[poundwise]

This may be common knowledge, however, I did not realize it until today:

A credit score is available from all three credit bureaus. However, only the score from Equifax is your actual FICO (Fair Issac) score. Experian and TransUnion offer their own quasi-score that they have developed as an add-on product for sale to consumers.

They are very careful in the wording of these offers. For example, Experian states that their score will allow you to, "See the same type of information that lenders and creditors see before you apply for credit..."

I believe this is just another example of shady dealing on the part of these companies.