topic Re: Credit Score scam!! in Understanding FICO® Scoring

Credit Score scam!!

Anonymous — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 15:52:33 GMT

On December. 30 2010 I checked my Equifax credit score through 5 different sources that claim to give you an Equifax credit score. All 5 sources gave me a different score ranging from 563-682 and everything in between. Equifax told me that they don't figure the score that it comes from Fair Isaac FICO. I checked my score at creditreport.com, trucreditreport.com, myfico.com, equifax.com and had citi financial check it supposedly from Equifax and all of the scores were way different on the same day. FICO score is just another version of the old shell game, con game. It's nothing but smoke and mirrors and the biggest scam ever perpetrated on the American public. It doesn't really matter what you do you score is going to change, probably so that the crooked credit card companies can charge you %25 interest when they want to.

Re: Credit Score scam!!

MarineVietVet — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 16:06:48 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
On December. 30 2010 I checked my Equifax credit score through 5 different sources that claim to give you an Equifax credit score. All 5 sources gave me a different score ranging from 563-682 and everything in between. Equifax told me that they don't figure the score that it comes from Fair Isaac FICO. I checked my score at creditreport.com, trucreditreport.com, myfico.com, equifax.com and had citi financial check it supposedly from Equifax and all of the scores were way different on the same day. FICO score is just another version of the old shell game, con game. It's nothing but smoke and mirrors and the biggest scam ever perpetrated on the American public. It doesn't really matter what you do you score is going to change, probably so that the crooked credit card companies can charge you %25 interest when they want to.

Hello and welcome.

It can be very confusing and frustrating because there are so many "credit scores" for sale that have nothing to do with FICO scores. It's important to know where to get a FICO score since that is what most lenders use to make decisions.

Education is the key and that's one of the things we try and do here. Educate others and ourselves about the often crazy world of credit.

Unless you get your FICO scores from a lender there are only a few places to get one. No one has been able to buy their own Experian FICO score since February of 2009. Creditors can pull Experian and also there is a CU in Pennsylvania that supplies that information to it's members only. You can only buy true FICO scores at a few places. One place is here at myFICO. I suggest you do an internet search for "myfico discount codes" to save a little money. You can also purchase your Transunion score at www.transunioncs.com. At www.equifax.com EQ will still sell you an EQ FICO score but you need to look for their "Score Watch" product.

The CSR you talked to at Equifax was 100% wrong when they said you could not get an EQ FICO score from their site.

I you stick around here and read and research and ask questions you'll be able to fgure out how to have the system work for you. You mentioned cards with high APR's. Once you learn about credit you'll realize that an APR doesn't matter. It's been a long time since I paid interest on any of my cards and a few have APR's as high as 25%. Once again it's a matter of education.

From a BK years ago to:
EX - 9/09 pulled by lender 802, EQ - 10/10-813, TU - 10/10-774

"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they've made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem".

Re: Credit Score scam!!

Anonymous — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:24:52 GMT

In short, remember that there are only 2 places to get your actual Equifax FICO score. Here on myfico.com and equifax.com. Equifax does offer products though that do not include your FICO score, so make sure you choose accordingly.

All the other scores from credit monitoring sites, and "Free" credit report sites are all different scoring models typically not used by lenders. You could pull your score from 10 of those sites and have 10 different scores. However, if you pull your EQ score from equifax (and get their FICO score), it should be the exact same as myfico.com if they are pulled the same day, unless some information posted to your report in the time between when the reports were pulled (very unlikely).

Good luck and let us know if you have any other questions!

Re: Credit Score scam!!

haulingthescoreup — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 20:03:45 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
In short, remember that there are only 2 places to get your actual Equifax FICO score. Here on myfico.com and equifax.com. Equifax does offer products though that do not include your FICO score, so make sure you choose accordingly.

