Check your credit record for free...and first-timers get £6.50 too!

Former_MSE_Natasha

14 January 2008

Update 17 Jan 11.30am: Topcashback has increased its cashback amount to £6.50, until 31 Jan, to match Quidco's. Thus, if you don't have a Quidco account, opt for Topcashback as you'll avoid paying Quidco's £5 annual joining fee.

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 sweeten the deal they like to entice people with a 'free month's 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, check your info, then cancel. Even better, at the moment cashback sites will pay 'new customers' (those who haven't done this before) up to £6.50 for getting the trial - so you can check your file and be paid to do so!

Checking your credit reference files is very important

This is something people should do at least every year; an error or a problem can cause financial nightmares. Full details are in the Your Credit Rating: How To Check & 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 both Quidco and Topcashback are paying £6.50 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 and selecting option 4. 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 £6.50/£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 & Improve It article for details.


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GoofyGAT

Something to be aware of.....this is only for first time users of Experian/CreditExpert - if you've used them before they'll most likely reject your application. G

P.S. Direct link to Quidco/CreditExpert

rednutt

I applied for this and have viewed my credit report but it has never tracked in Quidco. It was my first time applying also.
I think this may have something to do with it:


Taken from Quidco website

Please read the following before proceeding:

The free trial is available for new customers only.

The merchant is not accepting enquiries for this programme. ???????

jamtart6

you get 800 points for this on pigsback which is equivelant to £8 in vouchers

naomi234

Every time i try to do credit expert on pigsback i get onto the first page enter my details then press continue and it always says not available at this time check back later

soco1

I joined the 30 day trial through Quidco too and mine didn't track either.

Now cancelled as have no desire to be paying each month needlessly.

hmaffin

I just signed up the the experian trial and didn't even think that it would be quidco-able! What a shame.

Does remind me to cancel my trial with them though - once i have got my credit report printed off is there anything else worth doing on there?

lucylouwoo

I've tried to do it through pigsback but when i fill in my deatails it won't let me get onto the next page, it says i need to pick my title from the drop box which i have done, but it won't recognise it!!!
any ideas???

greenpixey

naomi234 wrote: »

Every time i try to do credit expert on pigsback i get onto the first page enter my details then press continue and it always says not available at this time check back later

I haven't tried through pigsback but I do have the same problem, I never get pass the first page...

mo1960

I signed up for my free trial with Experian through Quidco, but didn't get the £6 cashback.
Experian said it wasn't their responsibility to pay and Quidco said they couldn't do anything about it either.

Sazzzle

Has anyone tried cancelling their subscription yet? What reason do you give for cancelling and what do they ask you?