var json_comments = new Array("

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October 12, 2009 6:51 PM

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That sounds like a great idea to me.
When I tried to get my credit report through Annualcreditreport.com, it would give me errors after I declined upsell offers from one of the three credit reporting agencies and then refuse to give me the reports claiming I'd already received them. Frustrating.

1 replies

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dbasch

October 13, 2009 6:56 PM

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This happens to me every single year!

I would bet dollars to donuts that a certain percentage of requests are \"accidentally\" errored out.

","

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Cant_stop_the_rock

October 12, 2009 6:52 PM

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I haven't found the site to be confusing, but their first two proposed rules seem to be pretty reasonable.

The third rule doesn't seem necessary unless those sites are intentionally trying to mislead people to believe that they are affiliated with the federal government, such as if freecreditreport.com claimed to give you an annual free credit report. Just offering a free credit report is not enough to create confusion in my opinion. Companies have been doing that since before the government offered it.

4 replies

$\"user-pic\"$

October 12, 2009 7:03 PM

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@Cant_stop_the_rock: I think freecreditreport.com's main problem is that the \"free\" is a lie.

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October 12, 2009 10:47 PM

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@korin43: Freecreditreport is actually one of the best of the bunch in terms of the for-profit credit report sites. It's a low bar, but still. Contrast with that one Ben Stein advertises for-there's a ripoff site.

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XTC46

October 12, 2009 9:06 PM

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@korin43: It's not a lie at all. Its free with signup for their triple advantage program (going off memory). And that has a free trial. I signed up for it, decided I actually liked the service, and then called and cancelled with no issue when my bank offered the same service for cheaper.

There is 0 cost to the consumer if they cancel the program, which is very easy to do in my experience (less than 1 minute phone call)

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Cant_stop_the_rock

October 12, 2009 7:24 PM

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It's free in the sense that you don't have to pay for it. And they don't try to hide their gimmick in fine print - it's right there on the main page, not in a particularly small font and not hidden at the bottom. And they actually state that they're not affiliated with the government program and provide a link to annualcreditreport.com. I don't know if they do that to comply with some existing government regulation or if they do it voluntarily, but it's already there and I think it's sufficient.

Of course they're not the only one, but they're the biggest and most prominent. If others are marketing deceptively, I think that can be dealt with without adding more rules.

","

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Naame

October 12, 2009 6:53 PM

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In regards to #3, I would like to see some language which ensures that all of these sites create the landing page in such a way that the \"This is not the free credit report provided for by federal law\" statement is the center of attention with large text. The page should only be dedicated to that statement and cannot be filled with distractions. It should also require that the user check a box acknowledging that they have bot read and understand the statement before being able to click \"Next\" or whatever.

Basically, I want to make sure that the sites do not try to hide the statement or make it easy to skip over in effort to deceive the consumer. It doesn't need to be hard. It just needs to be required.

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xl22k

October 12, 2009 6:53 PM

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I propose they make the address something more official so it isn't confused with all the other \"free\" sites.

Something like:
[www.ftc.gov]
or
[www.annualcreditreport.gov]

A .gov address would eliminate confusion.

7 replies

$\"user-pic\"$

October 13, 2009 2:29 AM

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@xl22k: i think the issue there is that it's not actually a gov't site - the site is run by the CRAs to comply with gov't regulation. private companies don't have a right to use the .gov domain.

the ftc could certainly provide a redirect .gov page (or multiple as skaperen suggests) w/ very little trouble though.

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Skaperen

October 12, 2009 8:35 PM

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@xl22k: Several have suggested .gov domains. I concur. It is an excellent idea. There should also be multiple domains or hostnames:

