Although ScoreSense provides access to fresh credit reports, acceptable monitoring, interesting tools, and well-designed mobile apps, the company also sells customer information, pushes inaccurate credit scores, has a high monthly price, signup issues, and a poor reputation for misleading clients that it just can't seem to shake off.

• Triple-bureau reports
• Monitoring
• Credit score simulator
• Mobile app

Triple-Bureau Reports

ScoreSense offers solid credit report coverage by providing customers with full access to all three of their credit reports as often as once a month. Unfortunately, the company doesn't automatically pull these reports for its customers; instead, it requires users to either log in and refresh them manually on the website or through the app. Nevertheless, having the option to pull from all three bureaus each month is commendable.

Monitoring

ScoreSense monitors for for the following:

• New accounts opened
• New derogatory marks
• New public records
• New inquiries (when someone applies for credit with your info)
• Change in personal information (like a new address)

Credit Score Simulator

In addition to a library of basic educational content, ScoreSense provides subscribers with ScoreCast, a credit score simulator powered by CreditXpert that allows customers to see how different actions, such as opening a new account or paying off a credit card, might affect their estimated credit score.

We appreciate the value of these kinds of tools and applaud ScoreSense for including them, but as always, caution users against putting too much stock into them. They help put borrowers on the right track, but the exact numbers should be taken with a grain of salt, as they are provided "for educational purposes" only.

Mobile App

ScoreSense has released a mobile app, entitled Scores To Go, on both the Apple (iPhone and iPad) and Android app stores. It features a slick, mobile design and provides users with access to their credit scores on the go, score tracking over time, and credit tips.

• Unclear scoring model
• High monthly price
• Information sharing
• Signup problems
• Auto-billing trial
• Legal issues

Unclear Scoring Model

ScoreSense spends a lot of time talking up the importance of knowing your credit score so you can "know how you look to potential lenders, landlords, insurers, and employers" and  have the "score strength to negotiate a great rate on a new car, get the affordable mortgage on your dream home, or qualify for a personal loan". However, it is unclear whether or not ScoreSense uses the FICO scoring model, which is the model taken into consideration by the majority of lenders.

High Monthly Price

At $39.95 per month, ScoreSense's credit monitoring services are the most expensive we've reviewed so far. 

Information Sharing

According to ScoreSense's privacy policy, the company has the ability to sell, trade, rent, or otherwise transfer its customers' personal information to others. It is not clear who the company shares information with or for what purpose.

Signup Problems

Some consumers have reported running into bug issues when trying to sign up for ScoreSense's services using the company's website. This can be frustrating for customers.

Auto-Billing Trial

ScoreSense has caught several complaints from people who sign up for a free seven-day trial and then find their credit card automatically being billed at $39.95 per month after the seven days are up without realizing that this is what was going to happen. This auto-billing model can end up costing individuals who do not cancel in time.

Legal Issues

ScoreSense is owned by a company called One Technologies, which was hit by a major FTC Lawsuit after more than 210,000 people complained about it. Many of the complaints alleged that the customer was misled about the price of the product (thinking it was free) before seeing a mysterious "OTL*ScoreSense" charge on their credit card statement each month.

One Technologies faced a judgment and an injunction in November of 2014 for engaging in deceptive business practices with ScoreSense and other similar websites operated by the same company, including FreeScore360.com, FreeScoreOnline.com, etc. The company ended up settling the lawsuit for $22 million on November 19th, 2014.

Although ScoreSense does not engage in this specific practice anymore (the price of the service is clearly printed at the top of each signup page), it tells consumers a lot about the attitude of the company's management towards its customers and may be indicative of other problems clients might face when dealing with them.

At this time, we do not recommend ScoreSense. While the company seems to be moving in a new direction, we still do not feel comfortable recommending it to our users due to its checkered history, its high price, its unclear scoring model, and its sharing of personal information.