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FreeCreditReport.com Commercials Lying To You

huffingtonpost.com — It turns out those commercials are pretty much lying to you

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  • omgsideburns, on 08/04/2008, -5/+204Read the big fat note on the sign up page where it says "YOU WILL BE ENROLLED IN A MONTHLY PROGRAM UNLESS YOU CALL AND CANCEL."
    • soelinn, on 08/04/2008, -3/+53and when you call to cancel, your call would not go through (or) they will put you on hold FOREVER.
      My roommate is being charged like $15 a month and not being able to cancel the service.
      • Qrange, on 08/04/2008, -1/+74seriously this "service" sucks. I had to talk to 3 levels of supervisor before my free credit report (charging $12.95/month) got cancelled. Then the had the nerve to tell me it would take up to 6 weeks for the change to register. That meant I would pay another month at least.

        I demanded a refund, thretened with the BBB, and finally I got a refund for all months, and my request was "expedited" to completion.

        ***** them.
      • csw1342, on 08/05/2008, -0/+39Sometimes it pays to be an *****, or to read the fine print.
      • itsthebrod, on 08/05/2008, -1/+29Just call the credit card company and dispute the charges, saying you were unable to cancel the service (or they refused). They'll almost always side with the consumer rather than the business.
      • idntunknwn, on 08/05/2008, -1/+10Strangely enough, I was able to cancel without any hassle, the very same day I signed up. Maybe I was lucky?
      • jrowny, on 08/05/2008, -2/+6I was also able to cancel easily and my report was very useful to me at the time, so I don't really see a problem with it.
      • spectre_25gt, on 08/05/2008, -2/+8I cancelled without issue. Took me less than 5 minutes.
    • Kbriggs, on 08/05/2008, -4/+38I called the Better Business Bureau and complained of the misleading name, and my money was returned to me promptly without hassle.
      • ayeroxor, on 08/05/2008, -37/+8Buried because you're dumb to have ended up in that situation to begin with and not ashamed to admit it.
      • PhilLesh69, on 08/05/2008, -2/+10That's surprising. The Better Business Bureau doesn't have any authority or power, and any company that is being intentionally deceptive isn't going to give a ***** that some volunteer or low paid part timer calls them "from the BBB" threatening to place the shady business on some list of bad businesses.

        Now, calling your credit card issuer and requesting a chargeback usually works wonders.
    • Charlotte_Web, on 08/05/2008, -0/+71The REAL site that is provided as a free service by the three credit reporting agencies is:

      http://www.annualcreditreport.com

      and you can pull your credit report for free, once a year.
      • StGhurka, on 08/05/2008, -0/+26It's important to note that that isn't link spam. That site is sanctioned by the FTC and the required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act - which require that credit reports be available for free to every consumer once per year.

        http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/freereports/ ...

        From that site:

        " The FTC has received complaints from consumers who thought they were ordering their free annual credit report online. Some consumers responded to TV ads, email offers, or simply searched online. "

        Every other site offering FREE credit reports is a scam of one form or another.
      • theutopian, on 08/05/2008, -1/+6Actually get can get one credit report a year from each reporting agency. So you can get 3 a year, space them out and you don't need these garbage 'services.'
      • hyzteria, on 08/05/2008, -10/+1Or...you could get rid of your credit cards altogether and put your money back to the house and kids

        since they are bleeding you for as much as you will let them

        I would like to plug our service :)
        http://www.wheredowegonow.net/
      • ApokalypseNow, on 08/05/2008, -0/+3@hyzteria
        You can pay for those things with a credit card you know - and earn cash back or airline miles! Just pay the thing off every month.
      • Mononuclear, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2@hyzteria Your house is also on your credit report unless you bought it all with cash which I doubt. Any loan whether it be car, credit card, mortgage etc is on your credit report.

        I wouldn't trust any financial advice from someone who lacks the understanding of what a credit report even is.

        I have a perfect credit rating thanks to credit cards with high max that I payed off on time.
    • jaxcs, on 08/05/2008, -0/+17Another problem is that people think this is the only way they can get a free credit report.
      • senatorpjt, on 08/05/2008, -0/+4I got a free report from them before you could get a free report from the govt. I didn't have any problem cancelling the service either, which I did immediately after pulling the report.
      • jaxcs, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2The free reports don't come from the government, they come from the credit bureaus.

