A Review Of FreeScore.com

I saw the ad below recently on late-night television. Perhaps you have seen it too:

I know Ben Stein more for his comedy than his economic commentaries. He's also in some funny cable TV service commercials with Shaq. So, I have nothing against Stein. Everyone has to make a living.

I don't know anything about Filbert, the squirrel in the ad. I have nothing against Filbert either.

At first view, the ad seemed harmless enough. It is wise for consumers to know their credit score, since many purchases depend upon having good credit. To learn more, I visited the FreeScore.com site.

That's when things really got squirrely.

The site is easy to read and easy to navigate. There are huge buttons on the home page to start the registration process to get those free credit scores. Consumers can get "free" credit scores from each of the three major credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion:

The above page copy also inform users that they can get their credit reports when ordering their free credit scores. Further down the page (out of view when the page first loads) is as a huge button for consumers to click to view a sample report compiled with information from the three credit reporting agencies. A sample report is a good thing to view before registering. A more friendly page design would place that sample button further up the page so it is easier to see.

Now, I already know my credit score, so I didn't register for the FreeScore.com service. If you scroll to the bottom of the page, you will see tiny text that is easy to miss, especially if you clicked on any of the large buttons near the top of the page. So, I've repeated the tiny text here:

"FreeScore.com is not affiliated with the annual free credit report program. Under a new Federal law, you have the right to receive a 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 law, you must go to www.annualcreditreport.com.

Translation: while you can get credit reports at the FreeScore.com site, they aren't free. The credit scores are free but the credit reports have a monthly fee. The tiny text explains why there is a monthly fee:

"FreeScore provides you with the tools you need to access and monitor your financial/credit information through the program's credit reporting and monitoring benefits. FreeScore and its benefit providers are not credit repair service providers and do not receive fees for such services, nor are they credit clinics, credit repair or credit services organizations or businesses, as defined by federal and state law. Credit information provided by TransUnion Interactive, Inc."

Translation: the site is operated by TransUnion, one of the three major credit reporting agencies. FreeScore will help you monitor your credit scores and credit reports, but it won't help you fix them should something bad happen. You are on your own if you need to remove errors in your credit reports, or if you are already an identity-theft victim and thieves have made fraudulent purchases affecting your credit scores and reports.

So, if the credit reports at FreeScore aren't free, how much do they cost? In my opinion, a better design would have displayed the price along with the credit report offer on the home page. Instead, the consumer has to hunt for the price information, which appears on the FreeScore registration page below. The price is in small type in the right column under OFFER DETAILS:

I've repeated the tiny copy here so it is easier to read:

"Simply click "View Scores" on the next page to activate your FreeScore trial membership and claim your 3-in-1 Credit Profile and Triple Credit Score. After your 7-day FREE trial period it's just $19.95 per month for FreeScore. Remember, you can call FreeScore toll-free at 1-800-316-8824 within the first 7 days to cancel, and you will not be charged/debited."

Translation: you get free credit scores only during the seven (7) day trial period. After that, charges apply if you don't cancel your trial membership, which automatically signed up for a credit monitoring service costing almost $20 per month. The trial membership period is awfully short, too.

This offer by FreeScore.com reminded me a lot of the pitch by FreeCreditReport.com, a site that pitches free credit reports but enrolls consumers in a credit monitoring program with a monthly fee if you don't read the tiny text and cancel. Yesterday's post discussed the new Credit Report disclosure rules mandated by the FTC. The FreeScore.com site never pitches free credit reports, so I guess that TransUnion believes that they don't have to comply with the new disclosure rules since they aren't selling free credit reports at the site.

In my opinion, the FreeScore.com site is the same as the FreeCreditReport.com site. Both advertise X (e.g., get something for free) but really offer Y (credit monitoring for a monthly free) and place the important details in small print rather than say so upfront in easier to read type. Both sites use the auto-opt-in method: the user is enrolled in the credit monitoring service unless they cancel in time. To me, this is a sleezy marketing approach. The old "buyer beware" advice definitely applies here.

