About a month ago I went on a Government website that could give me my once a year free credit report. From this website I was routed to ScoreSense. Being that I was directed to this website via a governement agency website I SORT OF assumed it was reputable. Due to my knowledge of online fraud I was vigilent about checking for all the "fine print" when they said I could get all three credit agencies scores with a refundable $1.00 payment. Stupidly, I believed them and gave them my debit card number. When I entered my card number it came up starred (like most reputable online companies).
I also watched my bank account to make sure that the $1.00 was refunded. It was. I again assumed this meant the company was reputable. Had my $1.00 not been refunded I would have immediately called and spoken to a "Customer Service" rep (if that's what they want to call the idiots answering their phones) and could have possibly preempted the $29.95 charge they charged me 5 days ago. I called today, when I saw the charge, not having any clue what the company even was. It took them putting me on hold, requesting to speak to someone at the "Corporate Office, " twice before the rep would finally answer my initial question of "What is this company and what is the $29.95 charge even for?"
It took being on hold three times when requesting to speak to someone who could confirm that I would be getting my $29.95 refunded, for the rep to put a "Location Supervisor" on the phone. She told me that I could NOT speak to anyone at the corporate office because they "Do not take calls." She also assured me that an email would be sent to the finance department at corporate with ALL the notes from my discussions with the rep as well as her and I would have an answer emailed to me within 1-2 business days. I asked repeatedly how it made sense that someone could review my request and make a decision on my refund without even speaking to me and hearing what I had to say about this fraudulent charge. I got the stock answer I got to essentially every question I asked: "The corprate office would send me their decision in 1-2 business days."
I am a 25 year old, working and running my own business on the side, saving every penny in order to buy my first house. I checked my credit score in order to check how capable I was of buying my first home. This is what I get for it. $30.00 that could be paying my bills or going into my savings account out the door with absolutely nothing to show for it. This is assuming, which I think I safely can from reading all the other posts about OTL ScoreSense, that when (if) I get my "decision" email in 1-2 business days, it will say "Refund DENIED."
I could have asked any number of people in my life with access to credit scores to check mine for me.instead, I trusted that I could exercise my right to ONE credit check a year from my government. Now I'm wondering: Why is a government website routing me to this scam? Why does NO ONE seem to be held accountable for this? (Yes, I'm aware I share some fault in this for being dumb enough to give them my card number) Why has nothing been done about this company when SO many people are getting scammed and taking a stand, complaining, desputing their charges, etc.? If the government wants me to be able to stimulate our economy, they should probably do something about people who can legally get away with essentially stealing (which is what they are doing - taking money from me without my knowledge or consent) my money right out of my personal account.
This company is scamming people out of $30 a month. Lucky for me I check my account activity every couple of days and I'm not one of the people they got for hundreds. Regardless of the amount, they should not be able to get away with scamming people out of money when they were being proactive citizens and checking their credit score! (Which many people do in order to detect or prevent FRAUD.) In return, they get hit with fraud.
It's disgusting what some people in this world will do to others. Worse, what they can get away with!
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