Experian - Be Warned

gomer

WD40 wrote: »

My suspicion exactly. One of the links I quoted illustrates how they were fined, several years ago, for pursuing a tactic of not making their terms visible prior to taking card details.

I admit that I probably didn't give as much attention as I could to the small print. This was due to 2 reasons: the statement 'we need your card details to verify your identity' lulled me into a sense of false security; I didn't believe a sanctioned credit rating agency would implement a technique usually only seen on suspect websites such as those peddling !!!!!!.

Experian has a proven record as a snide company. I feel mugged. I should've searched Google first - thousands of horror stories are out there - mainly due to their 'stealth' profit strategies.

See my post above, they make it perfectly clear before you enter your card details. Secondly if you didn't give much attention to the small print (and it's not small print anyway) then i am afraid you have to shoulder some of the responsibility for any misunderstandings.

You have to enter into these things with your eyes open & read the terms that you are agreeing to rather than finding out afterwards.

WD40

gomer wrote: »

See my post above, they make it perfectly clear before you enter your card details. Secondly if you didn't give much attention to the small print (and it's not small print anyway) then i am afraid you have to shoulder some of the responsibility for any misunderstandings.

You have to enter into these things with your eyes open & read the terms that you are agreeing to rather than finding out afterwards.

The first sentence 'verify your identity' threw me off the scent. I didn't expect a goverment-licensed body to implement the kind of tactic usually only seen on !!!!!! sites. I asked a 'web programmer if he'd seen the technique outside of !!!!!! websites - he said 'no'.

gomer

Well maybe he needs to stop watching !!!!!!. It happens all over the internet. Would you give me your card details without fully checking what i intended to do with them first?

jd87

If you choose to stay as a member after your free 30 day trial your card will be charged the monthly membership fee of £6.99.

Seems pretty clear to me...

bigbum_2

I've been using Experian off and on to check my credit file for the last couple of years. I've never had any problems when calling to cancel the subscription. I like to check every 3-6 months and always call them to cancel subscrpition a few days after paying. Experian then tell me when my access will expire.

As someone else said, the 'small print' is pretty clear on fees and payment.

System

I too must say that I think they make it very clear that you must cancel to prevent your card being charged.

They also make it easy to do so, I've done it myself.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no fan of Experian but in this case I don't think they're being sneaky or acting like a '!!!!!!' site.

UNDERGROUND

young_victor_meldrew

Callcredit did the same, then gave me pure BS for 6 weeks making every excuse they could not to refund me for the £12 they took from my card on day 1 of my "free 3 month trial"

I have had to chargeback my Credit Card as they are refusing to accept their advert is a misleading con trick!

WD40

gomer wrote: »

Well maybe he needs to stop watching !!!!!!. It happens all over the internet. Would you give me your card details without fully checking what i intended to do with them first?

No. But you're not a government-sanctioned credit checking agency, are you?

The spiel given to me by the Experian employee was highly rehearsed. It was clear that she had it memorised, and has given it to many people before.

My fault is that I didn't expect a govt-sanctioned credit body to implement a technique only seen elsewhere on 'seedy' websites.

BTW - As I said before, my complaint is the least of any Experian-user's worries. There are hundreds of people out there who've really had their lives negatively affected, as opposed to having a few quid taken from their wallet like I did.

System

young_victor_meldrew wrote: »

Callcredit did the same, then gave me pure BS for 6 weeks making every excuse they could not to refund me for the £12 they took from my card on day 1 of my "free 3 month trial"

I have had to chargeback my Credit Card as they are refusing to accept their advert is a misleading con trick!

This isn't the same scenario as the OP, it seems they were charged after the introductory period, not during.

UNDERGROUND

BoGoF

So you read 8 words of a 2 sentence paragraph and it's someone else's fault............it's clear as day you will be billed if you don't cancel. Maybe all these 'seedy' sites you seem to know a lot about are affecting your eyesight

ps bigbum....you say you owe Capital One in your sig. If this is a current credit card you should be getting free access to your credit report