AnnualCreditReport.com Commercials Released by FTC

FTC Calls Out Lies in Free Credit Report Commercials

March 11, 2009

We've all heard the silly, catchy commercials for the hidden-fee-ridden FreeCreditReport.com. The Federal Trade Commission wants to ensure consumers aren't paying for something they can get for free — in this case, credit reports.

You are eligible for three free credit reports every year, one from every credit bureau, and you should access the reports from FTC-approved AnnualCreditReport.com. The FTC has released its own commercials in response to the misguided "free credit" opponent — the spots aren't sensational, but they serve their purpose. Check out one of the parodies in the video below, and remember to steer clear of sites other than AnnualCreditReport.com.

Advertising Credit Report

7 Comments

lilkimbo 4 years 10 weeks

Thanks for the tip, bluepuppy! And aimee, you're not the only one. I kind of thought it was common knowledge at this point.

aimeeb 4 years 10 weeks

Am I the only person who knew this already? I've always printed a copy of my credit report from all 3 bureaus every yr and only ever gone to their site or to ACR.

bluepuppybites 4 years 10 weeks

If you need more credit reports because you are trying to get a loan for something or need a more comprehensive one, just ask your bank, if you have a reason they usually will give you one for free. We got like 6 last year while we were clearing up our debt.

syako 4 years 10 weeks

Can we just cancel all of those commercials? They are so annoying. :P

lilkimbo 4 years 10 weeks

Maybe this is a recent change (I can't remember), but the commercials specifically state that "offer applies with enrollment in triple advantage." I always thought it was kind of obvious that Free Credit Report.com was a service you paid for. And to me, any time you have to enter a credit card number, it should raise a huge red flag. :shrug: I think one huge difference is that you can see your score with Free Credit Report.com. And, you can get updated reports as often as you'd like, which may not be important to some people, but may be important to others.

refinedharmony 4 years 10 weeks

I got sucked in to freecreditreport.com while looking for the REAL free credit reports. I thought I was doing everything right until I got a $40 fee on my CC that was labeled "Triple Advantage". Typically I don't get angry with people on the phone, but I was pissed in this case. Then, while trying to cancel the whole thing, the lady from freecreditreport.com kept trying to convince me of how great it was, and kept asking me "are you sure?? we offer blah blah blah" and eventually I snapped. I was proud of myself, but feel guilty at the same time.

kscincotta 4 years 10 weeks

Thanks for this! I knew there were a lot of bogus websites out there, but I didn't know which one was legit.

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