In my opinion, FreeScore.com is expensive since the price includes credit monitoring and not credit resolution services. And, the FreeScore monthly fee of $19.95 is higher than the FreeCreditReport.com monthly fee of $14.95. So, maybe the cost of those "free" credit scores is baked into the higher monthly credit monitoring fee.

Is FreeScore for you? That's a decision only you can make. You know your credit situation best. Having good credit is critical and monitoring your credit reports is wise to ensure their accuracy. If you are a victim of identity theft and fraud, then monitoring your credit reports for fraudulent purchases is critical, but getting credit resolution service is equally important.

My advice: shop around and always read the FINE PRINT at a Web site; especially sites offering freebies and/or credit monitoring services. Know the limitations of the credit monitoring service you are considering. Be an informed consumer.

Comments

[Anonymous]

Excellent review !! it helps me a lot to choose the right option pal !!

[theidtheftguy]

AnnualCreditReport.com is the ONLY authorized source for the free annual credit report that's yours by law. The Fair Credit Reporting Act guarantees you access to your credit report for free from each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — every 12 months.

The Federal Trade Commission has received complaints from consumers who thought they were ordering their free annual credit report, and yet couldn't get it without paying fees or buying other services. TV ads, email offers, or online search results may tout "free" credit reports, but there is only one authorized source for a truly free credit report.

I recommend that people get one from each bureau every three months, effectively monitoring their credit on a quarterly basis.

Best: LRK

[theidtheftguy]

AnnualCreditReport.com is a centralized service offering consumers a fast and convenient way to request, view and print their credit reports in a secure Internet environment. They also provide options to request reports by telephone and by mail. It was created by the three nationwide consumer credit reporting and is the ONLY service authorized by Equifax, Experian and TransUnion in accordance with the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act) law.

Many companies claim to offer free credit reports – and some do. But others give you a report only if you buy other products or services. Still others say they’re giving you a “free” report and then bill you for services you have to cancel. If you go to www.AnnualCreditReport.com and follow the prompts for your free credit report, you can be sure the reports you get really are free. The Federal Trade Commission has received complaints from consumers who thought they were ordering their free annual credit report, and yet couldn't get it without paying fees or buying other services.

Please note that, as a security precaution, consumers should never provide their personal information to any other company or person for requesting free annual credit reports under the FACT Act. AnnualCreditReport.com will not approach consumers via email, telemarketing or direct mail solicitations.

[Account Deleted]

nice video..it helps me a lot..its a great help..i think people should know about this aside from me..i will visit your site again..

[Alex]

Thank for this video. It is useful for me.

[Tynegate]

Your site saved me time and fuss. Many thanks! You did a real public service.

[Bob in Las Vegas]

Well....signed up....got the scores and reports and tomorrow I will cancel and alert my credit card (Capital One) to block any attempts by this company to draw a monthly fee.

Once Capital One receives this in writing any successful draws by Trans Union, that sneak by, will be credited to my account.

So...if you do it all in 3 days you got it. BOB

[Credit Repair Services]

Having good credit is critical and monitoring your credit reports is wise to ensure their accuracy. great review..

[Rex Murphy]

This is excellent advice. There's a lot of companies out there looking to take advantage of people who're unsure of the economy, and charging for what should be a free service.

And you know Ben Stein has no worry about this sort of thing, so it's just amusing.

[Anonymous]

good advice its i know lots of companies today that are taking advantage of people charging big amount even if its for free service..good thing found your site i think people should know this aside from me,.nice article.

[Anonymous]

Thanx for your information.I have been looking for a credit repair company to promote myself but I was not sure which one was any good.I will change....

[Elizabeth]

I have been trying to figure out how to cancel my membership to freescore.com for almost two hours. Any advice? Thanks.

