Catch 22 with Identity Theft guard products

I signed up for an Identity Theft Guard/Credit Monitoring services through Costco, and subsequently put Fraud Alerts on my Credit Reports for all three Credit Reporting agencies.

Putting Fraud Alerts on my credit reports was the most painless transaction I have completed with the Credit Report Agencies. I submitted the fraud alert with Equifax, and Equifax informed the other agencies.

Once the fraud alerts are in place the "Identity Theft" services can not pull a Credit Report without your (the customer's) explicit permission. The fraud alert also alerts you when new credit is being added to your credit report, which is effectively the service the "Identity Theft Guard" companies are offering.