up.

I was really glad that I started doing this. Back in February some DU'r posted this link, and it gave me enough of a kick to finally do it. Thanks, whoever you were! :hi:

[The Wizard]

22. Experian

puts callers on a phone menu loop that is utterly useless to a caller. Their website is inoperable. The only way to get a response from them is with a certified letter, return receipt requested. Also send the same letter regular mail.
They ask those making inquiries to become a paid subscriber to correct their erroneous information. It's called a shakedown scam. They have the power to make your life miserable and they abuse it.
As for the other credit reporting agencies, I'm not sure, but my experience with Experian was not pleasant.

[evilkumquat]

24. Yes. Experian SUCKS.

God help you if you have anything to dispute with those people.

I had something on my report that was erroneous once.

TransUnion? I submitted all the info on the dispute online and it was literally off my report the very next day!

Equifax? Submitted online and it took a week to get my report fixed.

Experian? I had to wait for them to mail me materials. I wrote everything all up, submitted my proof and sent it back. Two weeks (or more) later, I received a reply that they were not going to change anything and that the original creditor disputed my version of events (even though TransUnion and Equifax both saw how wrong the info provided by the creditor was). So I called Experian and was told over the phone the erroneous reporting was off my report. A few weeks later, I received by mail my report again with the corrections.

Experian, like fire my flattop and bolt-necked friend, "bad".

[SemperEadem]

88. I'm having the constant run around from experian

they are trying to say that they don't believe that I am who I say I am... I'm like :wtf:
Experian goes out of its way to be difficult-- and they use underhanded tactics to scare people off from straightening out the mistakes Experian has put on credit reports.

[The Wizard]

102. Check out Experian

at badbusinessbureau.com or the Rip Off Report.
Last time I checked there were 229 complaints against them, all sounding similar.
They need to be targeted in a class action suit.

[Wednesdays]

99. Yeah, do all your corresponding via snail-mail

When we were getting ready to buy our house, we contacted the 3 agencies via certified letter.

It took a while--we had to wait a few weeks for their responses, but I believe the law is they have to reply within 30 days. We got exactly what we wanted, and it cost nothing, except for the postage. The "shorthand" was a little bit tough to decipher, but with a little patience and deductive reasoning, we were able to figure out everything that was on the report.

You NEVER should have to pay for your credit reports.

[nilram]

109. ^^^ read Greyskye's post ^^^

Absolutely the way to do it.

Sure, you can pay 50 to 100 bucks a year for monthly reports, but getting a free report three times a year is probably good enough. Spend the 50 bucks once on a good cross-cut shredder, use it on credit card offers and personal info, and you're in great shape.

[SoCalDem]

8. AND, most of these "free report" places don;t give you the ONE thing you really want

Your FICO score.. As far as I know, you still have to PAY to get that...I think it's obscence to charge people to "see that number"..especially when it's the ONE thing that can universally cost you money when you borrow money..

It's like charging a student to see their grades..:(

[Bluebear]

11. I was shopping for a new car, which one's me? A cool convertible or an SUV?

Everything else aside, thanks for the earworm. :spank:

[calimary]

42. Yeah, it's like a hostage hold, isn't it? Now you've got me humming it again, dammit!

And I can't help it, I think that guitar-playing kid is kinda cute. Probably why they hired him.

[Wapsie B]

13. First of all it's my information.

I should have to pay to access that? I don't think so.

Is there any place where I can obtain my credit score free? If the 3 services give you 1 free report a year they should give you your score as well.

[Kire]

14. see post 7

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3425795&mesg_id=3425866

[Maureen1322]

15. I went through this in March , and the site definitely told me about the

30 day cancellation policy. I ended up going to the three credit agencies
individually. It took about three weeks to get all three reports.

[JeanGrey]

48. Exactly. I got my report and then canceled.

[Loudmxr]

16. There is also one other cool solution for identity theft.

I have not looked into it throughly but the state of California Office of Privacy Protection gave a presentation and they suggested "freezing" your credit. Its something like no one can see your credit unless you unlock it.
www.privacy.ca.gov

My tax dollars at your service. B-)

[goclark]

17. Our "Security" is Not Secure

I posted this on DU last month.... Not sure about the other States but the Attorney General's Office in California has a fantastic online form that can be filled out.

I have gotten my money back from 2 other companies AOL and Fandango for movie tickets.

READ each and every line of your bank statement and compare them each month to see if there are problems.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

3686756, Now they have more English speakers in other countries
Posted by goclark on Sun Jul-27-08 06:29 PM

talking to us.

