SR-Questions about credit report offers

[kytiam]

Are all these offers for "free credit report" connected to the same company or something? I did one several months ago and it was quick to credit and easy to cancel. In the past week or two (since the February contest started, of course!) I've tried several others that look completely different, including the new one for super members and it kept saying "this credit card is already on file." I tried a different credit card but then it kept telling me I hadn't accepted the terms and conditions.
Has anyone else had this experience? Is there any way around it? I have no hope of winning the contest (although I get quite a kick out of seeing my name in the top ten!), but I do have a trip coming up and I'd love to have a few more bucks to spend!!

 

[Alice28]

I feel like I have done it twice and gotten credit both times.....

I am not doing it anymore though, even if it looks like a new offer. My credit score went down several points last year, and the only reason I can figure is because I did at least 2 of these 'check your credit score' and I opened up 2 or 3 credit cards last year. Every time your credit score is looked at either by a credit card company or by a credit bureau tabulating your score, it can affect your credit score. I had nearly perfect credit a year ago; now it's down to 'very good'. And I paid off about 75% of our credit debt last year too. 2 of those cards I opened were to get big bucks with SR and then I just closed them, but I learned not to do that anymore! At least not for awhile! I don't think it matters if you just did it once, but I counted and my credit was checked 5-6 times last year, and that's high, esp cause the year before I think it wasn't checked at all (I didn't open any new cards, get my score checked, etc).

Just my .02 on that kind of thing.

 

[kytiam]

Thanks for your reply. It certainly got me thinking! I may have to rethink the types of offers I try in the future.

 

[azgal81]

I get my credit report every year online and it does not affect my score. Checking your credit score yourself is not an inquiry against your score. I just pulled it up for one of the offers on QR and it has two inquires at the bottom for the credit cards I opened. Opening credit cards brings your score down though. Although I have quite a few and my score is still excellent so who knows how true that is.