So be careful about those online credit report sites -- especially freecreditreport.com.

When you get your credit report, it automatically signs you up for a free trial of a credit monitoring service (Triple Advantage). It signs you up no matter what -- you don't have a choice. After the trial period is over, you get charged a $12.95 monthly fee. Of course, you don't get charged anything if you cancelled in the trial period.

The only notification I got of this was an e-mail the same day saying that I was enrolled in this service automatically for a 30-day free trial. NOWHERE in the e-mail did I say that I had to cancel to not incur any charges.

Of course I didn't realize any of this until I got charged the $12.95 (they asked for a credit card number to verify my identity when I got the credit report -- I've seen this done before by reputable companies so I didn't think anything of it at the time -- so that's how they got my number in the first place).

I called them to complain and found it ironic that it said something like "Welcome to Triple Advantage. To cancel your subscription, press 1"...isn't option 1 normally for signing up? Anyways I was able to cancel this service that I never signed up for in the first place, but they still forced me to pay the fee.

So I was an idiot for being victim to (in my opinion) shady business practices. Hopefully you won't do the same.

...So I was an idiot for being victim to (in my opinion) shady business practices. Hopefully you won't do the same.

This seems to be a typical way companies are drumming up new business. Remember this everytime you see something that is a 'free trail' where all you need to do is pay the S&H. You pay the S&H so they have your valid CC #s, then they can bill you every month after the trial period is over. I have wondered if this is the best time to use a CC you buy at the grocery check out lane! You load it with a couple bucks and use that number. It's not tied to any account so there can not be any monthly recurring charges.

I just don't know if the #s on those CCs is in a different catagory as the typical CC so they may not allow them to be used for that purpose.

Not in an attempt to defraud any company's, just another way to protect yourself from auto-sign ups which may be expensive or impossible to cancel. If you liked the product/service you could always load the card again or give them a 'real' CC #. ....just a thought.

I have wondered if this is the best time to use a CC you buy at the grocery check out lane! You load it with a couple bucks and use that number. It's not tied to any account so there can not be any monthly recurring charges.

I just don't know if the #s on those CCs is in a different catagory as the typical CC so they may not allow them to be used for that purpose.

I'm not sure I follow. I don't think I have ever signed up for a credit card from a grocery store (or even been asked). Are you referring to those "Smart Shopper" cards (or whatever your local grocery store chain calls them) that you use to get "discounts" on food?

I'm not sure I follow. I don't think I have ever signed up for a credit card from a grocery store (or even been asked). Are you referring to those "Smart Shopper" cards (or whatever your local grocery store chain calls them) that you use to get "discounts" on food?

I should have explained it better. I was not referring to the in-store discount cards. Some chain grocery stores out here have 'pre-paid' CCs you can buy at the checkout lines. The CCs are up above the batteries, candy bars, magazines... right next to the Starbuck CCs, Home Depot CCs, Disney Park Pass CCs, etc... They are supposed o be used as gift cards I think.

You would have to take it off the rack intentionally and prepay (load) the card before it could be used.

The thing to watch out for with those is that there is sometimes a fee that gets incurred when you don't use it for a while. So if you get a prepaid CC (or gift card) and don't use it for that length of time (usually a year), they will deduct some (usually only a couple dollars) money from the balance. This is not the case for all prepaid cards, but I've seen it happen before.

I am pretty sure Panera Bread (I think they are only on the east coast now?) has this policy for their gift cards. But I love eating there it's a non-issue for me when I get a prepaid card :p