Trying to trick us.

Here is a clue -- this really happened to me!

I was calling one of the 3 companies that handle Credit Security.

These people have every ounce of your Credit information.
She asked for my SS # , I told her I was not going to give it to her.
I asked her what her name was...

"Honey"

I had them on the speaker phone and my friend was sitting there with me. My friend shook her head and whispered.... I talked to "Sugar" from another company yesterday.

My friend whispered, "Ask to speak to her Supervisor."

Answer: She is not here

After telling her that I would wait, the "Supervisor" came on the line.

"Supervisor" --- Hello

Me: Hello, What is your name and Where are you located.

Answer (I swear on a stack of Bibles) My name is Wednesday and we are located in the North

Me: North of What City/ State or Country?

Answer: We are not allowed to give out that information

At that I gave them a piece of my goclark mind and told them that I was not going to give them any of my information because they already knew it!

I told them that I was reporting them to the Attorney General's Office of the State of California and that they better refund my money for the " 3 Month Trial" that I never signed up for!

All of a sudden, the Supervisor said that I would get my money if I wanted it.
I got it.

Realize that everyone that is working for any of these countries knows you SS # and your Mother Maiden name better than you do. It is a joke that any of the information is secure.

None of it!
Not even with these companies.

[Historic NY]

21. I just went through this yesterday with a 199.99 charge for some

travel excursion agency connected to Chase. Beware any of those inserted bonus checks they send out. The bonus is they are out to suck you dry.

[Doctor_J]

19. I have heard that you should never go to a commercial (i. e. .com)

place for your credit report or for debt consolidation. I guess this is why

[erpowers]

20. Wanted to Post About This

I heard Erin Burnett talking about getting a free credit report each year and that made me want to post a question here. I was wondering if credit reports were actually free. On two occasions I had tried to get my credit report. In both occasion I was able to get the information without my credit score. However, it seemed to me, from what I was reading, if I wanted the company to send me a paper copy of my credit report I would have to at least get a free trial of their program, which would later cost at least $9.99 after the free trial was over. On the first occasions, I just printed out the credit report with out the score. On the second occasion, I did not get to the report because I was afarid that I would have to take the free trail just to get the report. So, it seems this article answers my question before I asked it.

[Indydem]

23. It is unfortunate that Kris Steele cannot read.

I got my credit report in January from the same site, actually READ why they needed my credit card, and then cancelled the credit monitoring 5 minutes after I got my report.

How sad is it that someone plugging their credit card into the internet without reading WHY is suddenly a valid reason for the NYT to write a story.

[JeanGrey]

50. And getting this charged to you for a year and you didn't

know it? This is how people get into real trouble, they just don't bother.

[pengillian101]

106. Exactly. n/t

[Lance_Boyle]

58. Since people are now rewarded for failing to read mortgage contracts,

I guess Mr. Steel thought he might see if that misguided sympathy extends to people who don't read other kinds of contracts before signing them. :eyes:

For fuck's sake, far too many "consumers" out there ought to be wearing helmets for their own protection, and maybe security mittens to keep them from signing contracts without reading and understanding them first!

[shrike]

70. And some mortgage brokers are under scrutiny for not disclosing terms

before having their clients sign the papers. It's called "breaking the law" -- i.e., there must be full disclosure of terms. In other words, you're not allowed to hide something on page 15 of a 27-page contract and say, "sorry, you should have read the whole thing" when the client gets a nasty little surprise about his interest rate.

Sad fact of the matter is, for every criminal there is (usually) a dumb, naive, careless or greedy victim. This is why perps are not allowed to use these excuses as a legal defense. (i.e., my victim was stupid, etc.) I know, stupid people are frustrating, but if we discontinue laws that protect prey, and give even more freedom to the predators, we'll be in trouble.

As for the topic at hand, I know nothing about the free credit report business. In this case, it may have been very plain on the website that you were paying for a service and this guy just falls into the careless/naive category. There may be a similar "disclosure law" for this kind of contract, but that doesn't mean the company actually violated it. Probably in this case the company did nothing wrong.
A lawyer friend told me I should never sign anything without having an attorney review it. His reason? They are meant to be obscure -- i.e., they're supposed to be tough to understand. At first I thought he was just trying hardto get my business :) now I think he's on to something.

[Lance_Boyle]

81. if something is printed on p15 of a 27 page document,

it is NOT hidden. Yes, people entering contracts ARE obligated to read and understand the whole thing, even if it's 27 pages. You don't sign unless you understand. Period. This is the very basis of contract law.

