# Trying to get your free credit report? Bend over. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 7, 2005, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-get-your-free-credit-report-bend-over/293387 "2005-03-07T16:56:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Brendan\_Donovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbce88/32.png) [@Brendan\_Donovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brendan_Donovan)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-get-your-free-credit-report-bend-over/293387/21 "2005-03-08T08:23:02Z")
> [@Cyros](#): > > Canada is a whole different can of worms. You may be able to obtain a free credit report provided you have been recently turned down for credit from a particular agency. It requires sending photocopied identification and a bunch of other malarky they will discuss with you on the phone (after they try to get you to pay for it). > > I was advised that unless you wanted to see your credit report due to a recent denial of credit (and can give details as to where and when), you’re not owed a free report. > > /Ms Cyros That has not been my experience. A free credit report for all canadians is available but only by mail. If you want a copy online then you will have to pay. The credit report is given on request but they do ask if it was because of denial of credit. I get mine every year and have had absolutly no problems. Here is a [form to fill out and mail to equifax](http://www.equifax.com/EFX_Canada/consumer_information_centre/docs/request_report_form_e.pdf) . Took mine about a week to arrive so why don’t you give it a try and let me know if it worked out for you. I used a good quality photocopy of my licence and a credit card statment as ID. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-get-your-free-credit-report-bend-over/293387/22 "2005-03-08T17:37:13Z")
MIne claims I have never worked for anyone, ever. It also seems to think I am my uncle, but I think I at least have a clue why. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-get-your-free-credit-report-bend-over/293387/23 "2005-03-08T19:10:53Z")
> [@erislover](#): > > **RT** : _For Equifax, it’s probably easiest to call their automated phone line (800-685-1111) which is quite easy to navigate, though they’ll try to sell you a copy of your credit score (which you don’t have to buy)._ > > :dubious: I think you pay for the score, not the listing. Yeah, the credit _report_ was free; they wanted to sell me my credit _score_ for $6.95. (I don’t know whether that would have included some context to tell me whether how good or bad a score it was.) > [@](#): > > Which makes sense, because having a score won’t say peep about whether anyone is screwing with your credit. Well, if you knew what your score _had_ been, and knew you hadn’t done anything yourself to bring your score down, then a reduced score would tell you _that_ someone else was monkeying with your credit. But I agree that that’s not much help - far less so than the credit report itself. Because it wouldn’t tell you _why_ your score’s in the crapper, and the credit _report_ would at least give you a clue about that. My Experian report listed accounts in good standing, and had a place to list accounts that weren’t in good standing. If there’d been anything in that category, it would have enabled me to call up that business, and hopefully find out what the matter was. ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-get-your-free-credit-report-bend-over/293387/24 "2005-03-08T19:40:14Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Yeah, the credit _report_ was free; they wanted to sell me my credit _score_ for $6.95. (I don’t know whether that would have included some context to tell me whether how good or bad a score it was.) I had put off getting my free credit report because I was concerned about what may have been listed. After reading this thread, I reminded myself that ignorance would not be bliss in this case, and accessed my credit report from Experian without any problem at all. They offered to sell me the _score_ for $5, and I went ahead and got that as well. What the credit score included was:[ul][li]My score on the range of 330-830[_]A categorization of my score, including its percentile ranking compared to all US consumers[_]A description of what the score is, what it means, and what it means to me[_]A list of the factors that have raised my score[_]A list of the factors that have lowered my score[\*]Contact information, disclaimers, etc[/ul][/li][quote] But I agree that that’s not much help - far less so than the credit report itself. Because it wouldn’t tell you _why_ your score’s in the crapper, and the credit _report_ would at least give you a clue about that. My Experian report listed accounts in good standing, and had a place to list accounts that weren’t in good standing. If there’d been anything in that category, it would have enabled me to call up that business, and hopefully find out what the matter was. [/QUOTE] The credit score - or, at least, the details that followed it - did explain why my score was it was. The factors applied to me, in that they weren’t generalities, but they lacked specifics. E.g. one of the good factors is “You have a good cushion of available credit between your current balance and your credit limits etc etc,” and one of the bad factors is “Fixed payments such as auto loans are sometimes viewed as negative because they may affect your ability to meet other obligations etc etc.” I would need the credit report to find out just why it said what it did. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-get-your-free-credit-report-bend-over/293387/25 "2005-03-08T20:00:32Z")
I was installing some stuff at an apartment complex and, while flirting with the girl working there, had her run a credit report on me. Took like 5 minutes. Have you got any friends in a job like that? -Joe ---
**Author:** ![ladybug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@ladybug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-get-your-free-credit-report-bend-over/293387/26 "2005-03-09T00:43:58Z")
> [@groo](#): > > > [@ladybug](#): > > > > [hijack]groo, would you mind if I passed your OP along to one of my coworkers? He writes a consumer finance publication, and this sounds like the start of a great article.[/hijack] > > Sure. You have my permission, but check the fine print in the [SDMB FAQ](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/faq.php?); you may need the Chicago Reader’s permission (I hope I’m joking …) Not to worry … I’m only planning to pass on your experience with the free credit report system, not your actually telling of the story. This publication regularly includes information on credit reporting, identity theft, etc., from the legislators’ point of view. I don’t think we’ve ever covered those topics from the consumer’s point of view. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-get-your-free-credit-report-bend-over/293387/27 "2005-03-09T14:47:18Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > The law says the reports have to be free. > > Doesn’t say they have to be _easy_. > > I had similar difficulties trying to obtain my free reports through the website. Apparently I’ve ordered a report from Trans Union before and I don’t remember what email address I was using at the time so I was stymied. Did you know there’s apparently no way to speak to an employee of Trans Union without first having a TU credit report? So if you’re having trouble getting your TU report there’s no one at the company you can talk to for assistance. > > . TransUnion I’ll bet you your call is answered in less than 20 seconds. They refer you to 800-916-8800, and according to the FTC, they answer their phones faster than anyone. And, get this, Mr Highly Misinformed. You don’t need any credit report or reference number to speak to a TU rep. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-get-your-free-credit-report-bend-over/293387/28 "2005-03-09T17:34:02Z")
Add me to the list of people that had no trouble at all. I went to the [annualcreditreport.com](http://annualcreditreport.com) site, checked all 3 agencies, visited them one by one, and had all 3 copies printed within half an hour. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-get-your-free-credit-report-bend-over/293387.md?page=1)