Credit check Topeka

sales of credit data to consumers negligible in 2000 hit $220 million credit check Topeka in 2003, soared 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 bureaus' fastest-growing source of revenue. But this windfall derives from an online marketing free-for-all in which many websites credit check Topeka and promotional offers aren't what they seem. "Consumers face a bewildering variety of things to click on, some of which is valid, much credit check Topeka of which is credit check Topeka not," says Pam Dixon, executive director of the World Privacy credit check Topeka Forum. get free credit report without credit card The bureaus make no apologies for how and what they sell to consumers. The biggest bureau, Dublin-based Experian, reported $375 million in consumer sales in its fiscal year ended last April. "Unhappy consumers don't buy your stuff," Experian's credit check Topeka Girard says.

"We've been averaging about 20% growth in our direct-to-consumer business, year over year. That's due to happy consumers." Not all consumers are credit check Topeka endeared with Experian. The company's well-known subsidiary, Consumerinfo.com, has been fined twice by the FTC. monitor credit report In August 2005, Experian paid the FTC $950,000 to settle 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 home page, that disclaimer is credit check Topeka 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 credit check Topeka Experian paid its second FTC fine, credit check Topeka Melissa Duenas, 28, a credit check Topeka customer service representative in Denver, surfed to Experian.com in an attempt to obtain her free credit report. free credit report without credit card She recalls being guided to a Web page where credit check Topeka she typed in a credit card credit check Topeka number, as directed, thinking it was part credit check Topeka of verifying her identity.