reply, Hearst, media accuracy, erroneous reporting

From: Greg Fisher [mailto:greg@creditscoring.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2012 10:26 AM
To: J.T. O’Donnell, columnist, J.T. & Dale Talk Jobs; J. T. O’Donnell, founder & president, CAREEREALISM
Cc: George R. Hearst, Jr., chairman, Hearst Corporation (via Lisa Bagley); William Dean Singleton, chairman, MediaNews Group, Inc.; Dale Dauten, columnist, J.T. & Dale Talk Jobs; Mary E. Junck, chairman, president and CEO; chairman, Executive Committee, Lee Enterprises; Mary Junck, Associated Press; Dale Quinn, reporter, Arizona Daily Star, Lee Enterprises
Subject: Re: media accuracy, errors and corrections, Lee Enterprises, Hearst, AP, a real joke

You must be joking about Lee Enterprises.

Experian states: “Experian’s Employment Insight report includes similar information about loans and credit cards that is listed in the credit report. It does not include year of birth, spouse reference, account number or credit score, which are irrelevant to hiring decisions”

I hope that’s official enough for you.  Actually, a guy gave a testimony.  He swore it, under oath even!

Finally, there is no longer anything on Equifax’s website about employers using credit scores.

So, that begs the question: Who is your source?  And, if nobody said it in the first place, then what are you “validate/research” -ing?

On the other hand, Experian says, “Creditors, landlords, and even some employers consider a person’s credit score before deciding whether they will approve a loan, lease an apartment, or hire an applicant.”

Why don’t you tell that story?


Greg Fisher
The Credit Scoring Site
creditscoring.com
PO Box 342
Dayton, Ohio  45409-0342

 


From: [email address] On Behalf Of J.T. O’Donnell
Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2012 6:00 PM
To: greg@creditscoring.com
Subject: Re: media accuracy, errors and corrections, Lee Enterprises, Hearst, AP

Greg,

Just sent you a tweet but figured I’d email you too.

I hope you can understand that because you are the one emailing, we need to validate/research what you are saying.

I’ll circle back with you when I learn more.

Thanks for your patience,

JT

[previous email]

 

media accuracy, errors and corrections, Lee Enterprises, Hearst, AP

From: Greg Fisher [mailto:greg@creditscoring.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2012 11:26 AM
To: Mary E. Junck, chairman, president and CEO; chairman, Executive Committee, Lee Enterprises; Mary Junck, Associated Press
Cc: George R. Hearst, Jr., chairman, Hearst Corporation (via Lisa Bagley); William Dean Singleton, chairman, MediaNews Group, Inc.; Dale Dauten, columnist, J.T. & Dale Talk Jobs; J.T. O’Donnell, columnist, J.T. & Dale Talk Jobs
Subject: media accuracy, errors and corrections, Lee Enterprises, Hearst, AP

You published

J.T.: Some companies use credit scores as one measure of how responsible a person is. And with so many people looking for work, they may feel it’s easier to hire someone with a good credit score.

DALE: Which is why you were right to bring it up in the interview. And you should rehearse a brief statement talking about all you’re doing to repair your credit scores, playing up the ‘lesson learned’ theme.

Employers do not use credit scores, and you continue to display advertisements on that page.

Will you make a correction?

Also, an AP (Associated Press) report states, “Not having a credit score, or having a low one, also can mean higher car insurance rates, higher rent, difficulty getting a job and paying higher interest rates for any credit available.”

What are you doing about that?


Greg Fisher
The Credit Scoring Site
creditscoring.com
PO Box 342
Dayton, Ohio  45409-0342

[response]

Hearst Corporation correction policy: “promptly;” ValueClick / Investopedia

From: Greg Fisher [mailto:greg@creditscoring.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2012 10:26 AM
To: George R. Hearst, Jr., chairman, Hearst Corporation (via Lisa Bagley)
Cc: Shauna Carther, VP, Content, Investopedia, ValueClick; Martin T. Hart, chairman, ValueClick (via Rachel McDonald, CPA, sr accountant & Public Relations specialist); Martin T. Hart, chairman, ValueClick ( via John Ardis, VP, Corporate Strategy); Stephen Proctor, managing editor, San Francisco Chronicle; Public Relations department, ValueClick ; Press office, U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Subject: RE: Hearst Corporation, publishing inaccurate information II

People in Canada exhibit a lack of comprehension regarding credit scores in the United States.

Neither employers nor “potential employers” have access to credit scores.  Credit scores are not credit reports; one is a document, and the other is merely a number.

What is your definition of “promptly”?  You continue to display advertisements on a page containing misinformation.  Please use any ill-gotten gains to pay someone to make the correction now.


Greg Fisher
The Credit Scoring Site
creditscoring.com
PO Box 342
Dayton, Ohio  45409-0342

 

 

From: Shauna Carther [Investopedia]
Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2012 5:19 PM
To: greg@creditscoring.com
Subject: FW: Heast Corporation, publishing inaccurate information

Dear Greg Fisher,

After reviewing our article and a reputable source, we’ve decided to clarify our statement to read “potential employers” rather than “employers”.

See: http://www.consumerfinance.gov/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Report_20110719_CreditScores.pdf

Page 3, I.A “Consumer files are used to produce reports that the CRAs provide to creditors, insurance companies, potential employers, and other users.”
CS3 – The impact of differences between consumer- and creditor-purchased credit scores. (2011, July 19). Retrieved from Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Regards,
Shauna

[previous email]

 

Hearst Corporation, publishing inaccurate information

From: Greg Fisher [mailto:greg@creditscoring.com]
Sent: Monday, March 12, 2012 11:17 PM
To: George R. Hearst, Jr., chairman, Hearst Corporation (via Lisa Bagley)
Cc: Stephen Proctor, managing editor, San Francisco Chronicle; Martin T. Hart, chairman, ValueClick (via Rachel McDonald, CPA, sr accountant & Public Relations specialist); Martin T. Hart, chairman, ValueClick (via John Ardis, VP, Corporate Strategy); Public Relations department, ValueClick
Subject: Heast Corporation, publishing inaccurate information

You published, “Mortgage lenders, auto loan companies, credit card providers, insurance companies, landlords and employers buy credit scores from credit reporting agencies.

Employers do not use credit scores, and this is not the first time you published inaccurate information about them.  Please provide your source regarding this urban myth so that they can be informed about their erroneous information, too.  Who is your source?

What is your correction policy?


Greg Fisher
The Credit Scoring Site
creditscoring.com
PO Box 342
Dayton, Ohio  45409-0342

Zillow and SF Chronicle believe Fed credit score info

Consumer reporting agencies TransUnion, Equifax and Experian all emphatically state that they do not provide credit scores for employment purposes.

Despite that, again, the Federal Reserve claims that credit scores are, indeed, used in employment.  Zillow and the San Francisco Chronicle believe it.

The first sentence of a Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland commentary states, “Credit scores are used in nearly every part of our lives, from applications for car loans, mortgages, credit cards, and car insurance to even some hiring decisions.”