[George]

Elizabeth:

To cancel, follow the instructions in the FreeScore agreement or contract. (Either the one they sent you when you joined or the one online.) Do it in writing and keep a record of correspondence. Good luck and let us know what happens.

George
Editor
http://ivebeenmugged.typepad.com

[Build Credit Fast]

I have a question, after using the free account good for 7 days, can i use my account again or should i upgrade it?

[Bob]

Beware- I canceled my free score report and one week later became a victim to identity fraud.Was I scammed.............Has this happened to anyone else???????

[Katherine]

This is a HUGE scam. My husband got online for a dollar look up and our account was credited not once, but twioce for their 19.95 "service". Their "service is to scam you out of money.

[Credit Bureau]

Lots of really good information for those who want to look into their credit and possibly improve it. Once again a site capitalizing on people putting in the phrase "free credit report" as a search term. Also Quizzle.com seems to be a good place to get a free score along with a free membership on financial information.

[Credit Repair Services]

lots of companies out there looking to take advantage of people who's unsure of the economy,lots of swindlers waiting for there victims.

[George]

Credit Bureau: thanks for the mention of Quizzle.com. I had not heard of that service and will visit the site to see what it is about.

Credit Repair Services: What companies? Please share names. What are some of the scams you have seen? Details please. You have left a lot of comments lately -- perhaps in an attempt to fill up the Recent Comments module with faux ads. Informed readers of this blog expect more from you and your company. That means substantive comments with more details (without typos). Otherwise, readers of this blog will look elsewhere when they need credit repair services.

George
Editor
http://ivebeenmugged.typepad.com

[LYNN KITCHENS]

My husband got online and thought he would be charged a $1.00 fee too. NOT our acct was charged 19.95 and they said he should have read the fine print and canceled in 7 days. WELL THIS IS A SCAM AND THEY WILL NOT GIVE BACK YOUR MONEY.

[techdudester]

Thanks for this great, balanced review. I wish I had read it before I went to freescore.com last night and wasted my time down in their silly rabbit hole. Today I called them and made sure everything got canceled.

You do need to call them if you entered a credit card number. Their number is 800-316-8824.

Like my momma said, there is no free lunch.

[Girth Brooks]

The single biggest problem with freescore.com is that the credit scores they provide are NOT the FICO scores relied upon by most lenders in assessing one's credit worthiness. Of course, that minor discrepancy is not disclosed until after they have obtained your credit card authorization; even then, it is buried not just in the fine print but in fine print that is so faint that most subscribers would never see it.

[Sandra Appleby]

I ordered Freescore under their 7-day free trial offer. I did not like the format; it was nothing like credit reports I've had in the past. The first or second day after getting the report I called to cancel and was told I was cancelled. Today I see a $19.95 charge on my bank statement. I immediately called again, telling the person on the phone that I did not want the service, had canceled 2 days after the trial began and wanted the $19.95 refunded to my bank account. I was informed that her records showed no prior call to cancel and they do not give refunds. She assured me I am now cancelled.
Do any of you know where this scam can be officially reported? Freescore can say anything and there is no way to refute it. I'm angry. I usually don't get caught in these scams.

[Joanna]

I ordered this and received no reports, no scores, was told there was an error and they could not fulfill my request. I called to make sure I would not be charged and was told they could not find a membership for me so they certainly wouldn't be charging me as they had no info. 8 days later, I was charged...I called to cancel and get refunded and was transferred to "Jack" who ma'am'd me to death and told me I had entered a contract. He also kept trying to tell me that I had entered a contract even though they provided nothing in the way of goods or services and assured me I would not be charged. When I asked to speak to his boss, he told me he "was" the boss but refused to give me the company's legal name or any other info that would allow me to discern ownership. He finally hung up on me when he couldn't get me to agree to his "logic". I disputed the charge with my credit card company and they are lodging a formal complaint. DO NOT use freescore.com unless you are looking for some new annoyances in your life.

