FreeCreditReport.com - NO!

[question everything]

They have all these cute commercials inviting people to check their credit report. This specific web site, however, is NOT FREE. Not the official site where one is allowed once a year credit report from one of the reporting agencies.

Theoretically, one can get it more often. First, there are three agencies and if all your accounts are joint with a spouse, then each can get one from each of the agencies.

Anyway, I went to the official free one the https://www.annualcreditreport.com and selected Experian.

Now, at the top I was tempted to hit the "start" button, but decided to scroll down. It offered a fee-based service and below it, in smaller (of course) font and in black and white, it offered the "no thank you" to continue, which is what I did.

The next page did say that the fee was $0.00.

Can't trust any of them. This is why we are an "over regulated" society. Because these businesses will skin us alive, given a chance.

[onehandle]

1. In Georgia, by state law we get two free reports a year. And yes, FreeCreditReport.com is a scam. nt

[HardWorkingDem]

2. Free Credit Reports are free, but the FICO report is where they get you...

The FICO report gives your credit rating, which is important when it comes to all sorts of fees you will pay. You can get your credit report free, but the bastards make you pay for your FICO one. Which is just important to know.

[sinkingfeeling]

3. I got free reports from all 3 agencies a year ago, but don't remember the site I used. They will all

charge you to get your credit score. I know what each of the 3 agencies gave me as a credit score because I financed a second home this past year.

[jtrockville]

4. Suze Orman recommends the one you used (ANNUALCreditReport.com)

[JoDog]

5. But you can only access your report

once a year. If you look at it now, for instance, you cannot get it again on that site until next January.

For people in situation where they need to keep constant tabs on what's going on, the free site does them little good.

[question everything]

7. If you are married and you and your spouse hold the same account jointly

you should be able to access it twice, one for each SS number.

[nilram]

9. there are three credit agencies participating

Using http:://www.annualcreditreport.com, you can choose to select just one of the three credit reporting agencies. I have a "todo" reminder in my email program to check Experian in January, TransUnion in May, and, um, the other one in September... Three times a year is often enough for me, but, yah, if you need that info more often, you'll have to use one of the for-pay services to do so.

[bhikkhu]

6. Too late - I just signed up there

It actually worked fine and gave me the information I wanted, but it was a maze of little check boxes and add-ons you had to read pretty carefully to answer right and not get signed up for too much crap. As it was, I wound up signed up for a $14,95 monthly subscription to their basic service with a 9 day window to back out. You can't cancel online, so you have to hunt online for their phone number. I called them after three days and said I would like to cancel; first, I got offered the same service for $12,95, "no - I just want to cancel", got offered the same service starting with 2 months free or something "no - I just want to cancel", got offered almost the same service for $4.95 a month, etc....ten minutes on the phone getting my arm twisted to finally get out of it.

Thanks for the link to a better option.

[question everything]

8. Glad you finally got out of it

it is like walking through any retail store these days. The hope on the faces of the hungry sales people is really sad.