![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-68590-100x100.png\")
broken link to \"settlement website\"
broken link to \"settlement website\"
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-267097-100x100.png\")
I always love when a 'punitive' settlement is indistinguishable from a promotional offer. That 6/9 months of monitoring gets canceled automatically, right? TransUnion, you're not salivating at the thought of thousands of cardholders forgetting to cancel the service after the passage of half a year, are you?
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-170464-100x100.png\")
@kepler11: a drastic decrease in income for the next 9 months since everybody who uses them has a credit card thus can apply, thus doesnt jave to pay for their ervices which they still have to provide.
Plus : added bonus : They will survive the whole thing and there wont be more unemployed people.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/css/images/default.gif\")
@kepler11:
Exactly, free credit monitoring for six months. $9.99 a month after that. Cancel at any time. No need to do anything if you wish to continue this valuable service, we will automatically renew for your convenience.
@ConsumptionJunkie: You cannot file a claim, phone or website, until June 16.
Got to it via Google cache, but it errors out to when you try to read it.
@RetailGuy83: Yes, well, that would be why I used the term 'Settlement' and not 'Judgement'? But good catch on the no-auto-renew clause, missed that one on the first skim through the L.A. Times link, glad to see this won't just end up as a subscription-gathering service!
Can someone explain the comment about option two being the \"truer\" credit score? I'm not planning on getting any mortgage this year, so a (minimal) shot at free cash sounds better to me. But mostly I want to know my credit score.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-39117-100x100.png\")
@BeerFox, ClayS: If 'yall would RTFA, one of the terms is that they're not allowed to charge folks for continuing past the free period unless the consumer explicitly requests that extension.
this sounds good and all... guess ill have to wait and see whats the real verdict and the real entitlements to all who are affected..
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-119290-100x100.png\")
My first impression upon seeing the headline of this article was that there was a security flaw in the settlement claims process and thus \"revealing\" the scores. I'm slightly saddened to learn that I haven't got a new reason to point and laugh at someone this morning after all. Curse you, Consumerist!
This is only worth anything if TransUnion provides a FICO score and not FAKO score.
I'm sure the lawyers will see to it that no extra money is leftover from option one...
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-248249-100x100.png\")
@BeerFox: \"TransUnion, you're not salivating at the thought of thousands of cardholders forgetting to cancel the service after the passage of half a year, are you?\"
RTFA.
@Carey: \"Even better: \"Under the settlement, a credit card number would not be required to sign up for either service. After the free service ends, TransUnion could not charge for an extension unless it was requested by the consumer.\"\"
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-5372-100x100.png\")
I'm reminded once again why I hate litigation attorneys.
@ClayS: RTFA!
\" After the free service ends, TransUnion could not charge for an extension unless it was requested by the consumer.\"
So you sign up for FREE and are not charged a thing unless you consent to it. Jeez. I know most companies are scummy and it's automatic and 'convenient' renewal...but learn to read before saying stupid things.
Disregard this if your post was made in sarcasm....
So, it will automatically start billing me after the free cycle ends?!?!
NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE!!
;) ///not serious at all.
just more bullshit, none of these guys will have to sell there yachts, and who wants these \"feel good\" services for free anyhow?
@roadapples: 1. Their yachts, not there yachts.
2. Your dismissive description of these services as \"feel good\" betray a complete lack of understanding of credit scores and protection. This information would be extremely valuable to most consumers.
3. I agree with you that the settlement could stand to be a bit more punitive.
doesnt your credit score go down when someone looks at your credit report?
I know capital one was looking at my transunion report every month and i freaked the shit out.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-379501-100x100.png\")
Wait, so this is for anyone with a credit card for the past 21 years?
I'm wondering what is to prevent TU from sending my ass to collections after the free period ends since they aren't requiring a credit card.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-69858-100x100.png\")
How about you send me the $100 and call it even?
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-196182-100x100.png\")
@Buran:
Now that would be a much better settlement since I can get two free credit scores a year anyway
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-277470-100x100.png\")
Screw the \"free\" services. I want cash. I cut up all my credit cards three years ago and haven't every looked back. Life it so much simpler without those greedy banks and credit companies in my wallet.
Ha!! Wow. That judge was paid off well I imagine. What a cop out.
Justice my ass.
And... can't one GET a free credit report a couple of times a year anyway?! I mean.. who needs to check it daily? My credit cards are already monitored pretty well too, I believe.
$75 million settlement - those must've been some pretty crappy lawyers. I imagine TransUnion netted quite a bit more than $75 million.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-19459-100x100.png\")
I paid Equifax $9.95 for a years worth of FICO score updates, monitoring, and credit report changes/hits.
So, why does option 2 sound like a ripoff to me? What I'd like back is my damn privacy and \"no thank you\" I do not want to deal with your credit monitoring from an already untrustworthy company, I'd rather take the cash payout of equal value.
And what is the possible cash payout if there is any remaining from the 75 million? Are they \"charging\" for the free 6 month credit monitoring out of that amount and then offering up whatever may be left? How does this seem at all like a punishment? They're just putting the money they should be paying to consumers right back into their coffers.
Will pulling the credit score like this still negatively affect it?
@Zephyr7:
No, only you can see these \"soft\" pulls. They don't affect your score at all.
A fair settlement would be permanent access to our credit score for free. These companies are scammers. Why do we need to pay to see their arbitrary, questionably accurate information about ourselves? Shouldn't we have the legal right to know what companies are saying to each other about us behind our backs?
Hmm...what if you already pay TransUnion for credit monitoring? I've had their TrueCredit service for about a year, and it's great - it lists your FICO score, any updates or adjustments on your report, and it sends me an sms almost immediately when someone checks my credit report for $10/month. Since I am working on improving my credit score (I'm 21 and was unemployed for two months in 2006, which put a dent in my car payment history) this service recommended some credit cards to me that have worked wonders. From what I understand, it uses a soft inquiry, which doesn't appear on your report and doesn't affect your score.
It seems lately that all these companies that release consumer information always tend to offer these services as restitution, and rightfully so, but they pay full price for these services to a third-party company. TransUnion is the PROVIDER of these services, and so this probably costs them next to nothing. I think it's unfair, even with the cost of support going up (think call center support costs for the new customers)despite no additional revenue from the services.
It doesn't sound like a very punitive judgment for some reason. Transunion may be having to provide these services (credit monitoring, scores) that are nominally priced at something like ~$100 to every consumer, but it sure doesn't actually cost them that much to provide it. So what's the punishment?