If the terms appear in the contract, and you sign the contract, you are bound by the contract. Doesn't matter whether the terms appear on page 2 or page 52 - they are there to be read and understood. Why and how can people be so lazy about contracts???

[shrike]

92. Don't know about ALL contract law, but the Truth in Lending Act

does require mortgage terms to be DISCLOSED. Whether or not they're on page one or page 27. (I didn't write the law, btw. I'm not that old) I remember back in the days when we still had a mortgage, our loan officer (a real one, in a real bank) went through the terms with us, page by page, item by item. I presume this was put into effect, in the late '60s, to protect people who were illiterate, poor, didn't speak English, whatever. from being taken advantage of by predatory lenders.

Probably the reasons people don't read contracts is (a. laziness, b.) gullibility/maivete (this nice-sounding person across the counter wouldn't hurt me), c.) they think they can get out of it later. (And sometimes do.)

Again, I suspect the "free" credit report company didn't do anything wrong in this case.

If a mortgage company violates the law, I think they should pay the price, for the same reason I think Nigerian scammers should pay the price.

You must admit, falling for that scam is even more stupid than signing a mortgage without reading it. The victims deserve what they get, but that doesn't mean the scammer gets to go along until he runs out of stupid people. (Like that would ever happen.)

[ryanmuegge]

25. If they buy advertising time on TV, the product isn't free.

Simple enough.

[Stuart G]

32. WISE WORDS ABOVE..PLEASE BOOKMARK IT..REMEMBER IT.

NOTHING ADVERTISED CAN BE FREE..
...WHY WOULD SOMEONE PAY GOOD MONEY, TO GIVE SOMETHING AWAY?..ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE TRYING TO SCARE YOU INTO SOMETHING....NOTE: SOMETIMES, A SELLER WILL OFFER TWO FOR ONE, AND ONE IS FREE..

Yes, sometimes that is legit..usually unadvertised..
.. Overstocks, end of season sales, totally undesired goods..yes, those are often honest. why? because the retailer needs to get rid of those goods to bring in goods that can sell at a profit..a question of shelf space..
I would guess the rest is nonsense.............

[pipi_k]

26. I learned some time ago

that whenever something says "free" but you have to give them a credit card number...for ANY reason....it's not really going to be "free".

And it's not just credit reports...all sorts of things out there hawk themselves as being "free" and then you find out in the process of filling out the information...or afterward...that they're wanting your credit card info. That's when I immediately say "adios" and hit the "close tab" button on my browser. Or the cancel box on the site.

Well it was a valuable lesson learned, I imagine, for that guy. Never never never never give your credit card information to anyone who says they "need it to verify your identity". And always check online review sites before engaging in business with places you've never patronized before.

We can't protect ourselves totally, but we can at least try to keep the damage to a minimum...

[barbtries]

62. that's exactly what i do

unless i'm wanting to buy something. forget the whole deal. it pisses me off too, cause it wastes my time.

[kirby]

28. Mr Steele is a doofus...

From the websites FRONT PAGE:

"IMPORTANT INFORMATION

When you order your free report here, you will begin your free trial membership in Triple AdvantageSM Credit Monitoring. If you don't cancel your membership within the 7-day trial period**, you will be billed $14.95 for each month that you continue your membership."

[ourbluenation]

34. Yes he is. That was very clear to me when I checked it out. n/t

[Hugin]

41. How come they don't just call it... 14.95 dollarpermonthcreditreport.com ?

I guess that doesn't fit as nicely into a deceptive predatory ad jingle, eh? :shrug:

[kirby]

60. Democratic Underground

is certainly not very Underground (I found it on google) and based on some of the posts, sometimes not very Democratic. Buy hey, whats in a name anyway? ;)

[Lance_Boyle]

61. Because the REPORT is free, but the monitoring service isn't.

This is not deception - for gawd's sake, it's written on the website! People need to protect themselves from their own stupidity.

[Hugin]

63. If you're paying $14.95/month for a service which includes a credit report...

The credit report is NOT free as it's part of the service.

[kirby]

66. Actually it is free...

It is free because you can 'cancel' the monitoring service within the 7 day trial period, pay nothing, and keep the credit report. Personally, I do not like any scheme which requires you to sign up for anything 'recurring' and opt-out/cancel. Too ripe for abuse.

