Is It Really Free?

We see offers all the time for free services and products. But before you sign up, it is important to be aware of the strings that might be attached. For example, free credit report and free credit score web sites often let you see your information for free, but you have to sign up for some sort of trial membership or monthly service. (For a free credit score, go to Credit Karma, and for a free credit report, go to annualcreditreport.com.) This happened with AT&T as well. After looking at an offer for free ringtones, many consumers were shocked to find that the fine print says that you sign up for a monthly service.

Before you sign up for something free, make sure you check the fine print. You should also be wary when you are asked for payment information. If you have to provide a credit card number or some other payment information before you can get your free product or service, that is a dead give away that you are agreeing to sign up for a recurring service. If you don’t remember to cancel, your “free” product or service will probably turn out to be nothing of the sort.

Image source: Daylife