Ripoffs For Consumers to Avoid

This blog is all about what to do if you have been "mugged" or abused by a company or identity criminal, and what to do to avoid getting "mugged." Recently, CNNMoney published a list of, "America's Biggest Ripoffs." Thanks to my friend and I've Been Mugged reader, Bill, for the link.

I knew that text messaging and hotel mini-bars would definitely be on the list. I was happy to see this item also on the list of ripoffs:

"There's nothing free about forking over $179 a year for information at Freecreditreport.com. Instead you can go to AnnualCreditReport.com, which is run by the Federal Trade Commission, and get a truly free report once a year from each of the credit agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Freecreditreport.com's catchy ditties can get stuck in your head for days -- but subscribing to the service will haunt your credit card bill for a year. When you sign up, you're asked for your credit card number. Then the site automatically enrolls you in its "Triple Advantage credit monitoring," which pledges to continuously track your credit status for $14.99 per month."

A warning: if you decide to use FreeCreditReport.com, read the fine print and contract terms closely, first. You do have seven (7) days within the trail period to cancel the credit monitoring service. I strongly urge you to browse the entire list of ripoffs.

What do you think? Should FreeCreditReport.com be on the list of ripoffs?