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Get paid £6 to check your credit files for free
MSE_Jenny
Posts: 1,321 MSE Staff
What’s the deal?
Credit reference agencies are very keen to sign us up for a year's subscription of their, mostly irrelevant, credit monitoring services. Not surprising as they charge £80+ a year, so to do so they like to entice people with a 'free months trial'.
Yet this provides a loophole allowing you to see your credit reference files online for free. So sign up to the month's trial, get the cashback and then cancel. Even better, currently cashback sites will pay you a fiver for getting the trial - so you can check your file and be paid to do so!
Checking your credit reference files are very important
This is something people should do every year; an error or a problem can cause financial nightmares. Full details are in the Your Credit Rating: How to check and improve it article.
Which is the best cashback site?
Cashback sites are simply a form of advertising that list product providers and retailers, and get paid for ‘providing leads’ when you click through them. Yet with these sites some or all of the revenue raised from your click is paid directly to you. For a full explanation read the Top Cashback Sites article.
With this deal Topcashback is paying £6 and Quidco £6 when you sign up to one free month of CreditExpert (the online site of Experian), yet Quidco charges newcomers a £5 admin fee to cover its cost.
It's important to understand, that with these sites you should get the cashback, but it's not guaranteed. Yet as you don't have to spend anything don't worry.
What to do to get the cash
1. Sign up through Topcashback or Quidco (search for "creditexpert")
2. View your file online. Then sign up, enter your card details and view your file at no cost (either instantly or after they've sent a passcode).
3. Cancel the subscription. Now cancel the subscription by calling 0800 656 9000. You are signing up to a direct debit so even though they allow 30 days, I'd do this straight away. Leave it a month and you may forget and be charged for the next month.
4. Wait for the cashback. The £6 should appear on your cashback account within a couple of days.
Important. This is only for one agency
Do remember the Credit Expert check is only for Experian; to do it properly you need all three agencies. Don't worry though the other two can be had for free as well. See the Your Credit Rating: How to check and improve it article for details.
Jenny
Credit reference agencies are very keen to sign us up for a year's subscription of their, mostly irrelevant, credit monitoring services. Not surprising as they charge £80+ a year, so to do so they like to entice people with a 'free months trial'.
Yet this provides a loophole allowing you to see your credit reference files online for free. So sign up to the month's trial, get the cashback and then cancel. Even better, currently cashback sites will pay you a fiver for getting the trial - so you can check your file and be paid to do so!
Checking your credit reference files are very important
This is something people should do every year; an error or a problem can cause financial nightmares. Full details are in the Your Credit Rating: How to check and improve it article.
Which is the best cashback site?
Cashback sites are simply a form of advertising that list product providers and retailers, and get paid for ‘providing leads’ when you click through them. Yet with these sites some or all of the revenue raised from your click is paid directly to you. For a full explanation read the Top Cashback Sites article.
With this deal Topcashback is paying £6 and Quidco £6 when you sign up to one free month of CreditExpert (the online site of Experian), yet Quidco charges newcomers a £5 admin fee to cover its cost.
It's important to understand, that with these sites you should get the cashback, but it's not guaranteed. Yet as you don't have to spend anything don't worry.
What to do to get the cash
1. Sign up through Topcashback or Quidco (search for "creditexpert")
2. View your file online. Then sign up, enter your card details and view your file at no cost (either instantly or after they've sent a passcode).
3. Cancel the subscription. Now cancel the subscription by calling 0800 656 9000. You are signing up to a direct debit so even though they allow 30 days, I'd do this straight away. Leave it a month and you may forget and be charged for the next month.
4. Wait for the cashback. The £6 should appear on your cashback account within a couple of days.
Important. This is only for one agency
Do remember the Credit Expert check is only for Experian; to do it properly you need all three agencies. Don't worry though the other two can be had for free as well. See the Your Credit Rating: How to check and improve it article for details.
Jenny
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Comments
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quidco do almost exactly the same thing with experian and pay you £6Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it.
Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.0 -
Yep, that's mentioned in the post. But as Quidco charges a £5 a year admin fee, Topcashback might be better for people who won't be using cashback websites all the time.
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if your in linemypocket they give you a pound, you have to search for credit expert.Div 1 Play Off Winners 2007
CCC Play Off Winners 20100 -
I can't find Experian listed on topcashback - can anyone help?
Edit - Found it under Credit Expert by Experian, but it says I've already seen my report - I don't remember that, and can't log in...Mortgage Free thanks to ill-health retirement0 -
What do you have to do to cancel? Is it just a case of doing it online, cancelling a direct debit, or do you have to hang about on the phone for ages?0
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How do you cancel? I often sign up for these things but when it comes to cancelling the websites seem to be less helpful.
Edit: DOH!!! I can see this has already been answered, I really should read the whole caboodle before I put fingers to the keyboard. Thanks SS
Edit again: Dunnit, they do try and flog a market place thingy to you as encouragement to stay, but they didn't give me too hard a time. You can cancel on freephone 0800 656 9000 and select option 4.Domestic Violence and Abuse 24hr freephone helpline for FEMALE TARGETS - 0808 2000 247.
For MALE TARGETS - 0808 801 0327.
Free legal advice on WOMEN'S RIGHTS - 020 7251 6577.
PM me for further support / links to websites.0 -
Quidco is a co-operative. It is run by consumers for consumers. Please please read their about us section. It asks users to respect Quidco and not to sign up to things then cancel them straight away and get money from Quidco. It damages the Quidco model, and hurts us.
Quidco works on the click-and-pay idea. For example, when we click on a link on Martin's site to visit a company, Martin gets paid for that click if we end up buying a product from that company. (Martin is always very upfront about these so called 'sponsored' links).
Now Quidco is very similar...but instead of Quidco earning money when we click on a link to a third-party company, that money comes straight back to us.
If thousands of people sign up for their credit reports and claim Quidco cash then cancel their reports soon after, it will harm Quidco's reputation with the companies they link to.
I have informed Quidco about this Martin's email, and hopefully they'll stop offering cashback on these products.
Getting easy money from Quidco is very simple, but it hurts us.
Consumer revenge is a fantastic idea - but revenge against ourselves? Martin, you should know better.0 -
Good point, Urban.0
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Am I blind? On the Top CashBack site - I can see Experian, listed on the home page bottom right - says it gives cashback of £1.50?
Where does it mention £5 for joining?0
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