        I also had an experience with one of these not quite free credit reports. I was able to cancel my unwanted subscription without too much problem but they required 30 days processing, so I had to pay for another month of service for something that I never wanted in the first place.
      • purzzzell, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1What senator meant was that he got a free report from them before it was mandated by the government that they were required to give him one once/year.
    • burnin8r28, on 08/05/2008, -4/+7time to arrange my suicide.
    • seanwuzhere, on 08/05/2008, -2/+4Yeah, but even when you cancel they still charge you. I made the grave error of signing up for that lame service and it took me 6 months, many many phone calls and a new bank account to make them go away. They are fraudulent and tbh,.. very scary imo.
    • Spuy767, on 08/05/2008, -0/+9How about the end of the goddamn commercial where some ***** says, "Offer applies with enrollment in tripe advantage."
      • PhilLesh69, on 08/05/2008, -1/+1yeah and they also have some fine print saying your card will be charged, but the text over the field where you enter your credit card says "to validate your identity" or something like that.

        I'm sure they've modified it some by now, but when I went to that site in 2005, I didn't realize I was going to be charged until just before hitting the final submit button. Of course, I didn't hit submit, and they still charged my credit card, which I promptly initiated a chargeback against and never heard another thing after my bank credited the money back to my account.

        They are deceptive. They make every effort to confuse people and quite frankly are capitalizing on ignorance and the fact that there is a free credit report available at all three credit reporting agency's websites.
      • Spuy767, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1"Tripe advantage," a type, sure, caused by a flaky 'L' key, but all too accurate in retrospect.
    • tom6a, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1Here's how to keep your "free" credit report free:

      http://blog.lendingclub.com/2007/12/26/keep-your-f ...
  • btgoss, on 08/04/2008, -12/+34A website that offers as a service, something that you can do for free on your own, misleading financially struggling people on television? Not in America... I am sure we must have a government that can protect it's people from something like this.
    I mean they got that fake Jamaican physic off the air a few years ago, they will eventually get around to these guys.
    • jjustice, on 08/04/2008, -4/+6its
    • PolishLogic, on 08/04/2008, -2/+13If you're too stupid to realize that some call center worker can't actually tell predict your future, the only thing you should receive from the government is a firing squad.
    • HoratioHellpop, on 08/05/2008, -5/+5So yet another request for the government to control what's on TV so stupid retards don't get ripped off ... but the same government should allow the stupid retards to direct foreign policy. Got it.
      • diggrnumber1, on 08/05/2008, -2/+4take econ. asymmetric info is a type of market failure. if the government didn't have false advertising laws, the free market system would have trouble functioning.
      • jerrycurley, on 08/05/2008, -3/+5it isn't false advertising. Pretty much EVERY commercial for every product tells you about hte good parts and leaves hte bad parts out.

        Should we force Apple to talk about how there have been phones on the market for over a year that can do as much and more than the iPhone?
      • KMye, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2"For Entertainment Purposes Only"
      • PhilLesh69, on 08/05/2008, -1/+1jerrycurly, xv6700 does what the 3G iphone can finally do, since late 2005/early 2006. ;)

        Advertising doesn't just tell you about the good parts. In many cases, they try to dress up the bad parts.

        Lots of advertising focuses on glossing over the negative. Volvo is the classic example. They use thin steel like the japanese do, and so their cars collapse in high speed impacts, generally causing the driver and front passenger to be impailed in the chest by their own shin bones as the engine pushes into the passenger compartment (at speeds over 50 mph), so they make all these wonderful ads showing their car "absorbing impact" in the government mandated 35mph front impact crash tests, and call it a safety feature.

    • jerrycurley, on 08/05/2008, -5/+4Holy ***** *****...you are actually turning this into an Anti-US bitchfest? My god your life is sad.
    • merreborn, on 08/05/2008, -4/+3psychic.

      WTF is a "physic"?
      • bjornski, on 08/05/2008, -0/+4It's a typo, get over it.

        He's talking about "Miss Cleo", the fraud.
    • neekoriss, on 08/05/2008, -1/+3oh, i see. so it's the government's job to right every wrong and to take care of us children -er- i mean citizens. because of course, crooked politicians and government bureaucracies certainly know more about what's best for us than we do
    • MikeDirntRulez, on 08/06/2008, -0/+2CALL ME NOW FOR YA' FREE TAROT READING!

