I've read several of the reports here, and noticed that there is usually someone in the comments suggest that this is not technically a rip-off since they state their intentions in their terms and conditions. However, let me briefly share my experience in an attempt to, at the very least, shake my finger at them and say "Shame on you".
I needed to know my credit score, found this site, everything looked legit and its approved by Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, not to mention I liked the interface. So I bite, and they say it's $1. RED FLAG: they need my credit card info. Whatever, I'm not dummy, this is not my first rodeo, however in desperation I just fill it all out. I get the access, check out my credit score, boom, no biggie.
I then go to cancel my membership, knowing that there is probably some hidden fee involved, however upon doing so I realize that they have made it INCREDIBLY difficult to do.in fact, you can only cancel by calling them (from 12-6PM Central time) or sending a physical letter to their mailing address (those still exist?). There is no email, or online customer support. Since it was too late, I said I would get to it some other time, and basically just forgot. A week goes by, I check my balance, and BAM -$29.95 OTL Scoresense WHAAATTTT???!!! Snap, hop online to try and figure it out, hit the same roadblocks, and it's too late in the day, now I have to set myself a reminder to call them, while I'm working, in order to try and settle this. At this point I'm even willing to let the $30 go, it was my oversight, and its honestly not worth the amount of time to argue, I can afford it, my overdraft extravaganze 2 hour calls with the bank days are way behind me, and I do well enough for myself so that this is just a tickle out of my monthly misc. Budget.
But why do I feel cheated still?
Here is the problem, if I'm standing in the street and have $31 on, and someone comes up to me to tell me they have a pertinent piece of information about my financial records and it will only cost me a dollar, then I'd happily oblige. Yet while I agree, this same person has their fingers crossed behind their backs or mutters "ysoouuusssoonnnllyyhaavveaweekkkktocancel", then when I get home I realize I am missing $30 that this person took from me, I'm gonna have a sour taste in my mouth.
So yes, they are conducting business in a lawful manner, but does that justify it? In a time when our country is struggling to get back on its feet and people are eager to get their financial situations in order, the mere fact that a service like this takes advantage of peoples impulses and sneaks some fine print passed you all while making it incredible inconvenient to cancel their service makes me kinda want to be a socialist and move to a Kibutz in Israel.
Who's coming?!?!
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