creditreport.gov
creditreport.ftc.gov
credit-report.gov
credit-report.ftc.gov
credit.report.gov
credit.report.ftc.gov
annualcreditreport.gov
annualcreditreport.ftc.gov
annualcredit-report.gov
annualcredit-report.ftc.gov
annualcredit.report.gov
annualcredit.report.ftc.gov
annual-creditreport.gov
annual-creditreport.ftc.gov
annual-credit-report.gov
annual-credit-report.ftc.gov
annual-credit.report.gov
annual-credit.report.ftc.gov
annual.creditreport.gov
annual.creditreport.ftc.gov
annual.credit-report.gov
annual.credit-report.ftc.gov
annual.credit.report.gov
annual.credit.report.ftc.gov
freecreditreport.gov
freecreditreport.ftc.gov
freecredit-report.gov
freecredit-report.ftc.gov
freecredit.report.gov
freecredit.report.ftc.gov
free-creditreport.gov
free-creditreport.ftc.gov
free-credit-report.gov
free-credit-report.ftc.gov
free-credit.report.gov
free-credit.report.ftc.gov
free.creditreport.gov
free.creditreport.ftc.gov
free.credit-report.gov
free.credit-report.ftc.gov
free.credit.report.gov
free.credit.report.ftc.gov

Including the variations of these that include \"www.\" in front (some people still type that). And perhaps other permutations should also be done, such as putting \"my\" and \"your\" in front of these in various ways (588 permutations when those are added).

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squinko

October 12, 2009 7:48 PM

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You guys don't mean to say that whitehouse.com isn't official, right?

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October 12, 2009 7:29 PM

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Yes, the site should definitely be .gov instead of .com. That would distinguish it from the various not-really-free ilk.

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donnie5

October 12, 2009 7:00 PM

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@xl22k: That is actually a BRILLIANT idea.
I really think that would help a ton.

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xl22k

October 12, 2009 6:54 PM

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@xl22k:
The first one was supposed to be:
[www[.]]ftc[.]gov/annualcreditreport

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West Coast Secessionist

October 12, 2009 7:03 PM

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@xl22k: Why not just

freecreditreport.gov ??

The \"Annual\" part is just a restriction, it's not like the \"annualness\" is the main feature. I'm all for removing \"Annual\" from the name entirely.

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Naame

October 12, 2009 7:08 PM

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@West Coast Secessionist: That's way too similar to freecreditreport.com. It may not confuse you and I, but I guarantee it will confuse tons of other people. The URL needs to be something very distinct.

$\"user-pic\"$

October 12, 2009 7:08 PM

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@West Coast Secessionist: My guess is that \"annual\" is only in there because the freecreditreport.com people got to that one first.

","

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dohtem

October 12, 2009 6:54 PM

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1. All credit bureau advertising and upsells would be removed from the process until after you have received your free credit report(s).

Why can't they remove credit bureau advertising from the site completely? Most people would argue that the FTC implicitly gives credibility to related advertising when it pops up on Annual Credit Report.

Advertise socks, detergent, whatever. This is the one place where you don't bombard grandma with related ads that could confuse her.

5 replies

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October 12, 2009 8:43 PM

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Why can't they remove credit bureau advertising from the site completely? Most people would argue that the FTC implicitly gives credibility to related advertising when it pops up on Annual Credit Report.

Once you get past a certain step you are redirected off the annualcreditreport.com site to each credit bureau's individual site. I would imagine they have little control over what the credit bureaus advertise on their own sites.

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Kimaroo - 100% Pure Natural Kitteh

October 12, 2009 7:33 PM

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@dohtem: I would love to see some government approved socks.

And before some smarty-pants does it, army/military issue socks don't count.

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Naame

October 12, 2009 6:59 PM

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@dohtem: I am sure it has something to do with cost, but I also think that as long as the advertising comes both after the credit report is delivered and within a completely separate e-mail then it should be good enough.

However, I am wondering if \"after you have received your free credit reports\" means that they are required to send separate e-mails or if they can simply include advertisements at the bottom of an e-mail. If the current language doesn't require a separate e-mail then I think needs to be amended to include that.

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Skaperen

October 12, 2009 8:42 PM

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@Naame: Yes, there is a cost to providing the free annual report, and running the web site, phone menu system, and paying the staff to process written requests.

BUT ... all these costs should be part of the cost of ensuring data accuracy, and paid for by those who obtain the credit information not their own. I'd push for all those credit card companies that buy lists of people with good credit at a specified level being the ones to subsidize the free annual credit report.