      Ms. Cleo was awesome.
  • thepurplemonkey, on 08/04/2008, -0/+128The slightly less catchy www.annualcreditreport.com is the real one, takes you to each of the credit bureau sites to get your free credit reports and will remind you each year when you can check them again.
    • mco5t9, on 08/05/2008, -2/+9Yeah, but they don't have a catchy jingle. Sooooo no thanks.
    • swordedge, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2credit report is free but you have to work at it there.
      Credit Score cost you money.
      • jimh54, on 08/05/2008, -0/+3only if you decide to get into debt. If you don't go into debt who cares what the credit score is? Cash is King!!
      • purzzzell, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2Do you have enough cash to buy a house?
    • terminal157, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1I've gotten nothing but a runaround trying to get a credit report (from the big three). I suspect it's standard procedure.
    • charlesroper, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1I've been using annualcreditreport.com for a couple years, but I've never gotten the reminder email which you speak of. Is there some way to sign up for that reminder?
    • nonsequitor, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1I've been using the pay service TrueCredit from TransUnion to monitor and improve my credit score, which took some hits when I moved cross country and missed some final bills in different states.

      It allows unlimited updates as well as providing feedback on ways to improve your credit score. It also monitors and sends alert emails when new accounts are opened, or deliquent payments are listed.

      So far its had a good return on investment since I've improved my score on average 150 points for each credit bureau.
  • britblogger, on 08/04/2008, -11/+75They're actually not. If you read their 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.

    ConsumerInfo.com, Inc. 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.
    ***
    It clearly states that when you order your free credit report (it is free), you are also agreeing to participate in their credit monitoring service, which if not cancelled within 7 days, your credit card will be billed a monthly charge of $14.95.

    Another case of read the ***** terms of business before signing up for ANYTHING.
    • jeremyduffy, on 08/04/2008, -6/+22Misleading is still a lie even if they EVENTUALLY tell you the truth. Having information in the "fine print" isn't absolute protection. As Judge Judy masterfully showed:

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJDK6ctRjqw
      • elcalrissian, on 08/04/2008, -3/+15Have you ever seen a McDonalds commercial?

        Now, have you ever seen a racially mixed group of thin and attractive young people visibly enjoying their greasy fast food while busting out skating tricks and listening to hip music?

        Misleading commercials are everywhere, from Coke and Pepsi to Gold for Cash. Businesses thrive on suckers.
      • esfisher, on 08/05/2008, -1/+11The commercial isn't misleading, you just aren't paying attention. At the end of the commercials they say "Offer applies with enrollment in Triple Advantage".
      • KyleGoetz, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1@jeremyduffy: There's a Supreme Court case that says otherwise: Carnival Cruise Lines.

        Judge Judy isn't a judge. Her courtroom is really a forum of binding arbitration. Read the Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judge_Judy
        She's a FORMER judge (not on TV) currently ARBITRATING small claims (on TV).

        Arbiters have a lot of freedom to ignore judicial precedent, and aren't bound by many rules that courts in the US are bound by. Additionally, their rulings have no precedential value. Thus, anything Judge Judy says may be just her making crap up (and often is).
      • carlosos, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1@esfisher , If I remember right than they didn't have that "Offer applies with enrollment in Triple Advantage" the first few months but added that later. They probably got in trouble for their lie and had to add that after that.
        The better question is, how is this news? They have that commercial for a long time. I find the auto ads worse that tell you a price and somewhere to small to read it says something like "all prices after $2,000 or trade in worth $2,000"
    • krnldmp, on 08/05/2008, -1/+7Everybody knows that anyone looking for a free credit report doesn't read.
    • digitallysick, on 08/05/2008, -2/+5Wouldn't that mean its not free
      • carlosos, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1It is like the products that read "with 30% more for FREE" or "buy this and get that for free".
        In this case it is free to get the credit report if you sign up for their offer that can be canceled before you get charged for it.
    • diggrnumber1, on 08/05/2008, -1/+8it's in small, almost camouflaged print off to the side. and the name of the site is freecreditreport.com
  • PReitz, on 08/04/2008, -3/+103"Offer applies with enrollment in Triple Advantage"

    It's at the end of every one of those commercials.
    • ldkronos, on 08/05/2008, -1/+8It even says so in the youtube version of the commercials embedded in the article itself.
    • senatorpjt, on 08/05/2008, -4/+4Yes, however, they say "Free Credit Report." They just say "Triple Advantage", but what the ***** does that mean? It certainly doesn't say anything about how much "Triple Advantage" costs in the ad - so an idiot might assume it's free as well. If they said "You will be billed monthly if you do not cancel" then there would be absolutely no excuse.
      Of course, the government may have made this worse by saying "You can get a free credit report" from their site, but the thing people remember is that it's free, not that it's annual (as in annualcreditreport.com, not freecreditreport.com).
      It's sort of like setting up a site "IRS.COM" where you can "Pay Taxes Online!" that looks like the IRS site, but has a tiny disclaimer "You will be billed monthly forever until you cancel for some *****", if they even forward the rest of the money to the IRS.
    • PhilLesh69, on 08/05/2008, -3/+2People can't even figure out how to vote correctly, and even when they do, they often do so on misleading information.