All the other scores from credit monitoring sites, and "Free" credit report sites are all different scoring models typically not used by lenders. You could pull your score from 10 of those sites and have 10 different scores. However, if you pull your EQ score from equifax (and get their FICO score), it should be the exact same as myfico.com if they are pulled the same day, unless some information posted to your report in the time between when the reports were pulled (very unlikely).

Good luck and let us know if you have any other questions!

And as I understand it, they've made it nearly impossible to find the link to order their FICO.

Re: Credit Score scam!!

MarineVietVet — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 20:43:18 GMT

@haulingthescoreup wrote:

And as I understand it, they've made it nearly impossible to find the link to order their FICO.

You just have to make sure you find the option to buy "Score Watch" which is the same product as myFICO sells I believe. (Could be wrong).

Re: Credit Score scam!!

haulingthescoreup — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 04:15:00 GMT

@MarineVietVet wrote:
@haulingthescoreup wrote:
And as I understand it, they've made it nearly impossible to find the link to order their FICO.

You just have to make sure you find the option to buy "Score Watch" which is the same product as myFICO sells I believe. (Could be wrong).

So that's what they're down to? You have to buy Scorewatch on their site just to find out your FICO score? That's sad.

Makes me wonder if they're getting ready to do an Experian on us...

Re: Credit Score scam!!

MarineVietVet — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 05:35:35 GMT

@haulingthescoreup wrote:

So that's what they're down to? You have to buy Scorewatch on their site just to find out your FICO score? That's sad.

Makes me wonder if they're getting ready to do an Experian on us...

I believe so. Here is their product list:

Re: Credit Score scam!!

llecs — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:15:10 GMT

Come out, come out, wherever you are!

A FICO score purchase is available w/ a report ($15.95) without purchasing EQ's SW version:

http://www.equifax.com/credit-report-history/

Here's how to find it (and it's not easy...maybe there are other ways):

1) Go to www.equifax.com.

2) Scroll to the very bottom. In the small print, next to the copyright, click the link "Site Map".

3) You'll see a link for "Personal Information Solutions". Don't click the link because that'll take you to the Products page. Click the "+" in the box to expand the menu.

4) Like with #3, you'll see "Products". Don't click it but click the "+" to expand the menu.

5) About 3/4 down on the list, you'll see "Equifax Credit Report" as in the link above.

Clicking that link will send you to the page with your full EQ report w/ the option to purchase an EQ FICO score. Very tricky indeed. If you go through the EQ Report on the main Products page, it will offer you a full EQ report w/ their FAKO. I have no clue how to access that page off their Products page. They keep it hidden.

BTW, I may be wrong and I used my free report for EQ within the past year, but I think you have the option to purchase an EQ FICO with your free report from ACR. Not certain though with all of these changes.

ETA...see the post below. Not a FICO despite saying otherwise.

Re: Credit Score scam!!

llecs — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:03:28 GMT

Wait!!! I cry foul!

If you click the FICO score option on the link provided above, even though it says "FICO", it'll take you to the next page and it says:

Bait and Switch! Clearly a FAKO.

Re: Credit Score scam!!

MarineVietVet — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:05:49 GMT

I believe it was easier to figure out how to split the atom.

Re: Credit Score scam!!

MarineVietVet — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:10:08 GMT

So........have we decided whether you can or can't buy just the EQ FICO score and report without having to purchase the $12.95 per month Score Watch?

Re: Credit Score scam!!

llecs — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:13:22 GMT

@MarineVietVet wrote:
So........have we decided whether you can or can't buy just the EQ FICO score and report without having to purchase the $12.95 per month Score Watch?

I posted a follow-up. The only way to get any EQ FICO product from EQ is via their SW version. You cannot buy an EQ report and FICO score from EQ despite saying otherwise on the product.

Re: Credit Score scam!!