[Kire]

80. you don't get the credit score without signing up for the monitoring service

yeah, I know you can cancel later, but it's still paying money

[Lance_Boyle]

89. well, no - if you cancel it within 7 days, no money changes hands

so it's not "still paying money." The site clearly explains its terms. If people can't be bothered to read those terms, that is not the fault of the site.

[RebelOne]

29. Clark Howard, the consumer guru,

offers these options for a free credit report.

http://clarkhoward.com/shownotes/category/7/42/

Jun 06, 2008 -- Many options for your FREE credit score
There was only a smattering of news recently about TransUnion losing a lawsuit over illegally selling personal info. As part of the settlement, the credit bureau will be required to give you free access to your credit score and other info for half a year. This decision will affect 160 million people.

Traditionally, people have had to pay for their credit scores. If this TransUnion settlement happened a year ago, Clark would have made a big deal about it. But there a couple of reasons why it doesn't matter as much today.

First, there's the government-sanctioned AnnualCreditReport.com that allows you to get your credit report once a year for nada. Second, there are already a number of ways to get your credit score for free.

Some credit card operators, such as Washington Mutual, will give you your Fair Isaac score every month as part of their marketing efforts.

You can also use Quizzle.com to get your Experian credit score for free. Other free sites to try include CreditKarma.com and Credit.com.

These 3 "dot coms" all give it away in the hopes that you'll buy the products and services they're trying to market. But there's no obligation to buy anything at all. (Editor's note: Quizzle.com is owned by Quicken Loans.)

Why should you care about your credit standing? Even if you don't need any credit, a mistake on your report or score will trigger higher insurance rates. You could also be turned down for a job. So check it out!

[billyoc]

31. Yes, they pay for all those TV commercials by giving credit reports away for free.

Makes perfect sense. :eyes:

[DailyGrind51]

33. I actually got my free credit report from:

https://www.annualcreditreport.com

The actual report was free, but there is a charge for the score, which I decided to skip. I had a choice of three reporting agencies and selected Equifax. I was surprised to learn that I once lived in California and had a Discover Card which was never used! They also inform you how to correct erroneous information.

[kirby]

67. The law needs to be changed to require free score...

The lenders are using scores and the free annual report law needs to include that. Congress caved to industry by allowing the score to be an upsell rather than included.

And the free score needs to be the actual FICO score used by lender to make decisions, not some fake 'summary' score.

[dsotm-wywh]

35. This guy is an idiot

So, not only did he not read what he was signing up for, but then he didn't even check his credit card statement for a few months to see if there was any questionable charges on there?

"But a couple of months later, Mr. Steele noticed the site had been charging his credit card."

Ha ha ha ha. That's hilarious. This guy really does need his credit report if he is only looking at his credit card statement every couple of months.

They don't need your CC number for these sites people, just SSN and some other info but the real site annualcreditreport.com won't ask for CC numbers.

[Robb]

36. I always tell my dad

...the best way to make sure you're on the web and not paying for something is to keep both cheeks on the chair. If you have to get out your wallet, you're inviting trouble.

[pengillian101]

108. "keep both cheeks on the chair"

HA! Good advice!

:-)

[Phred42]

37. There USED to be laws against Deceptive Advertising

but that was before the Reich-wing Coup and the death of America

[DailyGrind51]

39. If we had laws against deceptive advertising, every Republican campaign ad

would be in violation!

[Phred42]

56. Most COmmercial advertising these days too

[DailyGrind51]

65. Like those "no money down" "flip this house" hucksters who should

be jailed for economic sabotage!

[godai]

40. It's obvious that there is a charge (on front page of website):

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
When you order your free report here, you will begin your free trial membership in Triple AdvantageSM Credit Monitoring. If you don't cancel your membership within the 7-day trial period**, you will be billed $14.95 for each month that you continue your membership.

---------------------------------------------------------------

I'll admit that the company name is deceptive but... it's clear there is a charge.

[Hugin]

43. If it were clear and not predatory it'd be called 14.95 permonthcreditreport.com .

Don't you think?

But then, who'd go there when they can get a FREE one over at annualcreditreport.com

[godai]

73. I agree, but this happens all the time. Try to get a rebate recently?

I've given up on rebates because there are so many caveats, that it's likely you'll never qualify. Some firms are reliable eg Kohl's, but the ones that use the rebate clearinghouse hope to never send the rebate.

Bushco has made business activities the wild west. Companies are allowed to get away with just about everything. Now more than ever, buyer beware.

