# FreeCreditReport.com commercials. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 19, 2008, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freecreditreport-com-commercials/438271 "2008-02-19T17:13:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freecreditreport-com-commercials/438271/21 "2008-02-19T20:41:08Z")
I love the google ads for this thread. :rolleyes: [QUOTE=MaxTheVool] The sad thing is, I actually think the lyrics and the catchy jingle are quite well done. But MAN does the message of the ads piss me off. Particiularly (in addition to everything already mentioned) the idea that Joe Consumer is so savvy that, if he actually knew his credit score, he would be able to use that information to outmaneuver the car salesmen and get a vastly nicer car… not that having better credit would get him a nicer car, but merely being aware of his credit SCORE. Which strikes me as an incredibly thin corner case at best. [/quote] Yeah, the only way that would work in a commercial is if they show him spending the time to FIX his credit score so he can get a decent car. THAT’s the only value of knowing your score. Understanding your credit score and how it affects you, though, is something an amazing number of people are never taught. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freecreditreport-com-commercials/438271/22 "2008-02-19T20:51:34Z")
[QUOTE=Subway Prophet] I should’ve been able to figure that out on my own, but didn’t. :smack: [/QUOTE] It was ordered by the govenrment, I think, so easy mistake to make. Have you signed up at that site ([www.annualcreditreport.com](http://www.annualcreditreport.com))? Any problems of any kind? ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freecreditreport-com-commercials/438271/23 "2008-02-19T20:55:46Z")
[QUOTE=Revtim] It was ordered by the govenrment, I think, so easy mistake to make. Have you signed up at that site ([www.annualcreditreport.com](http://www.annualcreditreport.com))? Any problems of any kind? [/QUOTE] I’ve used them to pull my credit reports for a couple years. I haven’t run into any issues. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freecreditreport-com-commercials/438271/24 "2008-02-19T21:11:11Z")
[QUOTE=Revtim] It was ordered by the govenrment, I think, so easy mistake to make. Have you signed up at that site ([www.annualcreditreport.com](http://www.annualcreditreport.com))? Any problems of any kind? [/QUOTE] I’ve used it several times. I pull my report three times a year, each time from a different agency, so I should catch anything untoward within four months. You have to put in your state, then it pulls up the three credit reporting agencies, and you pick one. I believe then, you are directed to that reporting agency’s site, where you can view your report once you give them the proper identifying information. You don’t really “sign up” for anything. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freecreditreport-com-commercials/438271/25 "2008-02-19T21:32:16Z")
Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freecreditreport-com-commercials/438271/26 "2008-02-19T21:40:51Z")
Yeah, what \*\*ivylass \*\* said, **Revtim**. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freecreditreport-com-commercials/438271/27 "2008-02-19T22:20:08Z")
[QUOTE=TroubleAgain] I love the google ads for this thread. :rolleyes: [/QUOTE] I’m getting “Undo Circumcision Damage!”… 😕 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freecreditreport-com-commercials/438271/28 "2008-02-20T02:19:43Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] I’m with \*\*ivylass \*\* on this one. There’s nothing wrong with obtaining a credit report on someone you think might be interested in building a relationship with. [/QUOTE] Except that _it’s illegal_. Now, asking them to order one of _their own_ so you can check it is an idea. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freecreditreport-com-commercials/438271/29 "2008-02-20T12:00:31Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] Except that _it’s illegal_. Now, asking them to order one of _their own_ so you can check it is an idea. [/QUOTE] Any idea why that’s a law? If there is a relationship more fiduciary in nature than life-partnering, I can’t imagine what it would be. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freecreditreport-com-commercials/438271/30 "2008-02-20T16:05:32Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] I’m getting “Undo Circumcision Damage!”… 😕 [/QUOTE] Well, they _were_ all ads for credit check companies. ( :rolleyes: at the advertisers.) ---
**Author:** ![Litoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9f8e36/32.png) [@Litoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Litoris)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freecreditreport-com-commercials/438271/31 "2008-02-20T19:09:59Z")
As to the OP – I get a giggle out of the two commercials I have seen for this. I haven’t seen the one where he’s living in a basement, though. As to the whole working in a restaurant thing – I guess I have a different take on it. I always assumed the point was that he had to take a second job to fix his credit score after being a victim to identity theft. No one _wants_ a second job, and his is pretty humiliating to boot – having to dress like a pirate and sing like a butt-pirate. Meh. YMMV. As for the one with the car, again, it makes me giggle. I know a lot of (supposedly) adult men and women for whom the car one drives makes a difference in his/her date-ability. This is the South, where when you say “hey, do you know John Smith?” the response is almost always, “maybe, what kind of care does he drive?” No joke, I am probably the only person