MarineVietVet — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:16:36 GMT

@llecs wrote:
@MarineVietVet wrote:
So........have we decided whether you can or can't buy just the EQ FICO score and report without having to purchase the $12.95 per month Score Watch?
I posted a follow-up. The only way to get any EQ FICO product from EQ is via their SW version. You cannot buy an EQ report and FICO score from EQ despite saying otherwise on the product.

Isn't that what I said originally???

But I'm glad that I wasn't telling people the wrong thing.

Re: Credit Score scam!!

llecs — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:18:09 GMT

@MarineVietVet wrote:
@llecs wrote:
@MarineVietVet wrote:
So........have we decided whether you can or can't buy just the EQ FICO score and report without having to purchase the $12.95 per month Score Watch?
I posted a follow-up. The only way to get any EQ FICO product from EQ is via their SW version. You cannot buy an EQ report and FICO score from EQ despite saying otherwise on the product.
Isn't that what I said originally???

But I'm glad that I wasn't telling people the wrong thing.

I was a doubting Thomas. BTW, did we TJ anyone? If so, sorry.

Re: Credit Score scam!!

MarineVietVet — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:26:53 GMT

@llecs wrote:
I was a doubting Thomas. BTW, did we TJ anyone? If so, sorry.

Let's call it a "natural progression" shall we?

But I don't think we TJ'ed this. The original post was all about confusion with credit scores. We are just trying to be less confused.

Re: Credit Score scam!!

llecs — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:32:34 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
On December. 30 2010 I checked my Equifax credit score through 5 different sources that claim to give you an Equifax credit score. All 5 sources gave me a different score ranging from 563-682 and everything in between. Equifax told me that they don't figure the score that it comes from Fair Isaac FICO. I checked my score at creditreport.com, trucreditreport.com, myfico.com, equifax.com and had citi financial check it supposedly from Equifax and all of the scores were way different on the same day. FICO score is just another version of the old shell game, con game. It's nothing but smoke and mirrors and the biggest scam ever perpetrated on the American public. It doesn't really matter what you do you score is going to change, probably so that the crooked credit card companies can charge you %25 interest when they want to.

Sorry for the TJ, OP. Certainly if you checked your EQ score from Equifax.com, then for sure it wasn't a FICO score even if it said "FICO" on the registration page as indicated in a prior post.

For sure the scores from creditreport.com, Truecredit, Equifax.com, and Citi's product are all non-FICO scores (aka FAKO). Ignore those. The one from myFICO is a FICO. Because all of these FAKO scores have different ranges and different criteria as to what goes into them, they will vary from score to score and they'd never match what a mortgage lender would use. They are nothing more than marketing score, IMO. I'd stop short of saying it's a scam, based on the assumption they are trying to compete with FICO, but nobody is using them.

It's up to us to become credit saavy enough to know that a Volkswagen isn't the same as a Maserati.

Re: Credit Score scam!!

BungalowMo — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:00:57 GMT

Scorewatch is the same info whether you get it here or on the Equifax site. The BIG difference....here you can use the discount codes found online, and you can also use those codes to purchase the TU FICO, and here...they are both in one handy place on the same page.

And on EQ & TU"cs" you don't have all the wonderful camaraderie like you have here. It's so totally win-win!

And lastly...here you know for a fact it's not a FAKO, which is most important of all.

Re: Credit Score scam!!

vanillabean — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 01:28:52 GMT

@llecs wrote:

A FICO score purchase is available w/ a report ($15.95) without purchasing EQ's SW version:

Something like this?

Re: Credit Score scam!!

MarineVietVet — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 01:47:19 GMT

So is that where you end up after these 2 screens?

Re: Credit Score scam!!

Anonymous — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 04:17:31 GMT

So it is a FICO score after all?

There is actually a coupon code for SW at Equifax. I forgot where I got it from or what it was but I am paying like 6-7 dollars/month. Also. I don't believe it's the exact same product as the one here as it updates more consistently. That's why after comparing both for a couple of months I canceled myfico's SW and kept equifax's. I wish myfico offered something similar for TU though