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Also known as:
CIC Credit Monitor SVC; Consumer Info; Consumer Information;
creditmatters.com; freecreditreport.com; homeradar.com;
I Place; I Play Innings; QSpace.com
Things haven't been going quite as well for Consumerinfo.com since the Federal Trade Commission caught up with them.
Many reports are similar to this one ...
April of Virginia Beach VA (4/19/03):
I was charged the $79.95 for the so called "free credit" report without warning or receiving an email about the upcoming charge. I realized the trial period was coming upon me, but I could not find the internet address for "CIC." I was charged the $79.95 without prior notification of the upcoming charge. It screwed up my bank account and would have made me bounce several checks if I had not caught the charge on my own.
Unfortunately, April's experience is a common one. ConsumerInfo.com is owned by Experian, one of the three major credit reporting agencies in the United States. It in turn is owned by GUS PLC, a giant British retailer who at last report was pleased as punch at Experian's 18 percent increase in North American sales during the first quarter of 2003. A large part of that increase came from ConsumerInfo.com, which GUS Finance Director David Tyler said was one of the company's "best ever acquisitions."
Experian and the other two major credit bureaus are, of course, required to provide a free credit report to anyone who asks for one after being turned down for a credit application based on information in the report. However, as the complaints below illustrate, Experian and its subsidiary are quite skilled at getting money out of consumers who in many cases have little to spare. (More about credit reports).
Thomas of Dennisport MA (05/13/08)
After having attempted to contact CIC for months unsuccessfully I actually spoke with someone about an hour ago. They admitted to having a record showing I had cancelled my account in the past but could not explain 17 months worth of charges after that. They relented in giving me 8 months refund but said I had to write a letter or fax them to attempt to get back the other 9 months in addition to any other charges I may have had because of there error of which there are a few.
I am owed a total of close to $200.00 plus some other misc. charges because of inaccurate banking.
Charles of Scottsdale AZ (05/13/08)
I started the free credit report about a year ago and just realized that for the last year every month I have been charged 11.95 from them. I cancelled my membership right before the free membership was done and just now realized I am still getting charged.
Shannon of Atlanta GA (05/13/08)
I signed up for my free credit report, and I was charged $12.00 a month without my concent after I tried to cancel services they tricked me into signing up for.
I'm out 12 bucks, so far, but I had to freeze my account and change the number, and I hope that the charges will stop despite the fact that they have my information. They refused to send me any confirmation that my account had been requested cancelled, however. I've read several similar accounts, and I'm wondering if something like a class action suit is in the workings.
Cynthia of Thurmont MD (05/11/08)
I applied for a free credit report and since have been charged over and over again. Monthly charges of 9.95 and an initial charge of 79.95 have never been authorized by me. I don't know how to stop it and CANNOT afford it. Please help me! Thanks
Chad of Ontario CA (05/10/08)
i opened a trail membership with them and tried to cancel about 3 times now and ive gotten charged 3 months for $29. i see their are alot of complaints on them and i dont see how their are still running their company. i want my money back
Stephanie of Ellicott City MD (05/10/08)
I have been charged for a free credit report. I have tried several times to contact them, but to no avail. They do not answer the phone and do not provide you with an alturnative method of contacting them.
Reacurring payment of 11.95 is being charged to my account.
Jenny of Browns Mills NJ (05/02/08)
Charged for Free /Credit Report on 4/24/08 by 2 Credit Reporting companies #1. CIC CC- Credit Reort - $14.95 & Privacy Matter - same date 04/14/08 - $ 29.95 Had cancelled both accounts.. Want charges to stop immediately and return of funds lost $14.95 and 29.95 from each Consumer Reoprting Agency..want a refund immediately and to be taken off the charge list.. This was to be FREE CREDIT REPORTS
Melissa of Springfield IL (04/27/08)
I applied for a free credit report through freecreditreport.com (cic)and got my free credit report for myself and my hubby. I canceled within the 1 month they give you. I have had charges on my debit card now for 3 months-totaling at least $60. I called again today and they said my account was closed but not hubbys!
Benjamin of Aventura FL (04/14/08)
Charged for Free /Credit Report on 4/14/08 by two Credit Reporting companies #1. CIC CC- Credit Reort - $14.95 & Equaifax Consumer - same date 04/14/08 - $ 14.95Had cancelled account in past.. Want charges to stop immediately and return of funds
lost $14.95 from each Consumer Reoprting Agency..want a refund immediately and to be taken off the charge list.. This was to be FREE CREDIT REPORTS
Lee of Bryant AR (04/11/08)
I did not sign up for this credit service and I want this charge to stop immediately and my account credited.
Roger of Columbia SC (04/10/08)
This credit reporting company debited my banking account, somehow using my debit/credit card without my authorization.
As a result of this I believe the company has fraudulenty authorized my banking account, and also has access to it.
Gail of Conyers GA (04/08/08)
I have been debited for 11.95 for so long, even after I cancelled the trial. They have never replied back to me about cancelling.
My account for years now, has been debited and I just want it to stop,especially since I don't even use the service.
Jennifer of Washington, DC (03/18/08)
I had to get a credit report because Experian completely messed up my report. Unbeknownst to me I signed up for a 30-day free trial and have been charged $15 for the past four months. They claim that they have now canceled it, but they refused to refund the money.
I am planning to sue them in small claims court, but I am an attorney and realize that not everyone has the ability to do this.
