FreeCreditReport.com: Steps to Getting Money Back from a Misleading Service

I'm thinking of a number . . . and it isn't my credit score. The number is $12.95 and it is the amount that your credit card will be charged every month for signing up for your free credit report at freecreditreport. com.

September 2005 marked the date when Congress ruled that every consumer was entitled to view their credit report annually-free of charge. At the same time one of the three credit agencies, Experian, began its tv advertising campaign at freecreditreport.com. There is one catch, however, the "free credit report" is only free if you read the very fine print, very carefully. Thousands of people are still being caught in this web of misleading advertising but few, even three years later, know what to do about it.

The freecreditreport.com does have a disclaimer on the front page of its site, but the print is small and camouflaged in light blue on blue background. Likely as you went from your tv to the computer, you wouldn't notice it. If you are fortunate enough to be reading this in the days after you signed up for your free credit report, you have immediate recourse. Phone CIC Triple Advantage and ask to cancel your membership. Of course, you will spend 10-15 minutes at the site looking for a telephone number, but before you give up in frustration call (877) 481-6826.

Even worse is that if you happen to type the URL wrong, you will be taken to a different site that can phish for your social security number, bank account number or credit card number!

Now, your recourse sounds more simple than it is in reality. If you phone to cancel before the first 30 days of your free membership is up, it is likely that you will encounter opposition. You will have to sit and listen to a sales pitch about why you should keep the membership. The operator/ customer service rep may tell you that the computers are down right now and that your membership can't be cancelled at this time. Or, you may be treated with disdain and lectured for your request.

What to do?
Have all your personal information ready. Remember, these people have access to more information about you than you do and they already have your credit card number. Remain polite but firm, and repeat: "I need you to cancel my membership now and I need you to give me confirmation of my cancellation." Don't swear or get angry. The operator will hang up on you.

Note: if you have tried cancelling by phone and it didn't work-either you were told that they couldn't cancel at this time or you start to get a charge on your credit card, contact your bank immediately.

If you have not cancelled by the 30 day deadline because you forgot or, as with most people, were not aware that you would be billed for your free credit report, you need to do so immediately. In this situation the stakes will be higher and you will have to work harder to get what you want. You were mislead into signing up for a service you thought was free and you have had to pay for it, every month.

What to do?

Have your personal information ready: Social Security number and credit card number.

Have pen and paper ready to take notes, including the operator's name or number. Note the time and date.

Remain calm, polite and firm.

Say: "I am calling to cancel the membership for the free credit report. I had no idea that I would be charged monthly for this service and I need it to be discontinued right now, please."

The operator may try to convince you to stay on by giving you a sales job. Remain firm.

The operator will likely tell you that the membership information is clearly marked on the Web site. I said, "If it was so clearly marked, I wouldn't have ordered this service."

While you are on the phone, ask for a full refund. You will be told that it isn't possible.
Ask for a supervisor. Chances are the same person will return and say that s/he has been authorized to give you a one-month refund of $12.95 as a courtesy.

Say that this is not satisfactory. Ask again to speak to a supervisor. Be firm and polite.

The supervisor will likely give you the same offer.

Let him or her know that you will be forced to report this to the Better Business Bureau, so it will save a lot of time and effort if they were to offer you the total refund now.

Once you get off the phone, go through with your "threat." Contact the Better Business Bureau. But, do not contact them until you have gone through the above steps and have tried to recover your refund personally. You won't receive help.

The BBB's url is They have an online service at labbb.org

Fill out the complaint form for: ConsumerInfo.com

Under "complaint type" choose selling practices

In the summary field, summarize your complaint in fewer than 150 characters.

Describe your problem (1500 characters or less) with the freecreditreport.com Web site. Examples include:

that you went to the site because of TV commercials and that you knew all U.S. citizens were entitled to one free credit report - you thought this was it.

how you discovered that you were being charged on a monthly basis and that you tried to contact them but couldn't find a phone number.

how you felt mislead, scammed, victim of false advertising, what ever is the case.

that the credit card charge wasn't clearly disclosed as being from freecreditreport.com, that it looked like a credit card fee (this is what I thought it was).

you went online and found several places that gave the phone number. You called (include date, time, operator i.d.).

make sure you tell what you did to try to resolve the problem and the response given.

mention that the TV commercial and Web site are misleading, that the fine print is not noticeable and the difficulty you had getting recourse.

Describe what you want ConsumerInfo.com to do: refund the full amount that was charged on your credit card without your knowledge and make effective changes to their commercials and to their website so others aren't mislead.

The amount in dispute. Add up all the charges and enter this amount.

Date problem started (the first date you received a credit card charge).

Your personal information.

ConsumerInfo.com has 14 days to respond to you. Likely they will respond with a "courtesy refund" of the whole amount. You accept or decline. The BBB will follow up with a satisfaction questionnaire. If you aren't satisfied, make sure you say so-they will follow up until you are satisfied.

Now, do get your free credit report! It is available in one place only, one central website. To order, click on annualcreditreport.com, call 877-322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.