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From: merlyn@iwarp.intel.com (Randal L. Schwartz)
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk,alt.privacy
Subject: Getting your credit report for free (was Re: Safeway Stores to Accept Charge Cards)
Message-ID: <1991Apr7.065321.7204@iwarp.intel.com>
Date: 7 Apr 91 06:53:21 GMT
Article-I.D.: iwarp.1991Apr7.065321.7204
References: <13810@asylum.SF.CA.US> <14015@ccncsu.ColoState.EDU> <1991Apr6.191817.23675@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>
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Reply-To: merlyn@iwarp.intel.com (Randal L. Schwartz)
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Organization: Stonehenge; netaccess via Intel, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
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In-Reply-To: spm2d@uvacs.cs.Virginia.EDU (Steven P. Miale)

In article <1991Apr6.191817.23675@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>, spm2d@uvacs (Steven P. Miale) writes:
| I also believe we should be able to get our credit reports for free instead
| of having to pay $X a month for them, but that is another topic.

Actually, they're easy to get for free (OK, the cost of one or two
stamps).

Apply for some credit.  Any credit.  Most importantly, something you
will get rejected for.  (AmEx Turbo-Platinum, if you wish. :-) (To
keep it to only costing one stamp, use one of those AmEx card
applications with the prepaid business-reply envelopes from some
store.)

When the reject letter appears, it *must* contain the name of the
credit bureau that provided some information to the credit grantor.
Simply send a copy of the reject letter, along with your name, SSN,
date of birth, and recent home/mail addresses to the designated credit
bureau.  (I don't even write a cover letter anymore.  I just scribble
that info on top of the copy, and a big note "send me my credit
report".)

In two weeks or less, for the cost of a stamp, bingo, a big envelope
appears in the mail.  (Even better, at this point, I can challenge
*any* info in the report that seems to be out of line.)

You must write the credit bureau within 30 days of the date on the
reject letter.

Why pay $X a month?  (Or even $X/5? :-)

Just another credit user,
-- 
/=Randal L. Schwartz, Stonehenge Consulting Services (503)777-0095 ==========\
| on contract to Intel's iWarp project, Beaverton, Oregon, USA, Sol III      |
| merlyn@iwarp.intel.com ...!any-MX-mailer-like-uunet!iwarp.intel.com!merlyn |
\=Cute Quote: "Intel: putting the 'backward' in 'backward compatible'..."====/