Further, there should also be a QUARTERLY credit report that can be obtained at a fixed defined cost of not more than $10. And that cost shall be ZERO for the next report after an item is disputed (as a means to verify the disposition of the dispute).

$\"user-pic\"$

October 13, 2009 2:32 AM

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@Skaperen: if there are inaccuracies on your report, or if you are denied credit, you are entitled to a free report, even if you've already obtained your annual free report.

unfortunately, it's not as easy to obtain these reports. you can't get them thru the annual site - you either have to go to the individual sites or go thru the mail.

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dohtem

October 12, 2009 8:03 PM

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@Naame: I read \"after you have received your free credit reports\" to mean right on the website after they have verified your info and displayed your results.

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Naame

October 12, 2009 8:08 PM

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@dohtem: Hmmm...yeah that could be a legitimate concern. I suppose the best way to handle that other than getting rid of the ads entirely would be to clearly indicate that the process of getting the free credit report is complete regardless of whether or not they continue.

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donnie5

October 12, 2009 7:02 PM

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I had to verify who I was answering those odd questions. You know, the ones like:

You may have owed money to one of the following creditors, or you may not have. If you have, pick it out of the list, if you have not, tell us with option D or E, but not C or A.

That is confusing if you have some student loans that have been sold yet are still \"serviced\" by the original bank you borrowed from. You sit there thinking, \"Anchor bank...I think I owed them once...\"

3 replies

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scoosdad

October 13, 2009 5:16 PM

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@donnie5: I agree. The questions should not be about dates and amounts of loans, home equity loans, or mortgages. I've refinanced twice, my mortgage has been transferred to another bank three times, and I've had my home equity line of credit bought and sold twice before it ended. I'm sure I'm not alone in that regard.

Those multiple choice questions like \"A loan you took out in 2003 was for what amount?\" are just plain asking for an inadvertent wrong response.

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October 12, 2009 7:04 PM

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@donnie5: Yeah, the first few times I tried that, I apparently got the questions wrong because I was told there was a \"freeze\" or something on my credit now and I could write in with proof that I was really who I was or something. I said forget it. Finally got it to work a few weeks ago.

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dham

October 12, 2009 8:23 PM

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@lalaland13: For student loans, they treat individual semester's loans as a single question. So it asks things like \"Our reports indicated you may have taken out a loan from Citibank in August of 2007. How much is your minimum payment on this loan?\". Sadly, I took out 4 other loans from Citibank, so I have to figure out what portion of my minimum is for the loan starting 8/2007. This number is stated somewhere on my loan bill, but at first I answered the minimum for all my loans to that bank, and got a freeze on my credit.

Meanwhile, landlords have no trouble accessing my credit report with as little as my name and SSN.

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$\"user-pic\"$

October 12, 2009 7:04 PM

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I sent the following..

The current amendments offered are good ideas (upsells, ads, and requiring third-parties to state they are indeed not free reports) and should stay in the bill amendments.

However, there needs to be clear disclosure on what is provided in the report. The report should also APPROXIMATE the Credit SCORE of the individual so that spending money to get the credit score is required. Most people go for the third-parties (or at least people in my immediate family) because they promise the credit score. Despite the fact that the history, at least in my mind, is more important than the score - sometimes my stubborn family would refuse to admit that and go for the score anyway.

Here is what I propose:

1) Provide clear disclosure of what the Credit Report Contains.
2) Provide clear disclosure on how to properly 'clean up' the report to be free of misinformation.
3) Provide a Credit Score approximation. Specifics are not required, in my mind.

1 replies

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nerevar

October 13, 2009 2:17 PM

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@voodoo_karma:
its our info they are collecting at times without our permission, they should provide the credit report AND credit score for free.

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$\"user-pic\"$

October 12, 2009 7:06 PM

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I love the third idea. If they could set those awful singing commercials on fire in the process, I would love it even more.

You should not be able to call something freecreditreport.com and it not be free. freewithconditionscreditreport.com, maybe. I know all companies live by false advertising (which may be a redundancy), but come on now. If something is a \"free trial\" that is not free. That is a free trial.