Tabbitha of Mesquite TX (03/17/08)
CIC*CE CREDIT REPORT 8003888725 CA is what the details of the $12.95 charge to my credit card read. I've never signed up for anything regarding credit reports, online or otherwise. I have no idea how or why this amount was charged to my card, or how to get it back. I'm told by my bank that the only way to avoid it happening again is to have the card disabled, which I am in the process of doing as I type this now. I want that $12.95 back, and I plan to do that, if it takes me a year to do it. I never asked for a copy of my credit report, never gave my credit card number to any credit agency or otherwise affiliated reporting agency; and in lieu of this, that $12.95 will be reported as a fraudulent charge and possible identity theft. I will not rest until the company that originated this charge to my account pays it back and is criminally charged for the unauthorized withdrawal of funds from my account!
I've had to pay $12.95 for a service I never requested, nor received. I have had to cancel my debit card, order a replacement, and borrow money from friends to cover my expenses until my new card is received. Not to mention, I have wasted a lot of precious working hours on trying to get this charge removed or credited, to no avail.
Halli of Grand Rapids MI (03/11/08)
All circuits are busy indefinitely. I have been charged $9.95 every month for nothing. I cannot get hold of anyone, and I want this stopped. Will get a lawyer if necessary.
They caused an overdraft and expenses that are used for a struggling family. I am angry and motivated to pursue legal action.
Grant of Chico CA (02/29/08)
Several years ago I applied for a 2nd mortgage. I went to this companies web site to get a free credit report. The web site was confusing and said I could cancel on line, but I saw no way to do that. I have been paying $11.95 per month ever since. When I call to cancel, I am placed on hold forever!
This has meant a loss to me of over $200 each year with no end in sight.
Leonard of Ramona CA (02/29/08)
They keep charging my bank account without my authorization or knowledge and permission.
I'm starting to get mad. I'm in the military, and every little bit of money I need. I work hard to have money--not for them to take it away.
Amy of Greeley CO (02/20/08)
They won't cancel my account. I called asking for physical address so I could send a letter to show the bank that I had attempted to cancel. CIC told me they couldn't cancel my account due to an IT problem. Yet they continue to take the money.
I am going to have to cancel my bank account and open a new one. This is going to cause me a lot of problems due to automatic payments from legitimate companies.
Greg of Guntersville AL (02/15/08)
Like many others that I have read about, I went online to get my credit report, and I keep getting a monthly charge from these people for $9.95 a month. Seems to be no way to cancel.
Lauren of Michigan City IN (02/04/08)
We applied for credit, and our bank ran a credit report on us. I received a letter from our bank stating that there were a couple discrepancies on our credit report. The letter also stated that I have a right to see my report. I then went online to freecreditreport.com to access my account and was told to give my information. I was never charged for this in the past and was never enrolled in a credit monitor service that charges a monthly fee. However, I am now. A monthly charge of $12.00 appeared on my credit card because they said that I agreed to it when I looked up my report recently. I never remember seeing this come up as I was accessing my report and certainly never agreed to it. I have recently canceled the membership as soon as I got my credit card statement showing the charge, but they still got $12.00 from me as they have from many other people.
Apparently this begins with freecreditreport.com, and somehow CIC Triple Advantage gets a hold of you; and all of a sudden you somehow joined a monthly membership with them to monitor your credit for you at the cost of $12.00 per month. Think about how much money this is if this happens to at least 1,000 people, and they get $12.00 (if not more) out of them because of their dishonest business ethics.
David of Columbia SC (01/26/08)
I was taken to the CIC website for a FREE credit report after filing my taxes online through Taxact.com. The site said this service is absolutely free, but they need my credit card information to verify my identity for the credit report. They then charged me $34.95.
Ian of Redding CA (01/05/08)
About 4 years ago I signed up for a service that was supposedly free and suppose to give me my credit report. I don't recall what I received or if I received something in the mail from CIC. I can't recall the name of the company or the website address. I just remember signing up for a free credit monitoring service and now getting charged ever since.
It has caused me to be charged overdraft fees several times and without warning. I have received charges and had to figure out a way to make up for the lost money whether by simply asking for help from family members, or when I was able to put my own money in the account to maintain a positive balance.
Robert of Maplewood MO (12/21/07)
I signed up for a free credit report (CIC Triple Advantage) and didn't use it and forgot about it, and for more than a year (I'm embarrassed to admit) I was being charged $12.00 for a credit monitoring service that I was unaware of. I confused this unwanted service for a free credit report service I was to get for completing my income tax return via the internet. When I finally realized what was going on, I called to cancel the service and the company provided me credit for one month's bill, but that was all. I asked for all of my money back for the unwanted and unused service, but the company refused to do so and was unpleasant about it.
I was hoodwinked out of $240 dollars for this unwanted service. This is simply a scam--a slight of hand if you will--that preys upon the multitudes of distracted citizens. It should be made illegal.
Carole of Saginaw MI (12/12/07)
I saw on msn.com that I could check my credit report for free, so I tried it. It worked for a while and then quit. When I tried to cancel it, I couldn't. That was 3 years ago. I am getting charged $9.95 a month for nothing.
I am just throwing $120 a month out the window. I am getting myself into more debt by being charged interest on that $10 every month.
Jackie of Ennice NC (12/04/07)
Apparently I went online to check my credit report and gave them information, and since have been charged a couple different amounts for several months. I do not have a credit card or debit at this time. I just called CIC and canceled. We will see what happens. It was to be free--but it was not. I've just started going online to do checking and found these unauthorized charges, called my bank, and they looked up the dates for me. They could only go back 6 months.
