Consumer complaint received 2017-09-21
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Credit monitoring or identity theft protection services — Problem canceling credit monitoring or identify theft protection service
Company: TRANSUNION INTERMEDIATE HOLDINGS, INC. (IN)

In the wake of the utter disaster with XXXX, I, acting as a reasonable consumer decided that I would check my credit score ( I had n't checked it in a while, and though I would elect to do so ). Deciding to avoid XXXX for the inquiry, I selected TransUnion as the credit bureau of choice. Upon visiting their became aware that they offered a " Free Credit Score and {$1.00} Report '' to review my credit report ( and apparently score ). All fine and dandy. Yet I knew that nothing was truly " free '' and decided to examine the terms and conditions under which this " free '' offer existed. The terms were, at least I thought, pretty straightforward ; essentially, I would have a trial period ( a timeframe of 7 days, if I 'm remembering correctly ), and I had beyond the 7 day trial period, I would be charged a fee of around {$16.00}. 

I then proceeded to enter my information, authorizing the {$1.00} charge for the free-trial period, with the ostensible purpose of canceling the trial within the same day. After reviewing my credit report and upon determining the information was accurate, I decided that I would cancel my trial. This is where the struggle/frustration/deceptive practices began. First, the procedure for canceling the trial period certainly was not " clear and conspicuous. '' I found this very unusual, and decided that I 'd call. I did in fact place a call and explained that I had just started a trial and that I desired it to be closed and canceled. The individual on the phone, however, advised me that he was unable to access the account I had created as part of the trial. He suggested I to " XXXX '' wherein I would re-submit my personal, and once I did that, he assured me " I would have access to my account. '' I thanked him for this information ( and kindly reminded him of my frustration ) and also explained to him that if it was necessary that I would visit the third-party website. He assured me that it was in fact necessary to enter my account, and before I got off the phone I explained to him that I simply desired to cancel my account so as not to incur their fee after the trial period ended. He assured me that it would be canceled, and advised me to continue to " XXXX. '' I did so. 

That same day ( in fact about 30minutes after I placed the original call ), I again called TransUnion to inform them that I had entered information, and to direct them to enter my account to effectively cancel my trial subscription. This was done, and for the second time in the same day, I was informed that the trail would be canceled. 

For all intents and purposes, I expected that that was the case. Why would a major credit reporting bureau try and deceive the general consumer right? Golly, no way would that ever happen! They certainly always have the public 's best interest in mind. ( I am of course being sarcastic ). Dissatisfied with my interaction with TransUnion, I preformed a simple XXXX search. And as it would happen, TransUnion was under a consent order with the CFPB for, among other things, the exact same deceptive practices that I had experienced. Go figure. Yet despite this information, I gave the company the benefit of the doubt, and thought that they would make a good-faith effort to cancel the trial subscription. 

Thus I went about my life with my interaction with TransUnion in the back of my mind. In due course, I received my monthly bank statement and realized that low and behold, I had received a charge of {$16.00} from TransUnion. I called again ( this time with the consent order in the back of my mind ) and demanded they close my account. I reminded them of the consent order, and they willfully complied. I asked them to send me an email of the cancellation, and again, no issue. 

TransUnion 's deceptive practices in my interaction with them is what prompts this complaint. I am a reasonable person with my own life, and the last thing I want to do is to take time out of my day to file a complaint against a company that 1. ought to know better and 2. Should have the public interest in their mission.
I really have two chief complaints : 1. That the trial period 's Negative Option disclosure on TransUnion 's website was not clear and conspicuous. The only reason, that I became aware of the trial duration and the need to cancel it is because I was specifically looking for it. I have serious doubts other consumers would discover the need to cancel the trial subscription. 

2. The utter disregard of their customers when it is clearly communicated the desire to cancel a trial subscription. This is is unfair, deceptive, abusive, and just is't how you run a business. Such willful disregard of a customer is astonishing. 

I have attached with this complaint the consent order that TransUnion is under. I have highlighted the sections of the consent order that are applicable to my complaint.