My wife's cellphone just broke and the cheapest replacement will cost about $200 (Sprint). They sell a $7 a month service for 'free' replacement...ridiculously high.

[JeanGrey]

44. Come on! This site tells you that you are signing up for a service

and you get a free credit report. If you want to cancel you can. That is exactly what I did.

I find it hard to believe that anyone would think "they wanted my number for id". :rolls:

You get the free report and cancel ordering the service.

[Hugin]

47. If you are buying something it isn't free...

Have you ever tried to cancel one of those bullshit auto charges?

I've personally taken two of them to court for fraud and I'm working on another one.

[JeanGrey]

53. You aren't buying anything if you cancel it. I've done it twice

and had no problem.

[Hugin]

54. Why bother with the cancellation when you can get a FREE one without canceling anything?

I don't have the time to burn canceling crap I don't want.

[Indydem]

64. Because you can't get your credit score for free - anywhere.

Thats what the "fee" is on freecreditreport.com. Just like on annualcreditreport.com. No one is giving out the credit score. The difference is, I can actually get my credit score for FREE from freecreditreport.com if I sign up for the trial of the credit monitoring. Get the score, cancel the service. Only an idiot would make this mistake.

[Hugin]

68. So, idiots should suffer from a predatory system?

Would that include the aged and mentally challenged?

Statistically the people who most often are trapped by such scams.

Is that what you're saying?

[Indydem]

104. What do we do, protect idiots at the cost of all of us?

You want big brother government watching every deal and transaction to make sure that the dumbest among us don't make dumb decisions? It'll be a never ending battle. In the mean time, all of us who aren't idiots pay for the governemnt beurocracy AND the increased cost ont he consumers end to make it all happen.

Survival of the fittest. If you are too dumb not to read why you are putting your credit card into a form on the internet, and then you don't notice it for 3 months, you deserve the punishment.

Predatory lending and schemes against the disabled and elderly are NOT the same thing as an idiot who doesn't read what he is signing. No one swindled this moron into going to this site, no one held a gun to his head and made him enter his card umber. He's an unobservant idiot, and whatever it cost him, he deserves the punishment.

[Hugin]

107. Why not? The Telcos and the Republicans are doing it right now.

"You want big brother government watching every deal and transaction?"

Why should they have the monopoly?

"Predatory lending and schemes against the disabled and elderly are NOT the same thing as an idiot who doesn't read what he is signing."

That is exactly what this is.

[slutticus]

101. Because some people like to check their credit score more than once per year?

:shrug:

It's been quite useful for me while I'm in my car-buying house-buying mode.

[JeanGrey]

112. Then don't sign up!

[L0oniX]

45. Get a fucking clue people ...it costs money to advertise on tv. Where the hell do you...

think that money comes from? Suckers of course.

[kirby]

77. No clue is needed actually...

This is not a case of buyer beware, be skeptical, or anything like that. This is a clear case of someone not reading the front page of the website which clearly lays things out.The only clue needed is to not blindly click okay/enter you credit card number online before reading.

[Wetzelbill]

51. I just did that to two places

Thanks for the info.

[jody]

55. USAA suggests annualcreditreport.com for credit reports. That's good enough for me.

https://www.usaa.com/inet/ent_utils/McStaticPages?key=2007_07_Credit_Score

[mcjackson]

57. DUH!

any company that can afford to sponsor professional racing sports is a company i won't support (except for budweiser ;-). it just makes it obvious that they are making waaaaay too much money.

[barbtries]

59. fiortunately for me,

i already know my name is mud. i don't even want to look at my credit report. i have been caught by the same kind of scheme however, with "30-day supply for only $2.50" - it took a couple months and a lot of complaining to get my money back on that one.

[kaiden]

69. Plus, every time you look at your credit report, it shows negative

activity -- so it's best not to check it all the time.

[kirby]

76. That is not true...

When you look at your own report, it does not impact your score or your report. An inquiry by yourself only shows up on the report provided to you, not the version of the report provided to lenders.

[EnviroBat]

74. I was suckered by this as well.

I changed my debit card with the bank after reporting the card stolen. I recommend you all do this every couple of years. The bank won't protect us, it's up to us to protect ourselves. I get a new debit card number every 24 mos. It's a small hassle, but no body can rack up charges against the old one after I do it.

[kirby]

75. Personally, I recommend not using debit cards...

Use a credit card and pay it off at the end of every month. Debits cards do not offer the same level of protection if lost/stolen/compromised. Getting money back when its removing from your bank accounts can be tougher, if not impossible, versus a credit card.

