Checking Your Credit Report

Remove all ads!

Has anyone done a check on their credit report? I was trying to do it today online. I'm sure everyone has heard of that one "free credit report" service on commercials and stuff. The thing they don't tell you is you need to submit a credit card to complete the service. The report itself is free, but you also get a 30 trial membership in some credit monitoring service, and as it turns out this service is $79 or more! You have to cancel your membership within the 30 days or your card is charged. Ever read the fine print? On one, you need to cancel within the first FIVE days of your trial memborship, otherwise your cancelation won't get processed in time and your card will be charged. You'll get refunded, but I've heard that sometimes that can take moths for the refund.
All I want is to get a copy of my credit report. Nothing else. I don't want a membership in some other baloney services. Has anyone been able to just check their credit and if so, where?

 

Your best bet is to go directly to the reporting bureau. In the USA there are 3, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. You can request your credit report from them for a nomimal fee, as well as get assistance in decyphering it. Better yet, if you have been denied credit you can get a copy for free, just send in a copy of the decline letter. Don't ever buy one of those services, they are a scam and a ripoff. You should be able to do a web search and find all three of those bureaus. Good luck.

 

Under US law, you cannot be charged for a copy of your credit report, ever. The only time you have to pay to get a credit report is if you're after someone else.

Just contact your local credit bureau and ask for a report on yourself.

 

I may be wrong, but I don't think that you are always entitled to a free credit report. My understanding is that it is only free if the bureau has actually reported on you as the result of an inquiry. Then you only have either 30 or 60 days to request a free report from the date of the original response to inquiry. You can generally get your credit score for free, but that is mostly useless. I've checked with 2 of the 3 bureaus, and neither had a provision to obtain a report for free without entering some sort of code (I assume that would accompany a denial of credit letter)

 

What about in the UK? Is there any way I can get one free? And what are the laws on all this stuff in the UK?

 

Both Equifax and Experian have international sites that can be accessed for anyone outside of the US. Also, since both companies are based in the US they would have to be bound by the same operating laws regardless as to whether you are a citizen or not. As far as European companies, I don't know but will try to find out.

 

I got a free one from experian. http://www.experian.com 1-888-397-3742

 

Unfortunately, Sorvo, like every other site, you have to sign up with a credit card for a trial period in some other promotion too.

 

Yeah, Sorvo, proceed with caution. It looks to me like you may have signed up with their credit monitoring service with an annual fee of up to $79.95US. Watch your bank statement. I think you have 30 days to cancel your membership.

@Elios: Just go down to your favorite department store and fill out an application for instant credit. If you have problems they will of course tell you that they can not make a decision at this time. In a few weeks you will receive a letter from the store saying that they can't extend you credit, and they will cite the reporting agency they used. With that letter you will be able to get a free report. Once you get the credit report, that's another issue to interpret and above all change it, but it can be done. Don't give up!

edit: don't go nuts and apply all over town! The number of inquiries to your credit report by prospective lenders can adversely affect your credit score. Don't be shy. Ask and find out which bureau they use, so you can try to get a report from all three.