 TITLE: Why You Should Avoid Buying Tradelines CONTENT: How Buying Tradelines Works\n---------------------------\nOne piece of advice credit experts often give to people looking to establish credit is to ask a family member to add them as an authorized user on their credit card account. If the account has a positive payment history and the primary cardholder maintains a low balance relative to their credit limit, it may help to build credit.\nBecoming an authorized user may seem similar to buying tradelines—but there are two big differences: 1) When you buy a tradeline, you don't know the person who is adding you as an authorized user on their account, and 2) you pay them money for the access.\nBuying tradelines is done through a third-party service for a fee, and prices can reach into the thousands of dollars. Once you purchase the tradeline, it will typically remain on your credit report as an open account for a short period, after which you'll be removed from the credit card account. END