I'm not a rich woman at all. And I know that I would not agree to pay for something monthly, for something I do not need. Example: I have not had TV for 3 yrs. No long distance on my phone and canceled my DSL. Because? I don't need it. I've had a great anxiety attack over this.
Darlene of Coconut Creek FL (10/24/07)
I signed up for CIC's triple advantage service. It was free for 30 days, then $9.95 per month. I was charged $19.95. I canceled, but they won't refund the $19.95 .
They charged me more money with out my consent. I gave them my credit card # . They scammed me.
Michele of Chicago IL (10/16/07)
I signed up to receive the CIC free credit report. I issued my information because not only did they state that my card would not be charged, but they would not let me continue the process. However, money I didn't have to spare was deducted from my account for the past two months.
Jaffer of Des Moines IA (09/23/07)
I use the freecreditreport and experienced the same fraud as most of people have experienced. 9.95 dollars were taken off every month without any prior notification or email until I cancelled using Support@FreeCreditReport.com email address.
Gregory of Hood River OR (03/23/07)
I received my free credit report then canceled my account a week later. Now after canceling I see they are trying to take $19.90 out of my credit card. I did all the right things and they are still taking my money.
William of ,CT (03/11/07)
Went to get my free credit report and then was charged $12.95 per month for ten months before I realized that it was a scam charge.
I'll pester them until they refund my money.
Kenneth of Wilmington NC (03/09/07)
I asked for a free credit report. They said I would not be charged if I cancelled before the free trial ended. I cancelled after a few days and now a month later I have a 12 dollar charge in my bank account. Oh and I was charged 1.00 right off the bat for some odd reason.
Israel of Sun Valley, NV (02/25/07)
I am one more victim of the fraudulent actions from CIC CREDIT REPORT (Affiliated with EXPERIAN). Usually the method they use to steal is when you request your 'FREE credit report' through them, they will make you a member of their group of 'customers' - I would say victims.
If you have experienced the same situation that I did; contact this fraudulent entity and find out if you have an account with them. This is where you have to call in order to cancel your 'membership' with them and make the payments to stop: call 1-877-481-6826. E-MAIL Support@FreeCreditReport.com. MAIL ConsumerInfo.com Attn: Customer Care PO Box 19729 Irvine, CA 92623-9729.
Malika of Omaha, NE (02/23/07)
I used their free credit report once. I filled in my name and credit card number because it said nothing would be charged.
Now I've checked my bank statement and found out that they charged my account for $9.95. I'm a student, and don't have extra money to pay them.
Andrea of Wood River IL (11/13/06)
I signed up for a free credit report and was then automatically charged the amount of 12.95 per month. I did find out the phone number to the agency if this is a help to anyone. It is: 1 (800) 220-2626 and they did guarantee that my membership would be cancelled and they would refund the money to my bank account.
Repeated amounts of $12.95 withdrawn each month from my checking account without my consent.
Ashley of Claycomo MO (11/10/06)
I received a free credit report from a website and now they are taking $9.95 every month from my bank account. I don't remember the website I used, and I don't know how to stop the payments.
They have taken around $100 all together for services that I have not subscribed to.
Deanna of Arlington TX (11/10/06)
For the last couple of years I have recieved a charge from CIC credit report on my bank account for the amount of 79.95. I have had to dispute this charge every year. I have no idea who these people are. The bank stated they are charging directly to my account. Meaning it's not from a stolen credit card or anything of that nature.
I have had to pay numerous amounts of overdraft fees due to this charge without my knowledge or consent. I have spent time and lost money on trying to deal with these people and have been advised that the only way I can prevent them from charging this to me once a year is to completely change my bank account. Which is of course going to cost me even further time and money.
Khanh of San Jose CA (11/07/06)
I was charged $12.99 from CIC Credit report which turns out to be FreeCreditReport after a deep research because the charges did not give any details. I signed up for a free trial for freecreditreport.com . I guess my free trial had just ended and I was charged $12.99 for a free trial? I know for sure the $12.99 did not give me an extra month or kept my account active. I can log in but can not view the credit report any longer. FreeCreditReport is possibly a scam. The word Free Trial is not an actual free trial. FALSE ADVERTISEMENT. I will be disputing this charges tomorrow. This is the second creditreport that had billed me after. Thanks for taking your time to read my incident.
It did not cause any damage, but I'd say I paid as much as a monthly membership with this company after $12.99 + interest.
Ron of Lafayette LA (11/04/06)
I went online to get a free credit report and then found a $12 charge on my credit card for their service. I spent 48 minutes on the phone with Bank of America Credit card personnel and got absolutely no help. I called CIC and cancelled the membership. I only lost $12, but from the number of complaints online, this company is stealing millions of dollars for something that the government set up to be free.
William of Carrollton, TX (10/25/06)
I went on line for a free credit report and now I am being billed for a credit reporting service. How do I stop this service?
Jenelle of MD (10/15/06)
Back in July I went on a website called free credit report.com to retrieve my credit report. I was under the impression that this was free, because by law I know that were are allowed one free credit report a year. But clearly that was not the case because a month or so after I started seeing that $12.95 was being taken out of my account each month.
As a result I had to cancel my debit card and get a new one.
Leah of Carrollton, GA (10/02/06)
I went online to check my bank statements and I found that I had a charge for $12.95 from CIC Credit Report. But the only report I'd gotten was a free one. When did free start costing!!!
I put CIC Credit Report in the Google search engine and found that I was not the only one. I also found that I was too late to get the the refund through the people who file the lawsuit since mine didn't happened between 2001 and 2003.