[iamthebandfanman]

79. i got dooped by them

i even tried to cancel and was told my account would be active until the end of the month ...

i tried to login in a month later and noticed i could so i gave them a call back..

'theres no record of you ending your services with us'

and with that i was charged for a month of service.

i made it very clear to the young lady that if i received another bill thered be hell to pay and i havent been charged or heard from them again..

[Juneboarder]

82. Gotta Read The Fine Print...

You can get a free credit report at this website without giving out your credit card info. It asks for your info when you ask for credit scores, which yes... cost money. The best way to obtain free credit reports once a year is to contact each bureau (Equifax (http://www.equifax.com/home), TransUnion (http://www.transunion.com), and Experian (http://www.experian.com))

[elocs]

85. Not a credit report, but with one of my credit cards I can check my credit score each month

with TransUnion. I never could figure out how they figure the score. I quit my job and the next month my credit score went up 21 points and this month, although I am still not employed, it went down 7 points. It's still a good score, so I'm not complaining.

[guyton]

86. Freeze your credit at minimal cost

If your finances are relatively stable, then I'd suggest freezing your credit report! It's not expensive and it's a decent (but not bullet-proof) way of avoiding identify theft.

The laws vary a bit by state, but (for example) Colorado residents have no fee to start the freeze and $12 to temporarily lift the freeze for a specific creditor.

Not something you want to do if you open & close a lot of cards or are about to go loan hunting, but there are some useful tools you won't hear about on TV.

http://www.consumersunion.org/campaigns/learn_more/003484indiv.html

There's also the less-permanent "fraud alert" that is what companies like LifeLock are trying to sell you. You can get it for free but have to remember to renew every 90 days.

A good start is: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/idtheft/idt05.shtm

[melm00se]

93. i just went to

http://www.freecreditreport.com/
and sitting right on their main page is the following:



IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

When you order your free report here, you will begin your free trial membership in Triple AdvantageSM Credit Monitoring. If you don't cancel your membership within the 7-day trial period*, you will be billed $14.95 for each month that you continue your membership.

ConsumerInfo.com and Freecreditreport.com are not affiliated with the annual free credit report program. Under a new Federal law, you have the right to receive a free copy of your credit report once every 12 months from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies. To request your free annual report under that law, you must go to www.annualcreditreport.com.

Remember, all free credit reports are not created equal. Get your Free Credit Report and Credit Score from the leading provider of consumer credit monitoring products.

I don't know how long that has been on their front page but it's pretty obvious

[slutticus]

100. Gimme a break.

If people can't be bothered to read what they sign up for then we are hopeless as a society. The deal very clearly states that you will be charged if you don't unsubscribe after a certain trial period (as i recall a box popped up and made you click a box that contained the terms of the agreement). And you DO get your free credit report (as many times as you want to check it within the trial period).

And the credit monitoring is actually quite good. They notify you immediately if something pops up on your credit report...not just once a year as you could only do with your free yearly report.

I tried this service a couple of years ago and forgot to cancel my subscription in time so I was charged. I simply called them up, canceled, and they refunded my money. Simple.

I currently use the service and pay for credit monitoring through them. I get notified within minutes of someone peeking into my credit reports. Worth it IMO.

[goclark]

103. What's the name of the Co. that gives you a million $/s

if someone steals your identity?

Is that worth it?

[Indydem]

105. Lifelock

I heard it was $10 a month, but I don't know for sure. Might be worth it if you think your data has been comprimised.

[goclark]

111. Thanks ~ I haven't heard any negatives about Lifelock ~

Has anyone else?

[kirby]

113. I assume you are being sarcastic? n/t

[goclark]

116. No I have not ~ what is Life Lock's reputation?

:shrug:

[slackmaster]

118. They are presently the subject of a couple of lawsuits

By a customer and by Experian.

http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2008/03/27/20080327biz-lifelock0328.html

[jpete]

110. I only get one when it's free

Once a year, I believe, people can order free reports from all three bureaus. That's the only time I do it. I'm not ready to shell out dozens of dollars for a report.

[Hugabear]

114. One of those ads in particular is very offensive

The one where the guy sings about how he couldn't get a nice house because of his wife's bad credit, and if he had checked her credit beforehand then he would not have married her.

[slackmaster]

119. Why do you find that offensive?

Just curious - Things like that do happen to people. I certainly would think twice about marrying someone with a serious credit problem.

[pinniped]

121. My friend got duped by these assclowns.

.