      Just because there's a disclaimer somewhere doesn't mean that the overriding message isn't the only thing people actually understand or comprehend.
  • whatthefu, on 08/04/2008, -2/+15Really?! Go to the site and look at the little "important information" paragraph at the bottom left that they are required to put there. If you want a real free credit report that is required by law for you to have access to, go to annualcreditreport.com
  • chaos7, on 08/04/2008, -7/+67their commercials are annoying
    • Waterrat, on 08/05/2008, -1/+3 Most commercials lie to you,so what else is new?
  • elcalrissian, on 08/04/2008, -26/+9This article is a perfect definition of a HuffPo reader (and HuffPo writer).

    You are dumb enough to sign up for something, after so many obvious warnings, and your article is written with an tone of surprise and bewilderment?

    Idiots vote, and HuffPo pushes Dictator Obama. Obama win = the idiots out voted us.

    Digg this article, just to show off the absolute stupidity of Huff reporting.
  • mbarker2, on 08/04/2008, -1/+9How long have those commercials been going on for? It took this long to find that out?
  • edstate, on 08/04/2008, -4/+32Look. I am just about the biggest fan of "buyer beware" you can find... HOWEVER... for these ads to be 99% "FREE CREDIT REPORT!!! FREEEEEEE!!! FREEEEE!!!!!" (including their name, obviously) and then, in 1 second of mousetype at the end, say "...creditreportnotreallyfree..." is a little much.

    I STILL think that it's incumbent on ALL consumers to very a LOT more careful than they currently are (see housing crisis), but there are rules and regulations concerning overly-misleading products and services. For a good reason.
    • jeremyduffy, on 08/04/2008, -2/+9Exactly. No one can be an expert at everything and understanding not only what legal details say, but what they MEAN can be really difficult.

      To all you bashers who complain about people not reading the fine print, it's not really too much to ask that companies not lie and mislead. So what if they have the actual information SOMEWHERE? That doesn't mean that everyone is going to understand the information.
      • thespiff, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2A fool and his money are soon parted. If not on a Free Credit Report, than somewhere else. Some people do stupid things and I don't feel like paying out of my pocket (aka paying for the time my politicians would spend regulating this) to give everyone their own safe padded room to protect them from their own stupidity.
      • jfreeman, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1Right on the front page is not just "somewhere." The author obviously didn't read *anything* before handing out his credit card information. I could probably sell him elbow grease.
    • andrew1338, on 08/05/2008, -0/+6The moment someone starts saying they'll give me something for nothing, I immediately look for fine print saying otherwise.

      Seriously, An advertisement for something free is a ridiculously GIGANTIC clue that they're gonna charge you an arm an a leg.
      • eldano512, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1exactly

        you have to wonder: if they can buy commercial airtime on TV, where do they get the money for that?

    • diggerphelps, on 08/05/2008, -1/+5
      People have encyclopedic knowledge about Supermodels and sports figures, but ask them to be diligent about their finances and they don't know FDIC from DIAF.

      Call it Financial Darwinism, but it's the slow-witted and lazy who get scammed by this kind of *****, and that's fine with me.
      • andrew1338, on 08/05/2008, -0/+4The trouble is when the government feels obligated to pay for the mess created by these slow witted people with OUR tax money. Or when the government and the slow witted people are one in the same...
      • edstate, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1Economics and personal finance should be taught in every school, from K-12.
  • decafmatan, on 08/04/2008, -0/+71http://www.annualcreditreport.com --- the real free credit report. You can only request one every 12 months.
    • Origin415, on 08/05/2008, -0/+13Per credit agency
    • Sp0rAdiC, on 08/05/2008, -0/+11Which works out to a free credit report every 4 months. Do any of them give you your actual score though?
      • WELLDOITLIVE, on 08/05/2008, -0/+8No. While this site gives you free credit reports, scores are extra. Still the best site to check your credit though.
      • RyeBrye, on 08/05/2008, -2/+4If you give me your SSN and your mother's maiden name, I'll give you your credit score... I promise!