Kimberly of Riverview, FL (10/02/06)
I am being charged $9.95 a month for a service I have only used once during the free first 30 days. I clicked on the CONTACT button to email this company to cancel and was assured that this charge would be cancelled via e-mail. The furthest back my bank statements online go is March. I'm sure this is not the first charge.
Gwen of Austin TX (09/29/06)
$12.95 has been deducted from my checking account for nearly a year now. I have tried all avenues I can think of to contact this agency. I called the numbers that are on my statement, used the fax numbers I've seen online and information that I've seen on other consumers complaints. I have not been able to access any information that would allow me to use the service when/if I needed it.
Dionny of Hoboken NJ (08/30/06)
I tried it because they offered a free credit report -- next thing you know I'm being charged for a service that doesn't exist? I have yet to receive any credit report or a score. I'm being charged 9.95 twice a month. I now had to go to the lengths of closing my checking account and open a new one. They want to stiff me, I can stiff them too!!!!
Ashleigh of Saint Cloud MN (08/09/06)
I used the website for the free credit report too. I never once signed a membership. But i did give them my reliacard information. They said it was for security purposes. Little did i know that they were taking the money off my card. My card is not a creditcard. It's a card that my childsupport money gets put on. So them bastards were taking the only money i get from the father of my child. The money that helps support my son. I called today and they said that i signed up for the membership. So i told them to cancel and they told me that they have access to my card until September 8th, 2006. I told him to try and take the money and we'll see what happens.
John of Marietta, GA (07/01/06)
I asked for a free credit report. The site told me that the 3 reports were free, but that they needed some information to verify my membership, and that I would NOT be charged during the trial period. I have not received any credit report thus far, but I HAVE been charged $12.95 to my checking account. What was this charge for???
I have received NOTHING!
Jill of Missoula MT (06/21/06)
I called to get a free credit report. and noticed several months later that I was still paying 12.00 a month. It was being taken out of my checking account. I probably have been paying this for quite some time. I went to my bank to get it stopped and they said I have to contact CIC. I tried but could not find their address. My bank will charge me 22.00 to stop payment, which I am more than happy to pay. But I was thinking, this company must be getting pretty rich off of people like me, who do not check their statements closely enough. I will from now on!!
Michelle of Voorhees NJ (06/21/06)
I signed up for a free credit report, after seeing the link on CNN.com. I thought CNN would have credible websites listed on it. I am an attorney, and thought I could avoid scams like this, I guess I was completely wrong. I got my free credit report, sent an e-mail cancelling within the 30 days, thought I cancelled the membership, and a $12.00 charge showed up on my Credit Card today. I just called (6/21/06) to cancel and they tried to convince me to continue. I asked for an e-mail confirming my cancellation and they said they could not give it to me, so I got the name and ID# of the person who said she cancelled the membership. If they charge my cc again, they have another thing coming!
Felicia of Lakeland FL (06/19/06)
I signed up for the free trial to see my Free credit report on the website... I did read the fine print and I knew they were going to be charging my account after 30 days if I did not cancel my membership... After I read and printed out my report I emailed the CONTACT on the website and they assured me that my membership would be canceled.... However they did start charging my account. I am still being charged and I can not get in touch with anyone to find out how to stop this charge.
I have been lucky so my bank account has not been overdrawn from this but there have been many times when it could have I told these people to stop charging me and they continue to do so.
Cheryl of Virginia Beach, VA (06/18/06)
I went online to check Free Credit Report online because we had planned on refinancing our home and was just making sure that our report was ok and that there wasn't things there we didn't know about. Well, I signed up for the free credit report and didn't mind continuing after the free trial. I noticed that my bank account had been charged the $12, but I can't get another report.
I just noticed today that I had been charged again. I have been losing $12 a month for who knows how long now.
Chaz of Murfreesboro TN (06/06/06)
My wife and I are moving so we wanted to check our credit. Like many others we were duped. I checked out account today and there was a $12.00 charge on there. I am glad we found the charge the first time so maybe we can find out how to stop it.
Michael of Springfield MO (06/01/06)
This company charged my credit card 9.95 after 30 days because I had not cancelled my membership within the given time. I however don't recall signing up for ANY membership that was going to charge after a trial period was up. I actually heard of the company through fastweb.com, a popular scholarship search engine. Mixed in with all the possible scholarships that matched me, was an ad for a free credit report, which I was interested in because I had just applied for a student loan.
This company is conning students out of money as well!!! The website that I signed up at was not creditinfo.com, it was another site that is related but I cannot remember the name right now. The website that I went to did mention the free trial but did not go on to say that I would be charged after the trial period. This lead me to believe that my membership would just be cancelled automatically if I didn't sign up for the full program after the trial period. To sum up the entire story, I never once used the program because I was looking for a credit score (which you also have to pay more for), and I got charged 9.95 for it.
Leonard of Fairbanks AK (05/15/06)
A monthly recurring charge of $9.95 has been hitting my Bank of America credit card, since January, 2006, possibly longer. I finally disputed the charge, having no recollection of signing up for credit monitoring, nor was I actually receiving any credit monitoring service. My bank informed me that it was a phone, internet or mail-order transaction and no copy of a sales slip was available. My bank also provided me with a toll free number (1-800-220-2626) to pursue the merchant directly for more information about the transaction and to ensure that my account did not get billed again. I called the toll-free number and was promptly assured (after begrudgingly giving up my name, mother's maiden name, social security number) that I would no longer be billed for the service (Service, WHAT service?).