[George]

Joanna:
Thanks for sharing your experience. That is awful! Things you can do:

- Keep written copies of all correspondence

- File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau: http://www.bbb.org/

- File a complaint with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

- Write to you Congressional House representative. Ask him/her for help and to look into this. This is what your Congressional rep is for. If you get no help, remember this at the next election.

- Contact your U.S. Senators for help.

- File a complaint with the consumer protection agency in the state where you live

Good luck and let us know what happens.

George
Editor
http://ivebeenmugged.typepad.com

[marvinlzinn]

I did this once, and was three charges were made to my credit card, for which I never agreed to buy or pay for anything. There are many others with the same complaint. I consider it absolute theft, and will do all in my power to put them out of business and anyone who designed it should be put in Jail for a year.

[Michael]

Free Score is definitely a scam. I went to their website and started to fill out the form. Then I read the fine print and realized that Free actually means $20/month. I never hit Submit and closed my browser. Seven days later there was a $20 fee on my credit card. It took me about an hour and I had to get really pissy with them to finally get them to withdraw the charge. Even though I was within the seven day period, they tried to argue that it was too late.
Do have anything to do with this company!!!!

[George]

Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and opinions. I have added a new feature to the blog to allow readers to more easily follow comments. Scroll up the page to just before the comments start, and you will see the orange RSS feed icon next to this text:

"You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post."

To subscribe to the RSS feed of comments for this blog post, you can click on either the orange RSS feed icon next to the above text, or click on the "comment feed" text link. Then, follow the onscreen instructions in your web browser to subscribe to the comments feed.

You can use any RSS feed reader software desired. I use the Firefox web browser to monitor hot feeds, and Google Reader to manage all of the RSS feeds I subscribe to.

George
Editor
http://ivebeenmugged.typepad.com

[Insulted but never again]

You have to protect yourselves because in this day and age some company reps have very little integrity and they don't mind insulting the consumer's intelligence.

Sad to say that this is where we are (some of us)...no regard for one another.

I hope that there isn't a link between this company and identity theft.

Good luck and BEWARE.

[joseph]

Any service that let's you sign up online easily, but requires you to call a number to cancel raises a red flag for me. I can see getting stuck on multiple transfers and talking to "rentention" agents who get commissions to convince people not to cancel.

[Buzzwald]

It's been my experience that any corporation advertising a free service and then requiring a credit card number is not free. I attempted to access this "free" information, but since I don't have a credit card, impossible. This type of activity should be illegal. A product cannot be called free if something is demanded in return. ie, credit card info. or bank account info. Thanks for the post.

[Troy]

The webpage is slick and smooth, almost makes you think that this could be a legit service.

After jumping through all the hoops, and carefully reading the fine print. I decided to allow the $1 dollar charge in order to get a glimpse of my credit score. It turns out that the website is BROKEN!

I CAN'T EVEN VIEW MY SCORES!

I immediately called and cancelled less than 30 minutes after signing up. I also, used the email service to cancel. Currently, I only have a $1 charge processing. I'll update to let everyone know what happens...

[Rich]

I was eventually able to view my scores, and didn't realize I only had 7 days to cancel... on the 8th day I was billed and I cancelled on the 9th day, but the $19.95 fee was non-refundable... the customer service must get a thousand calls a day asking for a refund since it seemed like the anticipated what I was going to ask for. Make sure you cancel RIGHT AWAY!

[Harold]

The letter below was sent to freescore.com 20 minutes ago. Reader be warned, the site is a scam.

Today, Feb 24, 2011 I spent a lot of time filling out forms and giving you more and more personal information about myself, all to get the 3 free credit scores that you promised in your advertisements. In the end I got nothing from you. No scores, no nothing. I think that your advertising is a scam. If you charge my credit card I will take you to court.

