Besides their asinine jingles, there is now another reason to avoid the odious website known as FreeCreditReport.com — it’s no longer free.
Of course, it never really was free. To get anything of value off the site always required a subscription that cost about $15.
But now it’s really not free; even the worthless basic service costs a buck. The site’s owner, which turns out to be none other than the Experian credit reporting agency, is pledging to give the $1 payments to charity.
The reason Experian is getting so focused is on charity is a Federal Trade Commission crack down on these “free credit report” semi-scams. The New York Times reports that by actually charging a buck, the site can avoid complying with requirements that web sites highlight the source of an actual free credit report.
But not to worry, I’ll give you that info right here — the really free ones can be had at www.annualcreditreport.com.
This quote from the Times article just about says it all “You can love Experian or you can hate Experian,” said John Ulzheimer, president of consumer education for the Web site credit.com, who has twice served as an expert witness for the opposing side in cases involving Experian. “But I don’t think that anyone can argue with the fact that Experian continues to be two steps ahead of the F.T.C.”
By Doug Beaton