[♥]

Here's a great link to opt out of all kinds of unsolicited credit offers, spam, etc.

Top 10 Opt Outs

Started a thread over in Political Lounge about the Movie Maxed Out which is a critical look at the credit card system in this country (GREAT movie BTW), and thought that this was a great secondary thread to let people know that they can regain some control over some of the things that tend to screw with our lives.

Don't know about any of you, but I despise the amount of credit card offers I get and I think I remember reading or hearing once that when those companies keep on credit checking you in order to spam you that it lowers your credit score, so I think it's great to be able to put a stop to some of this.

Of course, there's always the old trick of taking all the solicitations (unwanted) and their prepaid return envelopes back to them and stuffing all kinds of advertising (paper mail) garbage (unwanted offers, etc.,) and mailing it back to them.

[Big Mac]

That credit lowering story is a myth, Heart. Those prescreened offers come from credit companies that buy your name and address from the credit bureaus because your credit score is good. They may run a credit check once you sign up for the card, but they won't do it before then. Running a credit check without a person's permission is a violation of the law. Credit is a necessary part of life unless you can afford everything out of pocket right at the time you need it - and even then there are certain things that you must have a credit card to have (like hotel reservations). As long as it's handled properly, credit is a great tool. I do, however, agree that all those mailed offers are very wasteful and can be a moderate nuisance (like the way Chase continues to send me an application for a card I already have, over and over again. . . .)

[♥]

You know, you may be right (probably are).

But recently we installed a security system in our home that is actually through our telephone company. Paid all the money up front for all the equipment that they needed to install.

I have a credit monitoring service on our account through Bank of America that tells me when someone is running my credit for an application and darn if they didn't tell me that Protection One was running credit for me. I called them and pointed out that nowhere does their literature say that they are going to run my credit and secondly, I did not give express permission for it. They said, "It's an industry-wide practice to run credit." Well, I was kind of teed off about it. Felt like it was an invasion of privacy, credit, etc.

[Big Mac]

Yeah, that's a violation of the Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (Wikipedia).

[♥]

That's what I thought.

Not much I feel like I can do about it. After all, they've got the contract for protecting my home.

[UNTeMac]

Reread your contract with that company carefully. Most companies will not risk violating the FCRA if they are legitimate. They probably informed you in the agreement that you signed that they may check your credit.

If not, Complain