CIC*Credit Monitoring apparently provides no service and I'm out $9.95 per month since January, 2006, possibly longer (I'll need to review prior year statements to see how long this has actually been going on.)
Chris of Decatur, GA (05/14/06)
Like many of the others dealing with this company I signed up for a credit report online. Several weeks after entering my information and printing the reports I noticed a $12 charge by CIC to my bank account. This will add up to about $144 dollars by tax time next year for services I neither wanted nor requested.
Tammy of Menominee MI (05/01/06)
This company charged me for something on my credit card. I don't know how they got the number and I never ordered a credit card or report from them. $12.95 was charged to my debit card.
Tselane of Apo NY (05/01/06)
I am being charged $12.95 for services never received from CIC Credit Report. I can not find contact information for this company to let them know what is going on. This also happened last month. How can they keep charging people and get away with it?
I had to contact my bank via email and explain the situation to them. I then had to submit a statement to my bank disputing these charges. I am in Iraq and my bank is in Texas. It is very inconvenient and extremely time consuming to have to go thru all of this. I was eventually reimbursed by my bank. I checked my account again and saw that CIC charged me again. They must be stopped. This is fraud.
Jerry of Palm Desert CA (04/26/06)
Called to cancel monthly charge of $9.95 that has been ongoing since I got a credit report in June 2005. Customer Rep ignored the request to terminate the monthly charge by continually telling me to use the website to check my credit report since it was paid. When I told her I was going to record our conversation she hung up!!
Charles of Fort Worth TX (04/26/06)
My credit card statement had a charge, on April 18, 2006, for $79.95 from a company called CIC Credit Monitoring (this apparently is a trade name related to consumeraffairs.com). I did not purchase or request any services from this company.
So far I am out $79.95 ... but who knows the ultimate damage? They somehow got my credit card number.
Karen of Marshall NC (04/23/06)
I talked to a women who told me she was going to take it off but did not. They keep charging me 9.95 each time but wont take it off.
Trina of Clovis, CA (04/20/06)
I signed up for a free credit report and apparently did not read the fine print. I realized after about 6 months that my credit card was being charged $12 a month. I called to cancel the service, they said it would be cancelled, although they tried really hard to talk me into staying, even going so far as so tell me, "you haven't even used the service".
So far I am out $84, which isn't much, but it's embarrassing since my job is in risk management and I fell for this scam AND gave them the information they asked for when I called. I'm hanging my head in shame.
Shana of Washington, DC (04/20/06)
I have a $79.95 charge on my credit card from CIC Credit Monitoring. When I called to dispute the charge they asked me for my credit card number or my ssn. The very thing they are "supposedly" "protecting" from is what they are asking me for! How does that make sense?!
They could very well charge me another amount with my credit card number and steal my identity with my ssn. I told them that I would just contact the BBB to report them.
Wendy of Lansing MI (04/18/06)
i've finally found out why my card always seems to be over the limit at payment time: I've been charged the mysterious 'cic credit monitoring service' fee of $9.95 per month since about 7 months ago! I haven't received any services from this credit monitoring service, why am i paying for it?! I dont even remember signing up for the "free trial!" I've been trying to argue with my credit card company, Citibank, but they refuse to respond to any e-mails, and tell me to contact the company when i call them. I ask them who to call, and they dont know, so i'm stuck.
My credit card went over the limit twice because of this charge. My interest rate went up each time, and the second time i had to make a late payment, because i couldn't afford the fees and interest when it was due. This whole thing resulted in a lower credit score, so now it's hard to even get a loan to pay off the card, to get rid of this "cic credit monitoring service" charge, since they won't stop charging it to the card. it caused, and continues to cause, a fiasco.
Mark of Huntington Beach CA (04/18/06)
I was charged for 9.95 and did not belong to the company. I called to so call cancel my membership. I never wanted to become a member and didn't know who this company was.
M K of Rutland VT (04/08/06)
I placed an initial fraud alert by contacting Transunion on April 1 after being told by the Vermont State Colleges that personal information on many faculty, staff and students that was on a laptop had been stolen. I was told that I only needed to contact one company and the other two would be notified. I received a letter of confirmation from Transunion and Experion with information on how to proceed. Both companies emphasized that there was no cost to me and that I was entitled to a free credit report also. I never heard from Equifax but now have a charge on my credit card for "credit monitoring service" from some company called CIC Monitoring Service. I did NOT request credit nonitoring, only my legal right to place a fraud alert and receive a free copy of my credit report. I can only assume that Equifax misinterpreted the FREE fraud alert guaranteed by law when identity theft may be a factor and decided to interpret it as a request for credit monitoring, and charged me $19.90. So now I have been a victim twice.
The economic damage is the $19.90 that was charged to my credit card by Equifax for "credit monitoring" when all I did was pursue my legal right to place a free fraud alert with the three credit report companies...so far. This is not my first bogus charge. I received a free credit report and score offer from Experion with my H.R. Block tax package this year. The software cut me off at one point and I was only issued the report. When I contacted the company for the score, they said to redo the software request for the free score, but $9.95 was debited from my account. So, so far I have had one free credit report through H.R. Block and been charged for the credit score due to a program glitch. Then I'm notified that all my information may have been compromised by a theft and to protect myself by placing a fraud alert free as is my legal right. But I've been charged 19.90 by Equifax for "credit monitoring" instead of a free credit report. So all my "free rights" have cost me around $30. Oh, and I'm retired trying to live on a fixed income.
Catherine of Las Vegas NV (04/07/06)
Wanted to see credit report. Just siged up for one time credit report that was to be free. They said you must cancel before trial date. CIC is taking money from my account and I can not find anyone who can stop them.