        Oh - your name and address would help too.
      • kahrytan, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2Some credit card companies will tell you your score. ie, WaMu
      • melonhedd, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2They'll sell you a VantageScore, which is not the same as the FICO score most lenders use to determine creditworthiness. A few lenders have started to use it, though...
      • KyleGoetz, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1No. I'm actually working on this issue at my current internship (reading the act that set this up, the Fair & Accurate Credit Transactions Act, or FACT Act). The reporting agencies are required to give a free credit report, but they are not required to give a credit score.

        One reason is that this credit score differs by lender--it's merely an actuarial calculation based on predicted behaviors such as the likelihood of default on a loan.
    • hillkiwi, on 08/05/2008, -3/+4When you access the site from Canada all you see is:

      "The AnnualCreditReport.com website is only accessible through ISPs (Internet Service Providers) located within the United States and its territories."

      When happens when Americans try to check their credit from abroad?
      • KyleGoetz, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2Obvious: they get rejected.
      • hillkiwi, on 08/05/2008, -2/+1KyleGoetz:

        Maybe you didn't read my question - I said "When happens when Americans try to check their credit from abroad?"
    • tcpip4lyfe, on 08/05/2008, -1/+3My credit report is mine. I don't understand why I can't check it anytime I want.
      • KyleGoetz, on 08/05/2008, -3/+3Your credit report isn't yours. It's a compilation of your activities created by someone else.

        That's like me writing a biography about you and you demanding as many copies as you want because it's "yours."
    • illman00, on 08/05/2008, -0/+0its one per year per credit agency. There are 3 companies so you can do one every 4 months
  • vogelshock, on 08/04/2008, -1/+15Obvious.
    • edstate, on 08/05/2008, -1/+4Obvious, but douchey nonetheless. I'm glad they're getting negative press for being underhanded assholes. That's how the market should work.
      • Origin415, on 08/05/2008, -1/+3Took far too long though. Those commercials have been on forever.
    • cubbbies, on 08/05/2008, -1/+1Why would you give your credit card number if you thought it was free.
      • senatorpjt, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1Because it's a credit report.
      • miket, on 08/05/2008, -0/+0they dont need a credit card number to give you a credit report......unless.....its not free
  • FameMoney, on 08/04/2008, -10/+7The good thing is that now we can use the power of Digg to spread the news. :)
    • ayeroxor, on 08/05/2008, -1/+3The news being "offer applies with enrollment in triple advantage" which they themselves "spread" at the end of every commercial? That news?
    • andrew1338, on 08/05/2008, -0/+7Anyone stupid enough to actually believe their service is free probably doesn't know about Digg.
    • jerrycurley, on 08/05/2008, -2/+2The power of Digg....what a joke.

      You need to come back to reality if you think that digg.com yields ANY power whatseover.
  • Samurai77, on 08/04/2008, -1/+14Duh,

    Remember these chestnuts your Mom told you, A fool and his money are soon parted and there is no Free lunch.
    • diggrnumber1, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2actually, by law they are required to offer you a free credit report every year. if they don't do so, they are committing a crime. in fact, they do offer you one free credit report, which is what tricked me. but then they gave me more credit reports, and i was confused. then i found out they had billed me $15 two months in a row. canceling was a lot more work than it needed to be.
      • KyleGoetz, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1bury
      • carlosos, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1In those cases use a virtual credit card that you can cancel easily. That way if they make it too much work to cancel the service you can't at least get charged for it.

        I know that citybank and paypal offer those cards.
  • PolishLogic, on 08/04/2008, -2/+8Apparently the people this is aimed at were already lied to when told they were literate.
  • IMJGaltstill, on 08/04/2008, -2/+7Anyone want to bet that this idiot is also having mortgage issues? Why do we feel compelled to keep bailing out stupid people?
    • edstate, on 08/05/2008, -2/+2While I agree w/ you on most, if not all, of the mortgages... i gotta disagree w/ you here.

      A mortgage is a ***** of money. It is a LIFE decision. If you don't do a good amount of research, hire a lawyer, etc, you should be publically flogged.

      However, this company is called FREE CREDIT REPORT! It's not as "big of a deal" in the scheme of things, but it is far more misleading, and very, very douchbag-ish.

