If you need a credit report, and want to get your FREE report consider the following:
All three of the major credit reporting companies, Equifax, TransUnion and Experian will give you a report WITHOUT YOUR CREDIT SCORE. That one little detail, which is soooooooo important, (according to TransUnion's website), a little number that they have the instant all the other data is compiled, is witheld from you. Is it right? No, it is not. Is it legal. Of course it is.
You can connect to all three robber barons via the website, www.freecreditreport.com, but you are better off just going to the individual websites.
TransUnion charges $7.95
Experian charges $4.95
Equifax charges $7.95
Equifax was far and away the most frustrating part of the experience. The pages took FOREVER to load. And, after jumping through all the hoops to get my report online I got an error page saying I COULD NOT get my report, but if I sent in their form along with copies of income information, utility bills, social security card, W2s, 1099s, and other pieces of info to verify my identity... THEN I would get my report via snail mail!
I went to www.gethuman.com, a website that lists 500 large companies, and customer service numbers and methods for bypassing their automated hold systems, and grabbed the a secret cust. Service number, 866-640-2273 (bless you gethuman.com!) Even then, I spent a full 30 minutes waiting for a a helpful customer service rep. To pick up.
She seemed confused as to why the system was locking me out, and told me to go directly to Equifax's site and log in with the name and password created during the extended process. No mention of that option appeared on the error page, needless to say.
I was able to get my info and LOOK at it, but all attempts to print it out bogged down my computer and/or printer. After hours of re-booting and unplugging, changing drivers, etc., I was able to print out the report ONE PAGE AT A TIME, although a lot of the graphics were stripped out, and the print is microscopic.
What I really hate is that we have to pay these companies to find out what they know, (or THINK they know) about us. This is not right.
Your free credit report is not free!
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