[kt]

This place is a rip off. I gave it a try and found a 19.95 charge when i called to cancel, the CC co. was little help and the call to Freescore told me that I had to pay. When I called the CC co. back I was told that I had been billed twice in one month and the second charge was for the next month and already on my account, but was made after the statement was mailed. I was advised to contest the second charge but the first had to be paid. I also found another charge for identityhawk for the same date. These are scam operations, stay away.

[jennifer]

Bummer for you all, I'm in the process of looking to rent a home in a small CA town. I replied to a craigs list ad that sounded great but was very vague with details. I asked for details about the property but kept getting replies to click on the link and fill out the credit check. No info given about the house. I am glad I checked it out here first. Saved me a potentially huge hassle. If it seems too good to be true...it probably isn't legit. Back to house hunting :)

[vermox]

Ben Stein is a money hungry extremist Rightwinger. This guy would pimp his mom off. Every company that offers something for free is a red flag for scams.

[George]

Vermox:
Is your statement about Ben Stein your opinion or fact? If fact, please provide a link to supporting documentation. Thank you.

George
Editor
http://ivebeenmugged.typepad.com

[Jenny]

i signed up for this freescore.com on a monday i understood the whole 7 days of free service, so i thought. i cancelled the following monday morning thinking thats a week. Well when i got my credit card statement i was charged the $19.99 or whatever. When i did call up to say i cancelled on the 7th day, they said the 7th day was that sunday. I explained well were you open on that sunday she said no but that i could have left a message and the service would have been cancelled. Now thats crazy. They said that Monday i signed up was day 1. Then i said ok well can my fee at least be reduced. Nope they did nothing, send my complaint to be reviewed but once i got the confirmation e-mail they denied my claim and i have to pay the $19.99. PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS SITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mary]

Don't use freescore.com if u plan on opting out right afterwards. I did that, joined to see and then opted out after I was done and looked on my account today and they charged me 20 bucks that is not refundable. so save yourself the hassle and go to Freecreditreport.com they stick by their word!

[George]

Mary:
Thanks for sharing. I am glad that you found FreeCreditreport.com helpful. In my opinion, both are shady websites. I think it is important for readers to remember that the FTC forced FreeCreditReport.com to improve its disclosures, since many consumers felt tricked:

http://ivebeenmugged.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/03/ftc-rules.html

George
Editor
http://ivebeenmugged.typepad.com

[Robert Harris]

Wish I had found this site before I attempted to use there falsely advertised service. After giving them information, they billed me immediately for 29.95 a month and signed me up with IdentyHawk at another 29.95 per month. So much for seven days.

Avoid these people like the plague they are. I have filed a fraud complaint with the bank and am now on monday going to do everything I can to get my money back and make thier life as miserable as possible.

[Chad]

Thanks a bunch.

And fuck Ben Stein.

[ema]

I wish I saw these comments before I signed in for the free trial period. I was scammed, twice. Two charges are now on my card (WITHIN THE 7 DAYS!!!!!), one from free credit and one from some an other service that I didn't agree on nor did I ever knew who the hell that was. This second service share the same customer service with free score.
If I don't get my money back, I'm definitely contacting fraud services.

[ema]

An update on my previous comment.
I managed to get both charges refunded after talking to a supervisor. So, don't hesitate to call them, and be very assertive. They will try to convince you that you are under a contract, and that there is no way to cancel a previous charge, but it is just not true. They know it and you should too.
I'm glad I got my money back, and have definitely learned a lesson.

[George]

Ema:
Thanks for the update. I am happy that you got some resolution.

George
Editor
http://ivebeenmugged.typepad.com

[T and C reader]

Does anyone take accountability anymore?? Seriously, I read the terms and conditions and RIGHT THERE in normal print, it states that if I do not cancel within 7 days that I would be charged. I don't think this is a scam because YOU get what you want for free for an a lotted time. Its ridiculous to say that you have to "be assertive"(abusive) to get what you want. If they think a refund is in order, they will attempt to give you one. I was charged because I forgot to cancel and I understand why I am not getting a refund. I am going to use the month up and make sure to cancel before the next charge. Its not right to feel scammed because I signed up for it, I got what I wanted my free scores. I just didn't cancel before my free time was up.

