"Free Credit Report?" The FTC Takes Action against Deceptive Marketing Tactics

In response to the growing number of complaints from consumers, the Federal Trade Commission has announced a new ruling on free credit reporting.
By: NewHorizon.org
 
April 8, 2010 - PRLog -- In response to the growing number of complaints from consumers, the Federal Trade Commission has announced a new ruling on free credit reporting.  To put a stop to deceptive marketing tactics, a new law requires all companies that offer free credit reports from their websites to provide a disclosure stating that www.AnnualCreditReport.com is the ONLY authorized source of free credit reports under the federal law.

Based on the Fair Credit Reporting Act, all consumers have the right to obtain one copy of a credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion) every year for free.  But many consumers have been misled by the fraudulent use of the term “free credit reports”.  

Some websites offer “free credit reports” that require people to first buy products or sign up for a service in order to get one.  Many consumers are made to believe that they can check their credit reports for free and yet may find later on that the “free” offer actually comes with a fee or a consequence.

Take note that AnnualCreditReport.com NEVER sends out promotional emails or uses pop-up ads to promote their service. To make the request, consumers can visit www.AnnualCreditReport.com, request through telephone at 1-877-322-8228 or fill out the Annual Credit Report Request form and send it via postal mail to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.  Consumers can request all three reports at once or order one copy at a time.

If you encounter a company that uses deceptive marketing strategies or if you are being asked to pay for what you thought was a free credit reporting service, a complaint can be filed to the FTC.  For more information regarding this new ruling, visit the FTC’s website.

This information is provided by http://www.newhorizon.org based on the Federal Trade Commission’s guidelines.

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About NewHorizon.org

NewHorizon.org has been helping consumers and business owners acquire reliable financing since 1989. www.newhorizon.org
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Source:NewHorizon.org
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Tags:Ftc, Free Credit Report, Credit Report, Fair Credit Reporting Act
Industry:Financial
Location:Las Vegas - Nevada - United States
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