Deceptive Practices

[Caring4U]

Okay, here is the deal...I signed up with a credit monitoring company a couple of days ago (idwatchdog.com). They pull my credit report for which I viewed for inaccuracies; which I found one! There was a totally different name and address that was not mine. There is a button to click at the bottom of the report to report any inaccuracies. Upon clicking it, I am given customer service phone number for ID Watchdog. The next day, I received a call on my machine from ID Watchdog, telling me that I had clicked on the link and they were following up with me. I called customer service today and I talked with a CSR who told me that the inaccuracy could be a typo, clerical error, or identity theft. In order for ID Watchdog to check further into it, they would have to charge me a $99 processing fee, which involves an "extensive" background check into this "inaccuracy". I totally disagreed with the fee and hung up on the guy.

I pulled my credit report with "3" different online companies and I signed up with a trial membership with "another" credit monitoring service and this "inaccuracy" as reported by ID Watchdog does not come up. It is my firm belief that idwatchdog.com has intentionally placed this inaccuracy on my account in an effort to squander more money from me. I am sure they put the same "inaccuracy" or various other inaccuracies on other people's account in an effort to squander more money from them. Its a load of crap!

Is there anything I can do about this. Sure, you might say that I could just cancel my membership and leave it be, but what about all the others that are getting taken advantage of in regards to this deceptive business practice? Surely, there has got to be something I can do to come against this company to stop their deception.

In fact, I would encourage anyone reading this to sign up for idwatchdog.com's free trial credit report monitoring service and see what kind of results you get.

[DonnyC]

Well the item you claim is an inaccuracy did you get a 1-800 number or a name of the company. Possibly call them or look them up and see if you in fact did have a debt to them or if they are a collection agency. If you pulled all 3 credit reports from both places and double checked them that and they are different try calling that specific agency also (experian,transunion, equifax). Most of these places have several complaints for continuing to bill customers. Although i couldnt find idwatchdog.com on bbb.org. You can always check your free credit report without having to sign up for free memberships (which cost you) at AnnualCreditReport.com. (you can check each report once every year.)

[Caring4U]

No, no, no. There is a person's name and address on my credit report....its not a collection agency and its not a matter of owing money...just a person's name and address!

I pulled my credit report on 3 different sites and none of them make mention of this person being on my credit report. In fact, one must wonder how another person's name can be on one's credit report. Go figure.

[Caring4U]

I received another call from the stupid ID Watchdog group "AND" one e-mail telling me to call them. This company is so desperate to get people's money; all because they are using deceptive practices.

[ATW]

Bring them to the attention of your state's Attorney General and/or consumer protection agency. It sounds like what they're doing is inserting fake entries, programmatically, into the real credit reports they provide, in order to get people to pay them to "remove" them. You pay the fee, and surprise, it gets "fixed".

If you get your unaltered credit reports directly from the credit bureaus at annualcreditreport.com, you'll have the ability to file real disputes on any real inaccuracies directly with the bureau for free, which is your right under federal law.