Jim of Alvin TX (04/05/06)
I was denied credit and was told I could get a free credit report from Experian. I filled out the forms and now a monthly charge of $12.00 appears on my bank statement. I was under the impression that the only way to get the free report was to sign up for the monitoring service. But I have tried numerous times since then to cancel the service and either cannot get anyone to answer the phone, or if they do they are requiring information I am not willing to give to cancel the service such as mothers maiden name, full ss# and DOB. With the information they have I don't feel I should provide them access to anymore!!! I guess I'm just stuck paying $12.00 each month forever!!?
Gregory of Bartlett TN (04/05/06)
On 4/5/06 this company took $9.95 from my payroll checking account.A few months ago I signed up for a free credit report and I have also paid up front for a credit report,they never e-mailed or contacted me about any charges.They have access to my pay card and able to deduct from it without any notice -- that's not right.
George of Chicago IL (03/28/06)
Third time calling this company to cancel my memebership. After calling them again only this time furious they continued to put me on hold and even hang up on me. Once I had a rep on the phone they went into a 15 minute blab about why I should keep it. Stop them imediately if you don't they won't let you get a word in. Now it's a matter of waiting till next month to see if they attempt to charge me again only this time I'm going to alert my bank not to let them get that money. This company is a big scam for no real service.
Nothing too damaging but if you aren't paying attention to your banking statements you WILL bounce checks or even overdraft on accounts.
Dorothy of Deltona FL (03/25/06)
A charge of $9.95 has shown up on my bank statement from CIC Credit Reports for "Credit Monitoring Services." I did not order this service and have not talked to anyone at this company yet. How do I stop this?
Kris of Pooler GA (03/13/06)
A charge on my bank statement appeared for something I never even knew I singed up for apparently. Going to try and dispute it, but as of now it hasn't cleared the bank.I may be out $79.95. That is theft if you ask me!
Ella of Lexington NC (03/09/06)
I applied for a "free" credit report for my son thru ConsumerInfo.com. The charge to my credit card is $18.90 per month (2 separate charges) (Ref. # 328WQYQW and G1B04ZQW). I e-mailed them and asked them to cancel my membership. They returned an e-mail saying that it was cancelled in September 2005. But the charges continue. How can I go about getting this charge dropped on my credit card? I have informed by credit card company that this is not a legitimate charge and they haven't done anything about it.
Joan of Sebastian FL (03/04/06)
We were in the process of purchasing a home around November 2005. I went on line and for $9.95 this company said they would alert us of any inquiries on us. I cancelled this service and after I called they did credit my account with the 9.95. Now this month it happened again only this time I got my bank involved and they will handle it. If it happens agin next month the only other choice I have is to close the account and open another as the bank is well aware of companies like this.
There was not any damage because I keep a close watch on my accounts. But why give a company $119.40 when I can use this for groceries or a nice dinner out with my husband.
Bethany of Wilsonville OR (02/27/06)
I signed up for my "free" credit report and the site said that if I didn't cancel within 30 days they would automatically sign me up for additional services. I DID cancel within 30 days and they STILL started charging me $12/month. The worst part is that they are charging $12/month for NOTHING - I cannot use any of their online "services". I can't find an address or ph# for these people and emails are completely ignored - I have sent them an email a month for the last 6 mos. How is it that they can get away with this?
So far, I'm out almost $100. I'm on a tight budget and this does actually impact me.
Gerald of Murfreesboro TN (02/20/06)
We got suckered too. They pop us $12.00 a month and can't stop it. Tried to cancel. To no avail.
Jeanne of Newton WI (02/20/06)
Registered for a free credit report and credit score and they charged to my charge card, 3 different charges for this service. These charges amounted to $34.95, so why did they say they were free.
Franklin of Lebanon OR (02/17/06)
I have been charged 9.95/month for this service I did not realize I had. After calling I did get to cancel and they said you needed to cancel within the first 30 days for no charges. I wasn't aware of this and would of done so if I had known. They also asked for mothers maiden name which I did not give.
Have been charged the 9.95/month for the past year without benefits as far as I know.
Tammy of Rolla MO (02/14/06)
Approximately a year ago I signed up to receive a "free" credit report so that I could monitor my credit. I don't remember agreeing to purchase any type of credit monitoring service but every month for the last year a $9.95 charge has been on my bank statement to CIC. I have called at least 2-3 times a week on the 800 number and never get anyone to answer the phone. It doesn't matter what time of day I call, the line is either busy or just rings continuously. I have paid $120 dollars to these people that I will probably never receive back. I don't have any idea what to do to get these charges to stop coming out of my bank account.
Cindy of Williamsburg VA (02/06/06)
I went to this company's website to obtain a free copy of my and my husband's credit report. I entered basic information as requested noting there was a 30 day free trial. After receiving the reports, I immediately went to the link on their site and cancelled both of our memberships. Approximately one month later, I received 2 separate charges for $12 each from the company for our "memberships" I called the company to dispute and was told they would not refund that month's charges, but would cancel the memberships.
I decided to also go on-line to their link to cancel the memberships again just to ensure I had my bases covered. The next month I again received 2 separate charges for $12 each. This time I called my bank to refute the charges and asked them to reissue my card which was supposed to stop further charges. I called the company to have the charges refunded and they told me there was no record of my call and then that there was no link on their site to cancel memberships! I went to the site with the company representative on the phone and told him I was looking right at it. He said they would not refund the charges, but would cancel the membership.