[Sawyer]

FreeScore says they are affiliated with TransUnion. However when I called TransUnion after receiving what I thought was a low score from FreeScore, the associate at TransUnion indicated my score he was looking at was quite a bit different than that of FreeScore. Then I called FreeScore and the associate there says their scale is sometimes 50 points different. Great, so what am I paying for? Oh right, everything else but what I came here for.

[CS]

They are really sketchy.. Even after I cancelled I was billed 29.95 for the "Identity Hawk" monitoring service which I was unaware that I even signed up for! And they definitely didn't mention it when I called to cancel. No refunds, barely an apology from the rep. I am very disappointed in this company.

[mike king]

8 months at $29.95 and what did I get so far?

not even a password It's all a big ripoff and if you think I', full of hot air--try it.

[Harry Roberts]

Nothing is free when you have to pay $19.95 a month for a magazine. They are a bunch of Crooks

[Raul Beruff]

Non responsive and a rip off. Site off the net and they wnat for me to wait.

[Sam Prisuta]

I spent 45 minutes trying to cancel my acct., speaking to three different foreigners (probably from Saudi Arabia) and I couldn't understand them. It was a hostile conversation, and all they did was try to sell me more trial offers that I could cancel within a week.It got so heated that I hung up. Will call my bank tomorrow and pay the fee to stop any payments to them. I am also going to file a complaint with the Atty. Generals office. They NEED to be put out of business.

[George]

Sam:
Sorry to hear of your experiences with poor customer service. When you file a complaint, be sure to file it with three places (assuming you live in the USA):

1) U.S. Federal Trade Commission
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

2) Your state's attorney general office
http://www.naag.org/current-attorneys-general.php

3) If you live in the USA or Canada -- the Better Business Bureau:
http://www.bbb.org/

If you are really mad, write a letter to your U.S. Congressional representative, too. Good luck and let us know what happens.

George
Editor
http://ivebeenmugged.typepad.com

[Jhon]

DO NOT USE freescore.com I got my report from them and I got concerned when I saw that my Equifax score was lower than I was expecting. Then I called Equifax directly. I paid them the $17 for the credit report and credit scores. The results where NOT even close to the ones given by freescore. If you ask me I rather trust equifax than frescore... no questions about it. I dont know where they get their info from... but is not your real score. Pay your $17 and get a REAL score with equifax... The girl at equifax also told me that when you give permision to freescore.com to get your report, they DO HIT your score (hard inquire) rather than equifax wich, apparently, do not hard hit your score. hope this can help someone

[Lester Leonard]

THIS IS A SCAM!!!!!!!!!!!

[Lester Leonard]

SCAM SCAM SCAM.......SHAME ON YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

[Thinking man]

Just find a new car dealership that is offering 0% to 3.9% financing test drive a car and they will tell u your credit score to see if u qualify for the lowest rates.

[Nancy Hewitt]

Why on earth doesn't the government go after these people. IT'S FRAUD and anyone having to do anything with this website should be put on trial for fraud. Someone in this organization must have connections with the top to not have the feds come after them.

[MeRita Vest]

I don't know what the heck I did different from everyone else but they got me for $29.95 per month. In addition, when I called to cancel they told me that my account was paid thru 10/19 but if I cancelled today I would only have access to the service I PAID FOR until 9/30 or end of month instead of through 10/19 that I PAID FOR. It's one thing for me to fail to read small print but another to loose services I paid for.
SCAM! SCAM! SCAM, and very poor business practice.

[Free credit score]

This is excellent advice. There are plenty of companies out there looking to take advantage of people who are unsure of the economy, and charge for what should be a free service.

[פרסום בגוגל]

Girl with Equifax also told me that when you give permisions for your report, do they score your HIT. Thanks for sharing this one.