2 replies

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XTC46

October 12, 2009 9:09 PM

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@lalaland13: The report is Free. The trial is for monitorting service. Ive done it, got my free report, and then actually liked the service they were offering. After about 9 months, my bank offered the same service for cheaper and I called and cancelled with 0 hassel.

The service is also very nice as it lets you know any time an inquiry is made against your account etc. For instance, I knew my last landlord did run the credit report I had paid him for.

$\"user-pic\"$

October 12, 2009 9:22 PM

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@xtc46 - thinksmarter on twitter: No, the report is not free. To get the report requires you to enroll in a bullshit monitoring program. That program may have a free trial, but it is a precondition of getting your credit report. That monitoring program enrollment is the cost of getting your report through them.

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October 12, 2009 9:37 PM

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@harvey_birdman: No, you get your free annual report from TransUnion's webpage, which is freecreditreport.com. You only have to pay for the monitoring service or to see your fico score. Your annual viewing of your TransUnion report is free from that webpage.

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$\"user-pic\"$

October 12, 2009 7:15 PM

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@xl22k: The .gov is the best suggestion. How about...

FreeAnnualCreditReportGuaranteedByUSGovernment.gov ?

John Kerry would approve.

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apd09

October 12, 2009 7:19 PM

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I would like to have them give us our credit score as well since that is what companies use to consider your worthiness. Yes the credit report is good, but why can't we get the actual score as well?

5 replies

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Cant_stop_the_rock

October 13, 2009 4:07 AM

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@apd09:
The justification for requiring free credit reports is that these companies are collecting data about you that is used for meaningful things, and you have a right to ensure that it is accurate. Your score is just a product of that information; it is sufficient for you to know that the information is accurate. If you want more information, there is no reason you shouldn't be expected to pay for it.

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XTC46

October 12, 2009 9:11 PM

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@apd09: Becasue the credit score is a trade secret, credit reports are not.

Fair Isaac credit scores use info from your credit report to generate an easy to compare piece of info for banks, they can look and based on criteria they trust, see that the person has X score and person 2 has y score. If they are close, they can look at details, but if they know that the score has to be above a certain number to qualify, they can skip looking at details.

Basically, the score is not the govs to give. It belogs to a private company.

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Orv

October 12, 2009 9:37 PM

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@xtc46 - thinksmarter on twitter: Furthermore, I'm not convinced knowing your score really tells you anything useful. It is what it is, there's not a lot you can do about it. The point of pulling your report is so you can check for inaccurate information.

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morlo

October 12, 2009 9:03 PM

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@apd09: And why can we only see it once a year?

@CheritaChen: I really don't see how obscurity benefits corporations. I guess there is some retail business selling scores, the vast majority must be to other businesses. And I guess keeping scores hidden helps a little against consumers gaming the system, but only a little, and is just as likely to obstruct business.

$\"user-pic\"$

October 12, 2009 7:35 PM

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@apd09: Because our federal government is more interested in making banks and other large corporations happy than it is in serving the individual citizens of this nation. Silly!

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zentec

October 12, 2009 7:20 PM

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If the credit monitoring services marketed by the agencies are so valuable, I think that brings to light the troubling issue of why consumers are only limited to one report per year.

Certainly the idea is that once per quarter plus a month you check one agency's report, but identity thieves more a lot quicker than that and in three months can do a lot of damage.

So if my information is so valuable that it needs to be protected, I should have the option of watching it myself and be able to pull a current report from any agency whenever I feel like it.

2 replies

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XTC46

October 12, 2009 9:12 PM

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@zentec: You do have that option...you just want it for free, and the resources to do it cost money, so thats not fair.

You want somone else to pay for you to track your credit.

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Orv

October 12, 2009 9:39 PM

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@xtc46 - thinksmarter on twitter: They get my personal information for free, and then make money off it. I think having to give me some consideration in return would be fair.

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$\"user-pic\"$

October 12, 2009 7:28 PM

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I think that the \"Annual\" is a bit misleading. The 12-month window starts individually for each credit report. It's not tied to the calendar year at all.

