FreeCreditReport.Com

For all those people out there like me, who thought free meant exactly that, free. Let me tell you how wrong we are. I went to the website to get my yearly free credit report and make sure all was well. I couldn't remember where I had gone in the past and that crazy jingle kept popping into my head. So, off I went to get my credit report.

Jump to this afternoon. I was going through my credit card account and discovered this strange charge for $14.95. So, like a smart person, I called my credit card company to find out what the charge was. This is where I discovered it was for my FREE report. I assured the VISA company that I could handle this and immediately called the toll free number for FREECreditReport.com.

I am greeted by a woman who immediately wants my SS# and for security reasons my mothers maiden name. Now giving anyone my SS# is not what I call secure. :) I then explain to her that I would like my account closed and the $14.95 refunded to my credit card account. She got quite an attitude with me about how I should have read the screens more completely. I assured her that I didn't care that it had been on the pages I read and filled out. The information was so hidden and non obvious that most people probably missed this. Especially since it was advertised as FREE. She got some more attitude with me about how they were within their rights to charge me the charge and so I just explained to her the way this was going to work. Either she credited my account with the money or I would dispute the charge with my credit card company. Either way she wouldn't be getting my money. Now, I really have her attention and she explains that as a "courtesy" they will credit the money back this one time. I assured her there wouldn't be a next time and that I knew I couldn't be the first person to call about this problem.

Ugh!! I just hate it when companies, purposefully try to con people! It is so wrong! Yes, I fell for it. But, I'm here warning the rest of you not to do it!!!

Apparently if I had read every word on the page I would have seen that I was signing up for some ridiculous service. Now, I know I should have read every word, but who does that. The company knows that too. That's why they advertise like they do.

For those of you wanting your actual FREE credit report, you can go to annualcreditreport.com. There is a $6.95 charge if you want to actually see your score. The report itself is free though.