      Personally, I think it's damn ***** that, as consumers, we can't check all 3 credit agencies as much as we want to. After all, they're dealing in OUR information.
  • chmcarro, on 08/05/2008, -7/+1http:://www.Annualcreditreport.com > Freecreditreport.com

    But you gotta love that jingle.
  • futureisours, on 08/05/2008, -1/+2It says some kind of disclaimer on the commercial to the effect it's free with enrollment in one of their programs.

    But it's all BS. If your credit is bad, this service isn't going to help you much and is just a starting point.
    • purzzzell, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2You'd be surprised what you can do about bad credit just by sending a few letters forcing them to "prove" the debt's yours :)
    • purzzzell, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2You'd be surprised what you can do about your credit just by sending a few nasty letters.

      Basically, with your credit report, you're "innocent until proven guilty" - you go in and say "PROVE ME GUILTY OR GET THIS THE ***** OFF MY CREDIT REPORT" - obviously, there's specific language, but you can get form letters offline.

      a lot of companies won't bother.
  • grungegbunny, on 08/05/2008, -10/+3..But I didn't know my credit was whack so I'm driving off the lot in a used sub compact. F R E E that spells free credit report dot com baby.
    • senatorpjt, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1"Didn't know I was being billed $14.95/month so i'm walking because I couldn't make my car payment"
  • MBHockey, on 08/05/2008, -2/+23The article protagonist is an IDIOT. For two reasons. One, he didn't read ANYTHING apparently and just gave out his credit card number (good job, retard) when it is clearly written that you have 7 days to cancel your free membership or else you will start getting charged for their monitoring service.

    And two, how did it take this moron "months" to notice this? Does he just pay his credit card bill at the end of each month WITHOUT looking at his statement?

    Darwin award candidate.
    • andrew1338, on 08/05/2008, -0/+3Too bad stupidity isn't always a fatal condition. :-(
    • purzzzell, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2Don't misuse the "Darwin award candidate" statement. He didn't die or destroy his ability to reproduce, therefore he's not THAT stupid.

      PERIOD
  • ECas123, on 08/05/2008, -0/+17So I WONT be driving off in a used sub-compact AND my posse WONT get laughed at?
    • Kidtuf, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1How about serving seafood to tourists in t-shirts?

      What about being a happy bachelor with a dog and yard?
      • thespiff, on 08/05/2008, -0/+3I always thought the "happy bachelor" one was pretty brutal. I mean, she's walking around doing laundry while he sings about how if he knew her credit was bad he never would have married her. Ouch.
  • shaneomac27, on 08/05/2008, -3/+1they told me 3 times they were going to mail a 25 dollar visa card to me...never did.

    and that was two years ago.
    • ayeroxor, on 08/05/2008, -1/+2I'll tell you four times.

      I'm going to mail you a 25 dollar visa card.
      I'm going to mail you a 25 dollar visa card.
      I'm going to mail you a 25 dollar visa card.
      I'm going to mail you a 25 dollar visa card.

      Will you wait three years for this one?
  • theexitwound, on 08/05/2008, -0/+5Amazing commercials. Read the fine print at the bottom of EVERY one though, along with the very audible "Offer applies with enrollment in Triple Advantage".

    Bottom line: People are stupid. There's little that's *Free* in this world.
  • jackspade, on 08/05/2008, -6/+6Well I Married My Dream Girl, I Married My Dream Girl
    • grungegbunny, on 08/05/2008, -3/+3But she didn't tell me her credit was bad.
    • jaycie, on 08/05/2008, -0/+4Ohhh *****, now that smarmy ass song will be in my head for days.
  • krnldmp, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2Never borrow anything and they'll just disappear.
  • ThreeRhino, on 08/05/2008, -2/+4The site used to hide the disclaimer a lot better than they do now until they were sued.

    http://www.privacyrights.org/ar/FTC-FreeCredit.htm
  • domains, on 08/05/2008, -1/+20BREAKING NEWS : People don't read
    • diggrnumber1, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2do you read the eula every time?
    • InSectWar, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2I work for a bank and I have had people who get a new card in the mail, assume its a new mastercard (when its actually a debit card to replace their old expired card) and go ahead and destroy their old MC, all without reading the paper the card was stuck to, actually they just throw that away.
      Then they are stuck with no mastercard and an expired debit card. When a card is stuck to a paper... I thought it is implied you read the paper...
      • laughandsing, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2You would think that would be the case...but people rarely read anything anymore... Whenever I sign anything people get annoyed with me because I make sure I read the whole thing before signing it. Its rediculous that people expect you to sign your life away without reading the document first.
  • onux16, on 08/05/2008, -3/+1I used to think it was a completely free service until seemingly random charges were put on my credit bill each month. The thing that makes freecreditreport.com stand out is its monthly monitoring. It tells you when inquiries have been made on your credit report, updates your address, notifies you of opened accounts and loans under your name, etc. It's a credit monitoring service, not just free credit reports (which it's free if you're using the service for the first time and cancel by the end of the trial period)

