Update: Freecreditscore.com is now an Experian owned company and something we recommend to monitor your credit. More details here.
Today we’re going to be looking at http://www.freecreditscore.com and whether it is a legitimate site to get a free credit score from. Make sure you read to the end of the article before you make your decision.
Contents
Is The Score Really Free?
With offers like this it’s really important to read the fine print. They offer you a free score, but you’re automatically enrolled in their credit monitoring program. You have 7 days to cancel otherwise you’ll be charged $17.99 per month.
At the bottom of the site there is also a little disclaimer that enrollment can take up to 2 days, meaning that you’ll actually only have access to your credit score for 5 days. The trial period starts as soon as payment is made.
Is It Easy To Cancel?
You can cancel only by phone on (877) 300-2506, this is a toll free number. Unfortunately it’s not possible to cancel online. Some consumers have complained that it can take awhile to cancel by phone and the operators are constantly trying to get you to stay signed on.
What Score Do They Offer?
Credit scores are not created equally. The only scores that really matter are ones that lenders look at. The FICO score is used in 90% of lending decisions and the VantageScore is used in ~6% of decisions.
The score that freecreditscore.com offers is called the PLUS score and it’s one of the most common FAKO scores, meaning that it’s for consumer educational purposes only and is not looked at by lenders. Which basically makes this score worthless.
What Else Do They Offer?
- Daily Experian credit monitoring of major changes (e.g applications for new credit)
- A full Experian report monthly
- $50,00 in identity protection insurance
- Mobile app
A full list of features can be found here.
Our Verdict
This product is more hassle than it’s worth. At the end of the day you have to worry about cancelling a product to get access to a score that’s worthless. All three free credit monitoring websites (Quizzle, Credit Karma & Credit Sesame) all offer similar scores and don’t require credit cards.
If you’re planning on applying for a loan in the near future and want your FICO score (which is used by lenders) then look at our list of free FICO scores or just skip to the easiest method.
My account layout changed and I can’t see/rank accounts according to things like account open dates anymore, but others I know still have the old (useful) layout. Sucks.
Access to this site (and some others similarly named) from a non-allowed state returns a forbidden error “The Amazon CloudFront distribution is configured to block access from your country. ”
It appears to be an Amazon scam.
THE GOOD:
1.Full report and score (still Vantage Score) – Credit score and full reports for all three credit agencies were available via html and PDF files. The PDF’s were easy to attach to email and send to a couple property managers which I considered renting from.
2.Low up-front cost – Initial charge is just $1 as advertised, no other hidden fees attached. Some businesses will charge applicants to run a credit check like when you apply for rental property.
3.No “Inquiry” on credit report – This works really well with entities that will accept applicant’s credit history from applicant’s third-party service, instead of that entity charging applicant $10-$50 to use their own. This also saves the applicant an “inquiry” from appearing on their credit report since any request consumers make for their own reports are not considered an “inquiry.”
THE BAD:
1.No online cancellation – You must call to cancel. Phone process took less than 10 minutes total for cancel. It’s only couple minutes waiting until connected to rep. Rep must read other sales scripts to process your cancellation. It takes about 5 minutes total, just endure it and don’t rush them as it only prolongs the process. Make certain to emphasize CANCELLATION. Just tell them “Vantage Score didn’t help with property manager you were looking to rent from because they want FICO score” as reason for cancelling. Reps are trained to “extend current membership for one additional month at no cost” which means you will still pay 2 months after signing up. Do not say OK to this part of their script and reaffirm your request to cancel. My cancellation email was received in couple minutes.
2.Unwanted contact – Be prepared for actual calls and texts to whatever phone number you provide when signing up. Text STOP to discontinue texts. Don’t worry, they will text you very soon (almost immediately) after you sign up. FreeCreditScore is proactive in helping you with any questions. They will seek you out first to see if there’s anything they can do to help.
3.Vantage Score 3.0 used for credit score – Not many businesses use VantageScore model. FICO model is more widely used. This is minor issue because many lenders offer free score using FICO like Discover, American Express, and Wells Fargo to name a few.
OVERALL:
Very useful in right situation – property manager requirements or any lender willing to accept applicant’s third-party report. I know several car dealers that would be willing to accept this. You can save “inquiries” and credit check costs (esp from Prop Mgrs). Reports are full reports from all three agencies, as advertised.
The only downsides are phone-in required to cancel and Vantage Score model used. As with all phone cancellations, LET THE REPS RUN THEIR CUSTOMER-RETAIN SCRIPTS! It takes 5 min but they’re not like AOL or cable companies and will process a polite “NO” from you once they’re done with all their pitches.
Called 4 days after signing up & doing my scores. Person I spoke to tried to sign me up for a month at $5. She also assured me the subscription would be canceled after that time. Though I told her I did not want any further service she did it anyway & after just 7 days they charged me twice once on 6/2/18 & e on 6/4/18 for $39.90 each time. I called customer service & the only thing the ‘supervisor’ would say is the same line about it being after the 7 days & could not be refunded. I ended up calling my bank & putting in a fraud claim & blocking any further withdrawals from them. Also, the services I received in the 3 days I used it were not worth anything to me. They are just in it for the money not their customers.
Is there a way to get your credit score for free? I received a free credit report from each agency, but it doesn’t include the score.
Yes, many different ways: https://www.doctorofcredit.com/free-fico-scores/
This company is a scam. They wouldn’t let me cancel. And I thought I was cancelled. They charged me every month without me knowing. Because I never read my bank statements. Now I’m stuck for over 400.00. And probably won’t get it back. So please anyone who think this is a legit company run the other way. Now I will start reading my statements
Thank you so very much for the insight that your sight has provided regarding Freecreditreport.com.
Your report has saved me undue, and I mean “undue” hassle and wanton bull-o-knee!
I am not sure any changed with Freecreditreport.com or I am wrong. I have never checked freecreditreport.com however i signed up for an account today with no commitment to continue after 7 days and also without entering credit card info just like credit karma…. Is it a new change?