2 replies

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squinko

October 12, 2009 7:49 PM

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@JohnQPublic: Annual isn't tied to the calendar year at all either. It just means that it happens once every 365 days.

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October 12, 2009 8:39 PM

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@squinko - is pretending there's a star: Yeah, I know, there's just something weird about it still.

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Kimaroo - 100% Pure Natural Kitteh

October 12, 2009 7:37 PM

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I think those three things pretty much solve the annoying parts about that site.

Allthough, the last time I tried to check all three of my reports, I got denied by one of them.. and it said to mail something in, but I didn't want to go through all the trouble. I guess they should fix whatever causes things not to go through. My other reports showed up fine, so I know I didn't put in any wrong answers or anything.

1 replies

$\"user-pic\"$

October 12, 2009 9:10 PM

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@Kimaroo - No Stars Upon Thars: ditto.

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Orv

October 12, 2009 7:41 PM

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To me the most annoying thing about the site is that the individual credit bureaus keep their own login and password info, and will refuse to let you in unless you can remember them. In one case I had created an account something like three years earlier, and I couldn't get my free credit report because I couldn't remember details for an account I hadn't used in three years. The method for resetting my password failed and I had a lot of trouble getting it resolved.

3 replies

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Duffin (Ain't This Kitty Cute?)

October 13, 2009 12:48 PM

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@Orv: I hope you've gone to the FTC site to comment about this. I'm not sure if they look at places like the Consumerist. I'd also love to see this change implemented.

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Al Swearengen

October 13, 2009 11:30 AM

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Yes, just make it so you log into annualcreditreport and that is it. I always forget the 3 usernames and passwords and have to jump through hoops to get it changed. Or if they don't change that, at least make the transition from the government site to the credit agency sites a little smoother. There have been times when I've clicked on the link for say Equifax, go to the Equifax site, the report fails for whatever reason, but the government site thinks it went through fine so I couldn't get my Equifax report.

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ecwis

October 12, 2009 9:41 PM

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@Orv: Yes, this should be stopped. I have not been able to get my Transunion report for the past two years because I made a log-in 5+ years ago and I don't remember it. I have to call in to get it \"re-activated\" or whatever.

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hi

October 12, 2009 7:42 PM

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My input: get rid of f'kin credit scores! Judge me from a f'in bs made up score.. whatever... f u

1 replies

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squinko

October 12, 2009 7:50 PM

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@hi: Nice input.

Wait, should my reply have fewer letters in it?

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JGsped

October 12, 2009 8:03 PM

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How about is No. 3, instead of saying:

\"This is not the free credit report provided for by federal law.\"

Said instead:

\"You can't get a free credit report at this site. You will have to pay. If you wish a free report go to annualcreditreport.com

I hope they put freecreditreport.com out of business.

1 replies

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Cant_stop_the_rock

October 13, 2009 4:10 AM

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Your version would be a lie. And if you actually go to freecreditreport.com you'll see this displayed prominently on the main page:

\"IMPORTANT INFORMATION

When you order your free report here, you will begin your free trial membership in Triple AdvantageSM. If you don't cancel your membership within the 7-day trial period**, you will be billed $14.95 for each month that you continue your membership.
ConsumerInfo.com, Inc. and Freecreditreport.com are not affiliated with the annual free credit report program. Under a new Federal law, you have the right to receive a free copy of your credit report once every 12 months from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies. To request your free annual report under that law, you must go to www.annualcreditreport.com.\"

So what's the problem with them?

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$\"user-pic\"$

October 12, 2009 8:12 PM

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The three participating bureaus should have always been forbidden from making ANY sales pitches of puting up sponsor links. They role is to confirm identity of the consumer, provide the free report as required by law, shutup.

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humphrmi

October 12, 2009 8:18 PM

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If you subscribe to MyFico, one of the big three reports doesn't work via annualcreditreport (forget which one, probably TransUnion) and every year I have to contact them to get my annual free credit report.

Yeah, I get it through MyFico anyway, but it's the principle... if they are required to give me a free one once per year, they should whether I have an account with MyFico or not.

