Callcredit "Free" Offer - BEWARE!

bloodaxe

The Callcredit web site is misleading. It offers a free credit SCORE but you pay for the credit report. You don't realise that you are signing up for the credit report, which doesn't have a free trial period. I thought it was the same as Experian and Equifax (much nicer companies to deal with). It's not easy to find out how to unsubscribe either. I would steer clear of this outfit.

dsharp7th

callcredit check - how devious!

experian and equifax i have found reasonable to deal with and was able to check my records with no payment in advance of a mortgage application, then cancel with no money paid. with callcredit i have paid £12 for the privilege, believing, like others here, that the free period covered a look at the report. if i wasn't over the moon with a mortgage approval i'd be spitting blood!

i would like to add, that there was slightly different information on each report, so to be absolutely sure what information is available to any company checking your file (and to make sure there is no incorrect information), i believe checking all three is the only way to be certain - meaning grit your teeth and stump up £12 to callcredit. anyone know any different?

the whole thing is a stitch up, these three agencies get rich by charging lenders to supply them with OUR information, with frequent errors and distress, and then WE have to pay to see our own information?

Tixy

Hi DSharp

Yes there is an alternative - you can pay £2 to get a statutory postal report, each agency must provide this option. So for callcredit thats the cheapest way to look at your report. Once you have done a free trial on the other 2, then next time you need to check go for the statutory report.

http://www.callcredit.co.uk/files/creditfile_app.pdf

lazerbeak

Cheers mate I was just about to click finish the order, when i found this, and of course didnt bother finshing. thanks again

darkblue wrote: »

I recently attempted to check my credit file using one of the three credit reporting systems: Callcredit.

Callcredit's site says, and I quote:

"Your credit score FREE for the first 3 months"

When you click this - it automatically comes up with a detail input field, where you can input your details and apparently receive your credit report.

You input your card details - I assumed, like equifax, this is so that they can charge you after the three month free subscription, which you can cancel during, at any time.

However that was not the case - I was automatically charged £12.

I was furious and immediately demanded a refund. There are no customer service telephone numbers and I was forced to contact them by email.

They contacted me today - 5 days later, to tell me that it's £12 every month, which allows you to check your report any time during that three months.

They refunded me, only because my details had not been automatically detected and they had to send out a pin to my last known address for access to my account.

I'm absolutely appauled at this response, which suggests had they provided me the details immediately, I would have had no recourse.

You have been warned!

Stay clear of CallCredit - instead, Experian (the most widely used credit reference agency) offers a free trial in which you can cancel any time.

Ashanne07

Thanks same as above was literally about to pay then continued to scroll and went back to order the stautory one am going for a dro and my debt agency has only asked me to sign the forms to request Experian so am getting info from the other 2 that way i can tackle any errors.

Going_green

Hi,

About six weeks ago callcreditcheck.com sent me a letter saying that my Callcredit Check report was ready, but I don't recall ever requesting a credit check from them or anyone else - when these spam emails arrive I usually delete them straight away.

They also sent a pin which I've never used either.

Now I find that £12 has been deducted from my credit card account.

This is plainly a scam as most people would go to the site and then pay the bill, or not even notice the withdrawal.

I've reported this to Visa but a couple of questions.

1. How did they get my card details? (Obviously it's their business so not too difficult, but surely not legal).

2. How many others have they done this to? (Most people are probably not even aware of what's happened).

darkblue_2

If you have never been on their site and requested a credit check? Even a 'free report'? Their small print states it's a free report for one month, then they charge you.

If you have not, I strongly advise that you contact your bank and report it as fraud, and also let callcredit know. Although their tactics are underhand - they are still one of the big three reference agencies and should be able to help you.

Going_green

I'm almost certain that I've never requested or clicked a link that might've requested a check.

Just trawled through my browser history to double check but nada.

Wondered if some 3rd party could do this - like when you sign up for stuff and they say that you agree to a credit check - but don't remember doing that either.

koloko

deleted deleted deleted

JasX

They are a bunch of scam artists who don't stick to their own Ts and Cs (when they tried to snag me they tried backdating my free 30 days to the point I requested access to their site NOT when they granted access and started providing any kind of service which is directly the opposite to what the Ts and Cs state).

Eventually got a full refund after alot of badgering, get hold of a copy of their full complaints procedure, then badger all the way thru that and threaten to go beyond to their regulator. They are very slow at replying to anything presubably at the large volume of complaints from people who have followed their Ts and Cs to the letter but they have then tried to scam outwith what they agreed to.