Surprise, the next month I had two more charges. I called the bank to let them know what was going on and had a conference call with the company regarding charges. They agreed to cancel my membership (no refunds though)but would not cancel my husbands unless he called in person. Never mind I had all his information and had created the account and it is my card they are charging. I am now only receiving one $12 charge per month, but can't get the charges to stop even after my husband has called. I have been putting off cancelling my account, but think it is the only resolution left.
Fortunately, I keep a daily tab on my account via the web and have been aware each time these charges are pending and therefore have not bounced any checks or overdrawn our account. The economic impact is the amount of time it has taken for me to contact the company, my bank, wait for a new card all time which is during regular business hours. I am in sales, every minute spent on this is potential money out of my pocket.
Cindy of Tampa FL (02/03/06)
I was charged $19.90 for something that I knew nothing about. Sure don't want to pay for something that I can get for free.
It's the principle of the matter, not the money.
Greg of Delray Beach, FL (8/21/05)
My story is just like all the rest I read on your website. I signed up for
the free 30-trial and cancelled 10 days later. Then a week or so later, I
notice a charge from CIC. I tried to dispute the charge, but my bank won�t
help, so I suspect I will have to make my donation to the riches of this
evil company.
I tried to speak in a calm tone of voice with the representative at CIC, but
all he was ready to do was to give me a phone number to a 3rd party toll
free number, that obviously was geared up for lip-service. When I hung up,
I realized I was helpless against this monster of a company.
Damages: $79.95, bounced checks, unable to make car payment!!!
ARRRGGGHHHH!!!
Olivia of Albuquerque, NM (8/22/05)
I just noticed a monthly deduction on my checking account for $9.95 from CIC
credit report for at least 3 months. This does not sound like the same
$79.95 issue I have seen, but it is the same company for sure. I am not sure
how to deal with this because I have absolutely no recollection of ever
signing up with them!
Octavia of Lake Oswego OR (6/2/04):
I checked my credit card statement today and saw that there was a charge for $79.95 labeled as CIC Credit Monitoring SVC. Since I did not recognize this I looked it up on the internet. I found out that many people, like myself, had received charges for a FREE credit report. I have contacted my bank and they give me a phone number to contact CIC Credit Monitoring SVC.
I contacted CIC and asked them about the charge. I had found out that actually this was the second time when they had charged my account for the same amount of money, last time was in 2003. They had explained to me that they automatically renewed a membership service for which I haven't even had a clue I had ever sign up for. I asked them if they do have my permission to charge the card and they say yes but when I specifically asked them if they do have this in writing, they explain to me that this is an automated service.
I asked why I wasn't asked or make aware if I would like to renew a service that I have no recollection signing for in the first place, they didn't have an answer beside the fact that this is renewed automatically. Finally, I had told them that I would like to cancel what I had never used anyway, they send me a confirmation e-mail telling me that they will refund my money at a prorate rate in about 7 to 10 business days. Well, today, the 10th business day, the money was still not refunded.
Danielle of Belleville IL (5/2/04):
I signed up for the free trial period and after I cancelled before the end of it, they charged me anyway, taking money that was not there to take and getting me into trouble with my credit card company.
Jeff of San Diego (4/23/04):
I fell for this about a year ago. I signed up for the "free" credit report, which unknowingly signed me up for a credit monitoring service that costs $79.95 a year. Immediately after seeing the $79.95 on my bank statement, I called and canceled, and they refunded the money. Now, a year later, I noticed another $79.95 charge on my bank statement from this company! I called and told them to cancel my account and refund my money immediately. I also asked how my account was reactivated, and they told me that the member has to visit their web site in order to reactivate the account. Of course, I did not visit their web site, and I certainly did not desire to be re-enrolled for this service.
It was only by chance that I noticed the charge on my statement, and I luckily noticed it within the 30-day period that they will still refund the charge. Nonetheless, it is obviously inconvenient and also quite disconcerting that my account was mysteriously reactivated without my permission. I would hate to imagine what this company will do with my social security number and mother's maiden name, which they required me to give in order to cancel my account.
Amy of FPO, USA (4/19/04):
In January, I received ConsumerInfo.com's offer for a free credit report with a free 30-day trial offer of CreditCheck. I requested my "free" credit report because I have lived overseas for over a year and a half and wanted to do the responsible thing and make sure there were no surprises. After seeing that there were no problems on my credit report, I cancelled my trial offer that same day (Jan. 21).
The REAL surprise came in March when I received my February bank statement, and CIC Credit Monitor SVC (another name for ConsumerInfo.com, which, by the way, operates under 9 different names) had charged me $79.95 on Feb. 20. This charge was not authorized. I filed an investigation and dispute with my bank on Mar. 21, and proceeded to send ConsumerInfo.com two or more e-mails per week to try to gain an explanation from them. There has been no response within the past month.
Jeremy of Tigard OR (4/6/04):
I discovered a charge on my credit card yesterday, for $79.95. I believe I got a "free" credit report a year or so ago from this company, and probably was charged once before without realizing it. When I called to have it cancelled I was asked to provide my name, SSN, credit card number, birthdate and mother's maiden name. I refused to provide more than the credit card and last four digits of my SSN. When I wouldn't provide my birthdate or mother's maiden name they refused to reverse the charges.
When I got to the supervisor's supervisor, I was told that I can fax in a copy of my driver license and a written request to have the charges reversed, and they'll do so within "7 to 10 business days." Of course, I'm redacting all personal information like B-day, d.l. number, etc. No way they need all that info. just to cancel the order. We'll see how it turns out.