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wjstone

October 12, 2009 8:58 PM

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FICO scores would be nice. Also access should be available all the time. I've never understood why MY info was only available for free ONCE a year.

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Skaperen

October 12, 2009 9:06 PM

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1. The advertising should be removed ENTIRELY. Let the cost of providing the service be made a part of the cost to those who obtain credit reports on people, or even better, those that obtain lists of people with certain credit to send them junk mail to get a new credit card.

2. The web site should also provide an option to have the report snail-mailed the same way that can be obtained through the telephone system or by written request. If one meets all the identification requirements to get a web report, they should be able to get a written one snail-mailed with no additional requirement. This method must work just on the main site alone, without jumping the user to other sites (something that is done to actually get reports online).

3. No SSNs shall be excluded without notifying the FTC about what SSNs are excluded, with justification for the exclusion. (My SSN is excluded from the telephone system and they refuse to explain why)

4. The web site must be made to work using web standards at the minimum level needed to accomplish the task, including with CSS, Javascript, Java, Flash, and animated images disabled. No plugins shall be required, although if present and enabled, they may be used for enhanced service. Colors must have the proper contrasts when dithered. All text shall be visible with contrasting background even when CSS is disabled (redundant color settings in HTML fixes this just fine). No brower or OS type shall be excluded without prior permission from the FTC.

5. The site must be reachable from clients with directly routed IPv6 addresses on or before the date the US government citizen-facing web sites are required to do so.

6. The FTC shall obtain certain domain names in the \"gov\" and \"gov.us\" domains, and operate a web server directly that redirects accesses to those domains (and hostname variations) to the official annualcreditreport.com site operated by Central Source LLC.

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LadyTL

October 12, 2009 9:07 PM

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I think they should stop the companies from asking for your credit card information when providing the free report. I know it's optional (I think since Ive been perpetually glitched out from getting my annual for a year now) but I'm sure alot of people don't think it is.

1 replies

$\"user-pic\"$

October 13, 2009 11:18 AM

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@LadyTL:
I agree. That seems scammy to me.

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lflurie

October 12, 2009 9:08 PM

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I also wish that they could let you know when you last got your report, or even an email notification that you are now eligible to see your TransUnion report now, for example.

I try to check one report ever 4 months, but I never remember which ones I have already visited and the website itself makes no indication.

2 replies

$\"user-pic\"$

October 13, 2009 5:31 PM

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@lflurie: gCal reminders fwiw.

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Orv

October 12, 2009 9:51 PM

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@lflurie: +1 for this. I can never remember when I last used the site.

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secretoftheeast

October 12, 2009 9:46 PM

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It looks like freecreditreport.com already has the disclaimer for rule 3. The other sites like myfico or trecredit don't though. It's actually really prominently displayed.

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$\"user-pic\"$

October 12, 2009 9:57 PM

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How about these:

1)Consumers must be able to access their credit report at any time for no charge

2)consumers have the right to see their credit score and the mathematical algorithm with which it is calculated

3)any disputed items shall be temporarily removed from credit report until dispute is resolved

4)No services may be advertised, offered, or made available in the request for free credit report process. No credit card or other payment information may be collected during the request process

5)All entries on your credit report shall be made traceable by the credit bureaus to the reporting company and provide direct contact information for the reporting company.

6)All entries shall include explicit information on when, how, and under what pretenses the consumer gave permission for this to be collected.

7)Credit bureaus shall be liable for incorrect information reported on consumer credit reports.

if they want to collect information on us, we have the right to ensure that it is always 100% correct, where it came from, and what it means.

4 replies

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October 13, 2009 11:20 AM

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@skylndrftr:
Haha, I love #7.

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October 13, 2009 5:31 PM

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@zekebullseye: so do i. as a call center person i get more than a few \"you reported lies about me to the credit bureaus\" calls. no, actually we reported truths that a) you don't like or b) the credit bureau can't be bothered to input correctly. usually b.

