I accessed the FTC 's XXXX site to request a free credit report online from Equifax. After I entered my personal data and received the credit report, I noticed Equifax offered to provide my " credit score '' for a {$7.00} fee. Only after paying the fee and receiving the score did I become aware that the " credit score '' was n't the FICO credit score, but rather a so-called " Equifax proprietary score ''. Knowingly using suggestive, if not outright deceptive, language to unfairly profit from unsuspecting consumers is essentially a form of bait-and-switch. 

I referred back to the FTC website, who hosts the link to XXXX, to see if I could file a complaint, however, they refer consumers back to the offending credit bureau and the CFPB before they will get involved ( XXXX ). 

I am attempting to file a complaint with Equifax to request having my fee refunded, but I 'm not sure they 'll honor my request. I am sure there are untold numbers of unsuspecting consumers who are being similarly duped without realizing it and thus wo n't demand to have their monies refunded. 

Also, Equifax does n't appear to have the mechanism on their website to appeal the fee or request a fee refund. The only option I could find was related to inaccuracies on a credit report. 

I appreciate your efforts and advocacy on behalf of consumers nationwide and hope this could be an area where credit bureaus can be made to clean-up the way they do business. Thank you.