    Honestly, I canceled my account with them a few months ago and I'll already back. I like knowing there's at least some assurance my credit isn't going to hell.
  • gardnmi, on 08/05/2008, -1/+4Yes it's true he should of cancelled, but this business model where you get automatically signed up for services should be made illegal. Its not just a simple click to cancel your service. You have to search for the phone number to call. Then you have to wait on hold for an operator. Then talk to an aggressive anticancel sales person.
    • charlie55, on 08/05/2008, -2/+2the freecreditreport cancelperson isnt very aggressive.
  • mogebier, on 08/05/2008, -10/+6Huffington is doing her usual job of great journalism!!
    /sarcasm
  • eviljim, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1All the disclaimers are incredibly obvious. Both on the front page and directly above the "Submit Secure Order" on the page you enter your credit card:

    "Payment 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 9 days of enrollment, you will be billed $14.95 for each month that you continue your membership. If you are not satisfied, you can cancel at any time to discontinue the membership and stop the monthly billing; however, you will not be eligible for a pro-rated refund of your current month's paid membership fee.

    Click "Submit Secure Order" to accept the Terms and Conditions above, acknowledge receipt of our Privacy Notice and agree to its terms, confirm your authorization for ConsumerInfo.com, Inc., an Experian company, to obtain your credit report and submit your secure order."
  • Vohu, on 08/05/2008, -1/+2This story is such crap. It is pretty ***** obvious that they're selling a service. If you're too stupid to pay attention to what you're signing up for then you should be bilked.
  • mrbradg, on 08/05/2008, -1/+2Nothing in life is "free". I learned this at an early age. There is ALWAYS a catch. I mean how did this guy think they pay for commercials? There has to be a pay day and it is monthly monitoring. Read the fine print. Geez.
  • zmigliozzi, on 08/05/2008, -7/+3Ya too bad everyone knew about this 2 ***** years ago. Nice Huffington, buried.
  • Shawn4168, on 08/05/2008, -5/+7Congrats, Huffington Post. It took you 3 years to tell us the same thing that anybody who actually listens to the disclaimer at the end of the commercials already knows. Keep up the good work of reporting "news" to us.
  • cubbbies, on 08/05/2008, -1/+5Why would you give them a credit card number if you thought it was free?
    • rnelsonee, on 08/05/2008, -2/+1You have to, it's part of the verification process, which is common fraud-prevention for all the credit bureaus. They first ask for SSN and credit card info, and from there they start asking more personal, multiple-choice questions (like "which bank do you have a student loan with?").
    • merreborn, on 08/05/2008, -0/+3The site where you can get your *real*, federally mandated, free credit report doesn't require a credit card number:

      https://www.annualcreditreport.com

      They need a DOB and an SSN, but no CC#.
  • iamnotrich, on 08/05/2008, -2/+1duh
  • borez, on 08/05/2008, -1/+4The whole credit thing is a scam under the illusion of ( at the time of signing ) giving you money to spend you don't have and then tying you up in repayments for years . I've run from many a credit cards and survived, I don't give a monkeys about my credit score, not one bit. Here ( in the UK ) it's linked to your address anyway, so when I move I start again, I'll get so dugg down for saying all of this, but... ***** the system, these establishments are here to get you by the balls and make you pay for it for years to come, and when you ***** up, if you follow the rules, they'll make you pay through the nose even more by threatening to take it all away.

    This is an industry that has one thing and one thing only on it's agenda... parting you from your money at excessive rates of interest.

    Digg me down, I care not... but at the end of the day, how much do you give these ***** take from your wage packet every month for stuff you don't even have any more.

    Maybe when I have children and a mortgage I'll think differently, but until that day I couldn't give a *****, I'm gonna play their little system on my own terms.

    ...Now bring on the down diggers.
    • senatorpjt, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1Yeah, you live in the UK. I live in the US, and with inflation the way it is, if you pay off your card every month, you're a month ahead of inflation. With inflation rising over 5%, people with low-rate cards can actually come out ahead by putting stuff on the card rather than saving for it.

