AnnualCreditReport.com Landing Page

Call don't click Reports, consumer tips, FTC letter, and resources

World Privacy Forum Call Don't Click Information

U.S. consumers have the right to obtain a free credit report each year from each of the three national credit bureaus, which are Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. To do this, consumers can call, mail, or order the reports online.The World Privacy Forum has published consumer tips with the ordering information and other information about the free annual credit reports. The free annual credit reports should not be confused with the much-advertised free credit reports that cost money. The federally-mandated free credit reports are actually free.

In 2005, when the first free annual credit reports became available, we issued two reports about the AnnualCreditReport.com web site and a variety of issues relating to the site and the ordering process. Both reports, The first version of Call Don't Click and a complete update, are listed below.

CONSUMER TIPS: How to Order Your Free Annual Credit Report

Most recent update July 2008; Original release July 2005

Author: Pam Dixon

• Read the Consumer Tips

These consumer tips explain how to order the free federally mandated free credit report by phone, mail, and online. Consumers can order one free report from each credit bureau every year.

REPORT: Call Don't Click Update: STill be Smart About Ordering Federally Mandated Credit Reports

Released July 14, 2005

Author: Pam Dixon

• Read the Executive Summary
• Read the Full Report (PDF)

REPORT: Call Don't Click: Why it's Smarter to Order Your Federally Mandated Free Credit Report Via Telephone, Not the Internet

Released February 25, 2005

Author: Pam Dixon

• Read the Full Report (PDF, 42 pages)

LETTER: Letter to the Federal Trade Commission from World Privacy Forum and Privacy Rights Clearinghouse regarding link blocking at annualcreditreport.com

Released February 28, 2005

Authors: Pam Dixon and Beth Givens

• Read the Letter

This letter outlined problems with the www.annualcreditreport.com web site. At the time the letter was written, the credit bureaus did not allow anyone to link to the annualcreditreport.com web site.

Other Resources:

• Direct link to the official annualcreditreport.com site: www.annualcreditreport.com
• Federal Trade Commission page on federally mandated free credit reports, includes information about rollout, ways of obtaining report, and a live link to the official annualcreditreport.com site. <http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/freereports.htm>
• Privacy Rights Clearinghouse: General information on obtaining federally mandated free credit report. <http://www.privacyrights.org/ar/FreeCRs.htm>
• Federal Trade Commission press release on AnnualCreditReport.com enforcement action (August 16,2005).

Other Resources:

WPF Top Ten Opt-Out List

How to Place a Security (Credit) Freeze