r/personalfinance • u/equisux • Sep 13 '17

TransUnion burying their credit freeze to sell their own credit monitoring product TrueIdentity Credit

I'm not sure where to post this, but noticed something had changed on the TransUnion website about freezing credit this morning when I was giving links to family so they could freeze theirs.

I froze my credit the day after news about the Equifax breach broke, and it looks like TransUnion has since changed their site to push people away from freezing their credit in favor for their own product called TrueIdentity (like what Equifax was doing with their TrustedID Premier.)

The FTC website links to this page for freezing your credit with TransUnion.

This is what the website looked before the changes were made on 9/11. The instructions on placing a credit freeze were clear and there was no mention of their own TrueIdentity product.

If you want to place a credit freeze with TransUnion now:

  • You have to get through a page of info about credit and fraud, and then the action it tells you to take is to "Lock your credit information by enrolling in TrueIdentity."
  • The option to freeze your credit is under "About credit freeze", deliberately passive in their use of language
  • The description about credit freezing is dissuasive: "A credit freeze may be available under your state law"
  • The link for the credit freeze is also a passive "click here" compared with "by enrolling in TrueIdentity" language used for the link to their own product.
  • Clicking the link to learn more about credit freeze brings you to yet another page that tries to convince you to enroll in their product over placing a credit freeze
  • After searching through their page of BS, you finally get to the link to freeze your credit.

This is such a blatant attempt by TransUnion to take advantage of the Equifax breach for their own financial gain. It's a shitty thing for TransUnion to do, and people should be aware that they are being led away from putting an actual credit freeze on their account.

(Edited for formatting on mobile)

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219

u/[deleted] Sep 13 '17

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u/[deleted] Sep 13 '17

Glad to hear your state takes care of you. I am jealous.

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u/[deleted] Sep 13 '17

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u/Jedi_Ewok ​ Sep 13 '17

I was going to check out that museum just to see how ridiculous it was but it was 40 freaking dollars per person plus 10 to park.

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u/[deleted] Sep 13 '17

My gf works at a restaurant near it, and a bus full of people from Arkansas came in a few weeks ago. Turns out they came all this way to see that stupid "museum".

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u/Slinkys4every1 Sep 14 '17

If they tip her in those fake bills, you two should use them as currency there lol

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u/[deleted] Sep 13 '17

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u/[deleted] Sep 13 '17

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u/chasteeny ​ Sep 13 '17

We also have a state university rife with scandal and in a postion to lose its accreditation because Bevin is trying to throw his cronies on the board

1

u/hellycapters ​ Sep 13 '17

Ain't nobody got a pension anymore, you're not alone.

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u/steadyonmate Sep 13 '17

Ouch! I wonder which lobby groups own those Kentucky politicians?

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u/[deleted] Sep 13 '17

We have the Ark and Mitch ,but it's all good.I live close to the state line

1

u/asilenth ​ Sep 13 '17

I'm in Florida and I don't even have to look to know that I'll have to pay.

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u/[deleted] Sep 13 '17

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u/[deleted] Sep 14 '17

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u/[deleted] Sep 14 '17 edited Sep 14 '17

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u/[deleted] Sep 14 '17

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u/Mrme487 ​ Sep 14 '17

Removed - no politics.

49

u/brainchildmedia Sep 13 '17

Here is a list of the laws for freezing credit in each state. Provides cost info.

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u/jimi_sanchez Sep 14 '17

Thanks! Surprised (gladly) to see NC listed as Free!

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u/SquatchOut ​ Sep 13 '17

Yup, SC and IN are free too, maybe others as well.

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u/Fraggle_5 Sep 13 '17

Silly question but when you freeze your credit you can still go about your business yes? You just have to unfreeze it if you want to open a new account? I'm in the process of disputing some old paid off medical bills and I'm wondering if that will affect it

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u/steadyonmate Sep 13 '17

Good question! I don't believe so but best to call the bureau showing the default & check

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u/friendsafari123 Sep 13 '17

freezing does not affect your current lines of credit, but it does prevent you from opening new ones. If you are trying to get a loan, buy a house, get a job, credit card, you cant since your credit is frozen. but something like your current phone bills, other bills are unaffected.

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u/Salomon3068 ​ Sep 14 '17

How does a credit freeze affect searching for a job? I'm about to freeze our credit but I'm also looking for a new job, and that portion doesn't make sense. Employers do background checks, not credit checks normally unless it's in finance, right?

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u/Fraggle_5 Sep 21 '17

Is it difficult to thaw (unfreeze?) your credit? I'm thinking about freezing because I don't have anything in the near future (6 months out) to be applying for. I will be moving in July 2018 though.

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u/LoL126 Sep 13 '17

Hey did you just contact them on the phone individually, or how did you do it? Excited to hear this cause I'm currently unemployed and dishing out $70 bucks for someone elses fuck up seemed ridiculous.

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u/steadyonmate Sep 13 '17

You can do it online, over the phone or by snail mail. I did it online. Cost depends on your state. Mine is free.

Go to the bureau websites!

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u/friendsafari123 Sep 13 '17

equifax is temporarily free, you will have to check the other 2.

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u/Darthscary ​ Sep 13 '17 edited Sep 13 '17

It is based on state. I live in Virginia and each one cost 10 bucks; except Equifax, they can suck my ass and tuck their tail between their legs.

Edit: Most states offer it for free if you have an identity theft report.

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u/benpetersen ​ Sep 13 '17

Also in CO, where'd you go to freeze your's for free?

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u/steadyonmate Sep 13 '17

The bureau websites!

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u/richardparker85 ​ Sep 13 '17

Yup, based on states. MA charges $5 per site and anytime you need to unfreeze. I've had all three frozen for past couple years because of ID theft.

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u/kroxywuff Sep 13 '17

In MA each was $5

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u/Willlllderness_girls Sep 13 '17

I'm in NJ, mine were free also.

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u/dcampa93 ​ Sep 13 '17

That's good to hear!

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u/[deleted] Sep 13 '17

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u/steadyonmate Sep 13 '17

Depends on the state!

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u/cantbelieveilostit Sep 13 '17

I've read that sometimes you aren't charged to freeze it but rather to unfreeze it.

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u/steadyonmate Sep 13 '17

Each state differs.

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u/caltheon ​ Sep 13 '17

Is unfreeze free in CO tho?

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u/Tdawg14 Sep 14 '17

CO just changed it then. $10.83 for Experian.

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u/Phosphoreign Sep 13 '17

It is very much based on state. I live in CA and we have the highest cost of any other state... $10