      Hell, I'd probably be better off just maxing out my credit card on gold bars. Of course, i'm not willing to take the chance that the economy might not collapse.
  • Khast, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2I fell for it. I couldn't cancel the service either...either they refused, or neglected to remove me. I just let the bank account they were tied to fail. (No overdraft, and after 3 months of "Your credit may be at risk" e-mails...they ceased sending them...I think they got the idea.)

    Anyways...I don't trust anything anymore that says "free" unless I am at a yard sale. Businesses don't do anything for free, there is always a catch.
  • charlie55, on 08/05/2008, -2/+3what a disappointment most famous media sources are. huffington, you have to be kidding me. who the ***** doesnt know how that ***** works. it is free but you have to cancel, how could anyone not know this?
  • Me0wmix, on 08/05/2008, -1/+2You lied to me!

    /cry
  • democrats, on 08/05/2008, -3/+4i ***** hate them. charged me like 60 bucks before i even noticed. guess im a retard for not looking at my statements closely but i called up a bitch and they were EVER SO KIND to take the charge of one month off. pieces of *****. i hope the bbb take a look at this more closely.
    • badnewshotel, on 08/05/2008, -3/+1Shut up cry baby - you're complaining because you were too stupid to know someone was charging you for months. You're lucky they took any thing off - since you SIGNED UP FOR THE SERVICE.

      Don't ever buy a house, please, you're too stupid to own property.

      Oh, jeez, just noticed your name... what a retard.
    • democrats, on 08/05/2008, -1/+1badnewshotel have you read your name? lol. too funny. you sound like a 5 year old. thanks for the laugh.
  • jackspade, on 08/05/2008, -1/+2Well I Was Shopping For a New Car, Which One's Me, A Cool Convertible or an SUV
    • twodollars, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1.....but I didn't know my credit was whacked...
  • xgambetx, on 08/05/2008, -1/+2you gotta love those commercials though
  • czeman, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2I've been saying that ever since I first saw their commercial. I can't believe this is news.
    http://annualcreditreport.com/ FTW. It's the ONLY site where you can actually get a FREE credit report.
  • Jerfmayne, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1Whoever wrote this article is retarded. Of course its not free, there is always a gimmick. Once you sign up and check your credit score, you need to cancel the service in order to NOT GET CHARGED.
  • rnelsonee, on 08/05/2008, -0/+3I got hit by this in the last month - I figured they would charge money for something, or at least try to. That's obvious. I already knew about (and have used) annualcreditreport.com which is 100% free for a basic report, but my potential landlord asked for freecreditreport.com. So I sign up, and at some point, there's a checkbox asking if you want to be part of CardSafe (TM) at $14.95/month... etc.I uncheck it, and got my report (with a credit score, which annualcreditreport.com doesn't give out free). Well, of course I still get charged $14.95.

    What happens is unlike every other service out there, there's no option to opt-out of the pay service. And by offering a service you *can* opt out of, they make it seem like you're not going to get charged. Yeah, I feel a little dumb, but again, my potential landlord asked for it and I got my FICO score, so it was worth $15.
    • Rivfader, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2Yeah same thing happened to me. I just called them and bitched them out and they refunded my money. But yeah lesson learned next time I hit cancel after I get my free report.
  • johndavidjack, on 08/05/2008, -3/+9huffingtonpost.com Articles Lying to You...

    Anyone that didn't know those commercials are/were a scam, and there was a catch involved, are the same people that take HuffPo, DailyKos, etc as gospel...
  • orlandopirate, on 08/05/2008, -0/+2Good luck trying to stop the monthly billings if you sign up for the service. Google "Credit Monitoring Scams" and see CIC!
    • senatorpjt, on 08/05/2008, -1/+2Wow, holy *****, check this out.
      http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/278/RipOff02 ...

      "Submitted: 10/16/2007"
      "I found that this CIC Credit Monitoring Service has been charging my mastercard $9.95 per month since August 1995!"

      Dumb bitch didn't notice anything for 12 years of this *****! That's $1432.80!
  • Gatesophile, on 08/05/2008, -3/+1I love the commercials, however suckish the company is. Very catchy and kind of funny. But yeah, the "service" is a total ripoff.
    • twodollars, on 08/05/2008, -0/+0They are catchy yes, but until I look at the TV and see the horrible lip-synching. MY EYES
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