Kevin of Nashua NH (3/19/03):
I recently received my Chase Credit Card bill and it had a charge of $79.95 of which I have no known recollection of authorizing. The charge is for "CIC CREDIT MONITOR SVC 877-513-4175". I called the number and a message informed me that it was ConsumerInfo. They also listed their office hours. I tried to contact them on 03/15/03 at approximately 3:00 p.m. Pacific time and their office was closed (they stated they were open unitl 5:00p.m.) I have tried since and still cannot get a response. I also attempted to contact their web site, but all I get is advertisements for free credit reports. I have searched for a customer service site, but to no avail.
I am trying to pay-off my credit card debt and having a $79.95 charge per month is not helping. The account is not active and I believe this is a plot to delay me from closing my account. I wish I had a faxed copy with my signiture stating that I wanted this rip-off service. I will have to call my credit card company and possibly ask for help.
Nancy of Hartsburg IL (3/17/03):
I had been denied a credit card from Marshall Field. I received a letter in the mail telling me that I was entitled to a free credit report if I filed for it within 60 days of receiving the letter. It told to go to www.consumerinfo.com to get your free report. I did this. I filled in the information for the free report but I did not get the information. Then I received my credit card bill and they had charged me $34.95 for the reports, which they said I marked for 3 of them. I absolutely did not ask for anything besides my free copy.
Why do they advertise for a free copy and then they claim there are more boxes to mark and that is why you are charged a fee and they cannot refund your money? It is totally false advertising and I would like to know how to get them to be stopped or who to write a letter to or how to get my money back?
I am very emotionally upset that they advertise a free report and now they have charged my credit card for $34.95 for something I did not get. I am afraid to go back into the site to try to get the report because I am afraid they will charge me more. I have received nothing for this money.
Tara of North Brunswick NJ (2/26/03):
I had similar problems to the ones mentioned by others. I signed up for the free credit report and when I did not receive any news within a week I used the "help" on their site to contact them. They replied that there was a problem and they would have to mail something to me to verify my details. I have received no mail and no further emails from them, so I assumed that it was over. Suddenly now I have an $80 "monitoring" charge from them on my credit card. I sent another email using the help feature on their website and it bounced back as undeliverable.
Barbara of Concord NC (2/14/03):
Can't get any information on how to cancel this transaction. They are going to charge my account and I am unable to contact them and tell them I do not want their services.
Angel of Topeka KS (2/5/03):
I applied for my free credit report and gave my visa number, then found out that I would be charged $79.00 if I did not cancel in thirty days. I hit the wrong key and lost my screen. I do not know how to contact so I may cancel.
Stephen of Concord CA (10/12/02):
Recently I found a mysterious $79.95 charge on my Aspire Visa credit card. I complained to Aspire but they said I must contact the company, an outfit called consumerinfo.com. This company's representative said that I had signed up online for their "service" last year and so had been charged for two years! They refused to refund my money and Aspire would not help either. I never signed up for any service, nor do I have any idea of who these people are.
Gregory of St. Louis writes (4/1/01):
The initial credit report is, indeed, "free". However, the way they deliver it is, after you enter in all of your information believing you're about to receive your credit report (presumably online), the final page says "Thank you for your info. You will receive your report in 7-15 business days" (paraphrasing from memory). The trick is, after you get your botched-up, in-their-own-format credit report (which is difficult if not impossible for the layperson to translate into a real credit report), you have "x" days to cancel the "free service" (I forget what the trial period was, 30 days perhaps?) If you fail to cancel within that time period, they slam you with the $79.99 "monitoring fee".
I managed to extract myself from their "free" expensive service by calling the number that appeared on my bank statement for them and complaining loudly. Truthfully, they were very polite but were pretty intractable until I used the "C" word (chargeback). After that, the lady cheerfully said they'd remove the charge. Six days later, it was gone. All in all, no harm done, though it could get messy for those who don't watch their bank statements closely; I imagine that's what they're counting on.
Charlotte of Jacksonville Beach FL writes (7/24/01):
I signed up to consumerinfo.com to receice the "free credit report," hoping to see if I can find out how my credit is. I never received the credit report in the mail. Also when you look at the web page where they show what they have to offer, they say you will get a weekly newsletter, which I never receive.
I found it almost impossible to get hold of them on my schedule also. I couldn't find an e-mail because I couldn't sign on as a member because I never received my member number. I tried faxing them, because their office hours are not convient to my sceduale, and the fax was busy.
Corinne of Highland, CA, writes:
Company obtained security info such as drivers license number, mother's maiden name, credit card information etc and there was an error before the credit report can be sent. They specify that I am not charged unless I actually get the report. I believe that this is the second time this has happened. The fact that I may not be billed because I have not received a report is immaterial as they have all of my security informaton.
Who knows how this unfolds? if they are bogus they have enough information about me to do untold damage.
We went to ConsumerInfo.com and found them offering a free credit report and free monthly monitoring. However, reading subsequent pages, this "free" service seems to cost $79.95 per year.
We decided to go through the sign-up process. The sign-up page asked for name, address, phone number and email. Looked harmless enough so our old friend John A. Smith of Anytown AL signed up.
The next page to appear asked for: "verification information" including Social Security number, mother's maiden name, credit card number and expiration date. "Your credit card will not be charged during the free trial period," the page promised.
We also find it odd, and a little alarming, that ConsumerInfo.com asks for such information as mother's maiden name. We'd like to hear from anyone else who's had dealings with this company. Please let us know how it turned out.
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