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October 13, 2009 5:16 PM

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@zekebullseye:
you better believe it! Think of how much of a hassle that would remove. It shouldn't be our job to ensure they have correct information on us. It would go from us having to challenge thing to them having to prove...the way it should be.

It would also help to reform the scamtastic system of debt collectors in this country. Government reform has had little to now impact, the only way it will change is if the credit bureaus put the screws to them.

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October 12, 2009 9:59 PM

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@skylndrftr:
forgot 8...

8) any firm selling credit information access services (freecreditreport.scam etc.) must include a clear and explicit statement in all advertising (TV, internet, etc.) that provides location of the real government required free credit information.

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October 12, 2009 9:58 PM

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Has anybody else had problems getting the Equifax report? I get a report from one company every 4 months (staggered, so it's 1 year between reports from the same company) and have noticed for several years in a row (2 or 3, can't remember) that Equifax returns some error after I pass all the identity checks and requires me to send in a hand-filled form. This happened to my gf recently, too. It hasn't happened with either of the other companies, and to my knowledge there's no reason why it would (e.g. identity theft attempts, etc.).

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October 13, 2009 12:18 AM

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I just wish they would get rid of those singing assholes on TV.

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October 13, 2009 2:17 AM

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It's really simple: when I go to the site, take down my information and do all the damn re-submitting to each provider for me.

Honestly, every time I try to do it something freezes or screws up somewhere down the line. The entire thing is a clusterfuck.

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October 13, 2009 4:25 AM

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Anything that takes down freecreditreport.com and their adverts is a plus in my book

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October 13, 2009 4:38 AM

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Each credit reporting agency should be required to send everybody a copy of their credit report once a year, for free, without the need to request one. If the SSA can send me a Social Security report each year, why can't Experian, etc.

1 replies

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October 13, 2009 5:27 PM

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@sanfrandog: +2

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nstonep

October 13, 2009 5:32 AM

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Government websites are not allowed to have advertising on them. The FTC must've outsourced the design and administration of the site to the credit bureaus. But then again...I always wondered how 3 \"bureaus\" who happen to traffic in personal information on the side (selling it to other sleazy companies) can control your life; it seems like something that should be regulated better...if it's regulated at all.

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nstonep

October 13, 2009 5:35 AM

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PS...consumerist...you have too many active scripts. It seems as though the consumerist itself is tracking user information. Gosh, I never would've thunk it!

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October 13, 2009 1:25 PM

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1.) One username and one password
(registration is a huge PITA when you 'land' at one of the three sites. especially if you forgot what you used last year.

2.) no pop-ups

3.) give me a score as well

4.) eliminate any/all adverts, side sells

5.) make it more official \"mycreditreport.gov\" or some other similar \".gov\" address

6.) extensively test your product. I've gotten way too many errors in the two years/times I've had to use it.

1 replies

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October 13, 2009 5:25 PM

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@toddkravos: amen to those. bring it on!

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October 14, 2009 4:16 PM

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When i go to ftc.gov, I don't see anything mentioning this article's \"survey\" or anything about annualcreditreport.com. The site's navigation is terrible, can you provide a better link than the homepage?

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October 14, 2009 8:03 PM

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How about annualcreditreport.com actually giving me my annual credit report? That would be a great change.

Seriously, I've tried all three credit bureau sites and every single one says it has trouble giving me my credit report online. Like hell I'm going to have them mail something like that to me. I don't want my personal information in the hands of the post office or the people at FedEx. Heck, I even stopped the bank from mailing my statements to me.

Just give me my credit report, damn it!

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jaket

October 15, 2009 12:20 PM

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Here's an idea: instead of focusing on the reactive, industry-friendly concept of \"checking to see if you've been robbed after the fact\", why doesn't the FTC instead make all credit files FROZEN BY DEFAULT.

Somebody wants to pull your credit? Fine -- they need an unlock code from you first. Why is this not the default? [Yeah, I know, because the financial institutions that *really* run the country would lose a big chunk of their \"impulse-credit\" business, and so would never allow their bought-and-paid-for Congressmen to pass such a law.]

Having to check your credit file once a year to see if someone has already turned your life a living hell is a criminally inadequate safeguard.

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