Free Credit Score Online Scam. How to Get Your Money Back

A while ago, I was in the market for a car. The Car company wanted my credit score, and I wanted to save myself $25 so I looked for a free credit score offer. Forget it. When one gets a free credit score, there are so many strings attached and they manage to charge you anyway, it’s worth the $25 one pays to avoid the hassles that come with getting it 'free.'. Here's how to get your money back from credit score companies that offer you a free credit score that isn't really free. Remember that companies that offer you free credit score reports have to make their money some way!

Here’s How Your Free Credit Score Really Works
The Credit Score company takes your credit card information when you sign up for your free credit score and they tell you that you can have the information free for a month. They also tell you that you have to tell them before the end of the month that you don’t want it any more. Otherwise they will charge you.

Then you sign one of those small print agreements which nobody reads. Unfortunately, in that agreement, it often tells you that the cancellation must be in writing – and by post, if they really don’t want you to leave.

Dealing with Free Credit Score Companies
A month later, I had three different charges from three different credit score companies, despite the fact that I had told them within minutes of signing up and discovering the real story (no free credit score) that I was canceling. I was quite stunned to discover that the sales staff had no interest in listening to the fact that I had previously told one of their agents that I wanted the agreement canceled. She asked if I had put my cancelation in writing. I said no. I also pointed out that the agent hadn’t told me on the phone that I needed to put it in writing. She apologized for that but said that there was nothing that I could do. I would have to accept the charge.

My Banker

Fortunately, I was in good hands. When I told my banker that I had signed up for several of these and that some had appeared to be scams, she immediately told me that I had to change my credit card number as each and every single one of them would debit my card forever more and that there was little way of stopping them until the card was changed.

Endlessly Calling the Credit Score Companies and Asking for Refunds.
I did eventually get my money refunded. It’s one of those things that if one speaks to one agent, one doesn’t get a refund, but if one speaks to another agent, one does. It just depends on the who one is speaking to. If an agent without any conscience realizes her commission depends on the sale going through, probably s/he/s not going to be particularly helpful about what is happening. I also only got the refund after I said that I had documented the emails I sent confirming my verbal conversation (thank goodness I did that), and that these would be presented to my bank, and my bank would be crediting the amount to my account.

Effectively, There is No Free Credit Score Online
You will have to pay for your credit score. That’s just the way it is. As far as I’m concerned, all companies offering free credit scores online are scams. The only way that they can make money is by offering to give you a free credit score. After you sign up, they tell you that you have to wait a month for the free credit score. That’s a scam, right?

Don’t sign up with free credit score companies. They do everything possible to take your money.