Slashdot Mirror
U.S. Govt. Stipulates Free Annual Credit Reports
alue writes "Under the terms of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions (FACT) Act, passed last year, and amid growing concerns over privacy and disclosure of sensitive financial data, the three leading credit reporting agencies must provide consumers with a free summary once a year of all credit information on file for that person. Consumers in 13 Western states will be able to grab free online copies of their credit reports starting Wednesday."
Yes. I recently just got mine (paid for it) In addition to my mortgage being on there, which shows I've never been late in paying and such, there was a delinquint account. I was like WTF? Since over the last few years I've tried to be REALLY good about bills and credit and such. Turns out, I owed $1.81 (yes, one dollar and eighty one cents) to my former gas company, which is very likely to be that when I paid my final bill to them before I moved 2 years ago that I simply wrote the check out for the wrong amount - yea, it's my fault, but someone could have simply called me, sent me a bill, ANYTHING. but no, instead they send it to collections, who also never bothered to contact me and freaking tell me this. It took me only about a 10 minute phone call to straighten it out - but if I hadnt gotten a copy of my report, I never would have even known.
Now to answer your actual question about a real mistake, that is, something that you did not actually do, you simply have to make a written request to the credit agency with notes on why it's not your credit and such. each of the big 3 have instuctions on their website for how to dispute things on there.
Don't Tread on Me
The regional roll-out is probably due to capacity, getting the records into an online database was possibly done in waves, state by state, and that's just the order they picked to enter them into the system in.
As for the referrer, look at how many scams are already going for people charging you absurd amounts to get a copy of your credit report. They are probably trying to prevent scammers from charging people for an online copy of their credit report when all they do after they charge your credit card $9.55 is to forward you to this site.
I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
What exactly will prevent this?
The site says: "To assure that your credit file is disclosed only to you, the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies will authenticate your identity utilizing the personal identification information you provide on this site, including, but not limited to, your Social Security number, and then require that you answer certain questions."
But what information on my credit report is known to me that is not known to my immediate family members, my employer, my physician's office, etc.?
"How to Do Nothing," kids activities, back in print!
Last time someone did this sort of post(might have been k5, not slashdot), I found 2 out of the 5 addresses were wrong- not just wrong digit...wrong PO box, wrong town, wrong STATE. That's VERY dangerous given that you are sending more than enough information necessary to do identity theft.
Please post links to their "how to reach us" pages on their websites next time.
Please help metamoderate.
Pulling your own report once in awhile shouldn't affect your credit rating. If a company sees many lenders pulling your report it may show you as shopping around for a loan, which may show you're being denied by various lenders. That's the general f'd up logic.
I think the credit scoring system is messed up anyways. Any company can report you for being delinquent and screw up your rating. It then becomes your reponsibility to correct their mistake, which they don't get punished for. They should start fining companies that make mistakes and report credit issues about the wrong person or credit issues that are just inccorect(billing errors etc...)
I was sent to collections one time over a $30 doctor bill. I thought I paid in full when the service was received AND I never received an additional bill. Nearly a year later I get a 3rd party collection notice. I paid the $30(the 3rd party place didn't care that I thought I paid and the hospital wouldn't talk to me b/c they sent the issue 3rd party), but it's still on my credit report that I had a bill that was over 180 days delinquent. The crap that happened to me has to stop.