[טויוטה אוריס]

Informative post. It saws victim of identity theft and fraud, and then monitor your credit reports for fraudulent purchases is crucial, but get the credit resolution service is equally important.

[william ryall]

I don't really think it's a scam, you just have to cancel before the trial period ends. It's amazing to me how many people don't read what they are actually sign up for.

As they say, there is nothing like a free lunch.

[tringtobehonestinaworldofcons]

internet scams should be illragal
ive found all thats on the internet are scams
if people would start complainingmabe we could do something about them

[elle]

Thanks for the info, I knew I didn't want the service (having been duped by freecreditreport.com, which only gives you 1 company credit report every month unless you pay MORE), but I did not want to put in all my information just to see how much it would be. I appreciate your blog and your attitude toward money.

[Caty]

Be forewarned!! If you sign up for freescore.com you are also signing up for shit you're completely unaware of until you get a bill!! I signed with them and cancelled their free membership but I got billed for their affiates that I had no idea I signed up with! I WAS ABSOLUTELY CAREFUL NOT TO AGREE OR SIGN FOR ANYTHING ELSE BUT IT STILL HAPPENED!!! BE CAREFULLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[I can't believe this!!]

What a freaking terrible company!! Too bad I didn't find this site before I got mugged!!

[Clint]

If you have a Citi card and want to do the free trial with the intention of canceling before the trial is over, generate a virtual credit card number and use advanced options to set a limit of $1 on that number. If your cancellation is ignored, you won't be out any money because the transaction will be rejected by the credit card company.

[Md]

Thanks for the review. I hate misleading commercials and websites...

[Kindra]

I use Credit Karma. It's completely free, gives you a very indepth report that is easy to use, and you can get an updated score every month. It makes it's money off ad sales from credit cards and car insurance companies, so they don't have to charge their users.

[CC]

This company is also linked to Identity Hawk. I was charged $19.95 from free score and $19.95 from ID Hawk. I called and cancelled and the girl had the nerve to tell me I should have read the info...What a scam

[M .Bloch]

Thanks. Any ad that makes fun of imperfect people does not earn my business. Perhaps only perfect people with perfect scores need apply, but as a professional, a former Green Beret, and the only man in a zumba class, I haven't met any perfect people yet. And based on comments, FS is far from perfect themselves.

[Michael Wind]

total scam,they billed my credit card twice,i never wanted any alerts,deffinetly report this company to the federal government....

[Tom oldham]

Sandra your phone records will show that you had called them back to cancell. Tell them yo wish to have your money returned or they will also be liable for attorneys fees on top of that.

Good luck.

[Bernie Bodnarchuk]

Please cancel membership immediately

[Josh]

Terrible company. I would be interested in seeing where their revenue comes from. How many customers actually use their service monthly versus how many charges they have for people who were 45 minutes late in cancelling like me...

[alfredo]

I just wanted to add, be very careful regarding the 7 day trial rip off. I signed up on a Saturday and called them back to cancel the next Saturday, that is, a week later or 7 days after I signed up, whichever way you want to see it. Well, guess what happened? Because I didn't call on Friday, which in their opinion somehow was day 7, I was automatically signed up for credit monitoring and charged the $15 monthly fee. So, be mindful of this very misleading technique that they use to get your money.

[charle]

I just canceled my card just to be safe. there score are way off to. my score with freecreditscore was 702 and with freescore it was 650. im confused why i would get two diffrent scores from the same experian report? Hrmm any lawsuits yet?

[Chris N.]

Definitely a SCAM. I actually checked my score directly at experian and it was 55 points higher than what they gave me. I called them and they said they go by a different scale...HUH?????? then what is the freakin POINT !!! in buying their service. I was so pissed off. STAY AWAY FROM THEM. I think they lower your scores on purpose to scare people into using their service to "help" them increase their low scores. SCAM !!!