I spent the weekend researching data removal methods and decided to start with my credit report. I’m not even going to get into all of the alarming privacy invasions that popped up during this process. But when I got to the experian report, I was met with T&C box that says I have to hand over my phone carrier info and it wouldn’t let me proceed without doing so. The bureaus are legally required to give you one free report a year. It’s bad enough that these companies are even given rights to my data and now they’re using it to request further information.
I’m just so angry, frustrated, and violated.
Been a while, but in several US states where the free report was mandated, they also allowed a request to be mailed in, of even faxed. Old school, but I would be surprised if they don’t still have some of those methods, and probably don’t require web form consents to privacy invading terms.
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There is no accessible option to request by mail. There is a tiny link (Contact us) that leads to a handful of FAQs. This isn’t a post in the Credit Report community. I’m not asking for advice on cred it report printing. I’m pointing out the blatant attempt by a $6b company to usurp even more rights to individuals’ lives than they already have.
I tried the mail in form and it was ignored
Thank you for pointing this out. We all know the facade of end-user control (data opt-outs, deletion requests, report downloads., etc) leads nowhere. But I appreciate the someone who does go down that rabbit hole just to document the law-breaking at the end of the tunnel.
I’m pretty sure that federally it’s mandated that you have to be able to mail it in.
Credit reporting agencies are legally required to provide you a copy for free. However, like all billionaire corporations, they have become so confident in their ability to manipulate both the government and the public’s ability to make informed decisions, that they know longer care to hide the fact that they are committing a crime.
If you don’t pay a bunch extra for some sort of certified mail, you don’t have proof of mailing and they can ignore you.
Not legally, but also yes legally.