[comp.org.eff.talk] Credit checks

jgd@Dixie.Com (John G. DeArmond) (01/08/91)

dupuy@cs.columbia.edu (Alexander Dupuy) writes:

>If you want to see your
>credit statement, just apply for credit which you know you will be refused
>(underreport your income if necessary) - when you are turned down, you will be
>entitled (in most states) to a copy of any credit reports which were used in
>the credit evaluation.  This usually includes TRW, and may include others as
>well.

This is terrible advice.  In most states, the fact that you were denied
credit will also show up on your record.  In effect, you've just nuked
yourself.  Plus if you mis-report your income, you've probably broken the
law.  The proper way to do this is  simply walk into any credit bureau
and pay the $10 to $15 dollars required to obtain  the report.  Be aware
that this report (as with the report provided after you are denied
credit) will only represent  the data contained in whichever database the
credit bureau subscribes to.  For competative reasons, there is little
data exchange among database companies so you gotta check 'em all. 

John

-- 
John De Armond, WD4OQC        | "Purveyors of speed to the Trade"  (tm)
Rapid Deployment System, Inc. |  Home of the Nidgets (tm)
Marietta, Ga                  | "To be engaged in opposing wrong offers but 
{emory,uunet}!rsiatl!jgd      |  a slender guarantee of being right."

johne@hp-vcd.HP.COM (John Eaton) (01/11/91)

>>>>
>If you want to see your
>credit statement, just apply for credit which you know you will be refused
>(underreport your income if necessary) - when you are turned down, you will be
>entitled (in most states) to a copy of any credit reports which were used in
>the credit evaluation. 
----------
Apply for a Gold card and state that you earn $1000 a year. They won't even
bother running a credit check and will reject you based upon your application.
You are now  entitled to a copy of your application back.


BTW. Suppose a bank charges you a $25 fee to run a credit check for a mortage.
Can you force them to show you the report? It's hard to get free copies if you
never get turned down.



John Eaton
!hpvcfs1!johne

glr@igloo.scum.com (Glen Roberts) (01/15/91)

In article <112370001@hpcuhc.cup.hp.com> selmer@hpcuhc.cup.hp.com (Steve Elmer) writes:
>The sad part about all this is that after filling out their form they have a
>lot more data about you to put into their greedy little customer's hands...

The really sad part is all those forms they send you when you sign up
for the creditianials service aren't needed to become a member. HOWEVER,
by reading the package you think they require them to be filled out
and returned.

llama@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Joe Francis) (01/18/91)

Given the stories I have heard about TRW (that they won't give out your
credit report to you unless they think they've been contacted - that their
"Credentials" service only gives you a small portion of the info they
send to client businesses), it seems that what is needed is a business
which pays TRW for it's services (just as your bank would) and then charges
it's customers for obtaining their credit report for them.  At least then
you would know what the other businesses were seeing.  Does anyone know
a place like this?  Will some banks do this for their customers?

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