But he says the FTC remains "very concerned" about any lingering confusion. "The principle we're upholding is, you've got to make clear what it is you're selling," Winston says. "And also make all of the what is my credit score Iowa conditions clear." The Big Three for decades denied consumers access to their credit histories, selling data exclusively to lenders. Once the government gave consumers what is my credit score Iowa the right to a free copy of their credit report, the bureaus moved aggressively to tap the consumer market. sales of credit data to consumers negligible in 2000 hit $220 million in 2003, soared what is my credit score Iowa to $488 million in 2006, and should top $860 million by 2010, says Craig Focardi, financial services analyst at market researcher TowerGroup. Though consumer sales make up only a fraction of the bureaus' lender-centric operations, they have become the what is my credit score Iowa bureaus' fastest-growing source of revenue. But this windfall derives from what is my credit score Iowa an online marketing free-for-all in which many websites and promotional offers aren't what they seem. my credit score "Consumers face a bewildering variety of things to click on, some of which is valid, much of which is not," says Pam Dixon, what is my credit score Iowa executive director of the World Privacy Forum. The bureaus make what is my credit score Iowa no apologies for how and what they sell to consumers. The biggest bureau, Dublin-based what is my credit score Iowa Experian, reported $375 million in consumer sales in its fiscal year ended last April. "Unhappy consumers don't buy your stuff," Experian's Girard says.
"We've been averaging about 20% growth in our what is my credit score Iowa direct-to-consumer business, year over year.
That's due to happy consumers." Not all consumers are endeared with Experian. check credit reports
The what is my credit score Iowa company's well-known subsidiary, Consumerinfo.what is my credit score Iowa com, has been fined twice what is my credit score Iowa by the FTC.
In August 2005, Experian paid the FTC $950,000 to settle what is my credit score Iowa charges that Consumerinfo.com misled consumers into subscribing to an $80-a-year credit-monitoring service. In February, Experian paid the FTC a smaller fine $300,000 to settle a second round of similar complaints. Experian admitted no wrongdoing in either FTC case. On Consumerinfo.com's what is my credit score Iowa home page, that disclaimer is in small, light blue lettering on dark blue background next to a large "order now" button for a credit monitoring subscription. In March, about a month after Experian paid its second FTC fine, Melissa Duenas, 28, a customer service representative in Denver, surfed to Experian.com in an attempt to obtain her free credit report. She recalls being guided to a Web page where what is my credit score Iowa she typed in a credit card number, as directed, thinking it was part of verifying her identity. free credit credit Actually, Duenas had signed up for trial what is my credit score Iowa use of a credit-monitoring service. After a month of free what is my credit score Iowa service, Experian initiated a recurring $13-a-month charge, which was dropped only after Duenas complained. The FTC and Experian say the service was properly explained. Consumer advocates advise credit data shoppers to remain extremely wary. "what is my credit score Iowa The credit bureaus continue to foster consumer confusion and profit handsomely," says Jeannine Kenney, senior policy analyst at Consumers Union.
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