I know who can’t tell you what kinds of cars my friends drive – let alone details like the year, the engine size and the brand of tires. If my daughter were to be abducted by her current not-boyfriend, I would be telling the cops “he drives a retarded police car – you know, it’s all black with white doors.” As for asking your SO for a credit report – well, yes and no. The guy I was married to for three whole months lasted such a short time because I found out (2 days after we got married) that he was committing check fraud/forgery – his credit was awesome, but he fucked the shit out of his employer’s credit. My husband’s credit was pretty shitty when we got together, but then again so was mine. We’re both working toward fixing it. I kind of figure if you’re going to have any joint checking/savings/finances, then you need to know what your SO is like financially, but a credit score isn’t always indicative of that. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freecreditreport-com-commercials/438271/32 "2008-02-20T19:34:50Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] Any idea why that’s a law? If there is a relationship more fiduciary in nature than life-partnering, I can’t imagine what it would be. [/QUOTE] If you wanted to do that, you’d have to check their credit _before_ you got married (it’s much harder to back out afterward if you find a deal-breaker). Before you get married (or, for the sake of this argument, form some sort of civil union or domestic partnership), you have no relationship with that person that the law recognizes. AFAIK, being engaged to someone carries no legal weight these days, and being someone’s boyfriend or girlfriend certainly doesn’t. If you were allowed to check their credit report before making your relationship legally binding, that would allow you to legally check anyone’s credit report at any time for any reason. Surely you can see why that wouldn’t be a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freecreditreport-com-commercials/438271/33 "2008-02-20T19:43:02Z")
I suppose so. Therefore, the operative strategy is simply to ask the person to see his/her credit report. If they balk, that itself is all you need to know. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freecreditreport-com-commercials/438271/34 "2008-02-20T20:27:57Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] I’m getting “Undo Circumcision Damage!”… 😕 [/QUOTE] [freeforeskinreport.com](http://freeforeskinreport.com)? ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freecreditreport-com-commercials/438271/35 "2008-02-20T21:21:40Z")
[QUOTE=Anne Neville] If you were allowed to check their credit report before making your relationship legally binding, that would allow you to legally check anyone’s credit report at any time for any reason. Surely you can see why that wouldn’t be a good thing. [/QUOTE] Maybe I’m missing something, but we run credit reports all the time…we have a rental property, and part of the application fee goes to run a background check and a credit check on the prospective tenant. Now, if you’re talking about snooping through someone’s wallet to get their SSN to run a credit check without their knowledge, I see your point. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freecreditreport-com-commercials/438271/36 "2008-02-21T00:09:53Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] Now, if you’re talking about snooping through someone’s wallet to get their SSN to run a credit check without their knowledge, I see your point. [/QUOTE] Yes, I was talking about an individual doing a credit check on a potential significant other without their permission or knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freecreditreport-com-commercials/438271/37 "2008-02-21T00:48:27Z")
I haven’t seen these for some reason, and count myself lucky. It’s wrong for all the reasons you say. I DO encourage people to go to the legitimate site, annualcreditreport, and get their credit checked. You can actually do it every four months by going to the different reporting agencies at different times. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freecreditreport-com-commercials/438271/38 "2008-02-21T03:55:40Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] Maybe I’m missing something, but we run credit reports all the time…we have a rental property, and part of the application fee goes to run a background check and a credit check on the prospective tenant.. [/QUOTE] You have a potential financial relationship _and_ their permission. When you order a CR you have to sign forms or click your way through legal boilerplate that sez you have those. In theory, if you just ran one on your friend, co-worker, etc, that’d be a crime. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freecreditreport-com-commercials/438271/39 "2008-02-21T06:41:09Z")
Knowing your credit does not change your credit… IS WHAT I YELL DRUNKENLY AT THE TV WHEN I SEE THESES COMMERCIALS!!! I’m usually drunk, thanks to MY CREDIT!! 😃 (actually, good credit is all I have) ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freecreditreport-com-commercials/438271/40 "2008-02-21T09:40:46Z")
\>\>Hijack\<\< Having read the link posted by Anne Neville I have to ask. How on earth does anyone get to owe the tax guys 1000s of $$s? I know that in the US you don’t have PAYE (Pay-as-you-earn) and that you have to file tax returns annually but surely if you didn’t file the tax guys would be on your arse pretty quick. Apologies for hijack [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freecreditreport-com-commercials/438271.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freecreditreport-com-commercials/438271.md?page=3)