Forum
|
|
Forum
|
     | Monday, December 04, 2000 - 05:43 pm  Generally speaking, what sort of credit score would someone need to qualify for a typical cell phone contract, say $50 a month with a one-year committment, offered by a national player. Does qualifying for such an account translate into, for example, being offered the best rate on financing a new car? Or is the threshold lower for a cell phone...? Thanks in advance for any thoughts.
|
| | Tuesday, December 05, 2000 - 02:01 am Wait for the free offer from MCI or another firm. Sprint isn't worth the inquiry. Besides, you'll save yourself from a few low level doses of radiation while you wait. 
|
| | Tuesday, December 05, 2000 - 02:58 am The threshold is lower for a cellphone.
|
| | Tuesday, December 05, 2000 - 04:10 am And if your credit is really bad they'll ask for a deposit.
|
| | Tuesday, December 05, 2000 - 05:39 am MCI runs Equifax. I had a 620 score with Equifax and paid a $500 deposit.
|
| | Tuesday, December 05, 2000 - 06:01 am One alternative might be a pre-paid cellphone. They are available through many outlets, 7-11's and Blockbuster Videos among them.
|
| | Tuesday, December 05, 2000 - 06:57 am How does prepay work...Is it easy to blow through the minutes?
|
| | Tuesday, December 05, 2000 - 07:33 am Prepay is hardly ever worth it. I had a prepaid account with Powertel. Its minutes were .35 a minute. Thats about what they still go for with the various companies. I have Sprint now.. I don't know my credit score but they did not ask for a deposit but they put me on a Assigned Spending Limit of $200. Meaning that once I make $200 in calls in a billing period then my phone will not be able to make or receive calls. $200 is plenty I never go over my $50 plan which has $1000 minutes long distance no roaming (when digital). I was 4.5 years out of chapter 7 when I applied for this. I heard it's more common for people with bad credit to get the $150 deposit and spending limit with Sprint. Sprint is alrigt being thats it's nationwide and you can get a dual-band phone which is great for when you are in rural area's or small cities. I really like this site. I can get and receive great info here.
|
| | Tuesday, December 05, 2000 - 11:31 am Another thing I don't like about pre-pay is that on a lot of plans, you cannot roll the minutes over from month to month. If you aren't used, you lose.
|
| | Tuesday, December 05, 2000 - 02:44 pm Prepay is definitely not worth it. They rip you hardcore on the rates.
|
| | Tuesday, December 05, 2000 - 04:32 pm I started with Sprint PCS with a $150 account spending limit.... After 6 months of positive payment history, they sent me a postcard saying "Your account spending limit has been removed. Thanks for being a customer" or somesuch. I'm overall VERY happy with them, especially with how much travelling I do. FYI: I had somewhere around a 580 score when I got it.
|
| | Tuesday, December 05, 2000 - 06:10 pm Thanks for all of the comments. Rather than what score is needed for activating a cell phone account, I was actually more curious about what qualifying for a regular, contracted cell phone plan, (without having to put down a deposit or resort to pre-pay), told a consumer about his/her credit score. For example, does it tell the consumer who successfully opened such a cell phone account that they should expect to receive the most attractive, top-tier rates for auto financing/leasing? In the credit score view of things, how big a deal is it to qualify for activating such a cell phone account?
|
| | Wednesday, December 06, 2000 - 03:20 am Then the answer is that you would not necessarily qualify. When my score was 585 (plus or minus) I was asked for a $300 deposit. Last year when I went back with a score of 640 (+/-) there was no deposit. And I do not qualify for the best rates.
|
| | Thursday, December 07, 2000 - 03:52 am Well with Sprint even if you have to put down the $150 you can get ANY plan!(under $150). If you want to talk over $150 thats alot of talking. I don't own a landline phone, my sprint phone serves as my primary phone and I never go over the bill. Also when I go places, (i.e. TX, NY) my phone calls in those area's are local. Your phone makes local calls whereever you are. Radioshacks usually have the best deal on Sprint phones and promotions sometimes even better than the Sprint stores. Leave the Web applicaton alone, I was straight denied there but accepted at a Radioshack with no deposit.
|
| | Thursday, December 07, 2000 - 06:24 am This last point about the Web may have some merit to it across the board. When I put down $500 with a 620 score for MCI, I made the application through the Web thinking it was no different than a store. I suspected I would need a deposit so I chose the Web to avoid the humilation of rejection. From what I am reading here perhaps MCI's requirements would have been a little more lenient had I gone into a store. $300 for a 585 and none for a 640 makes me think this.
|
| | Thursday, December 07, 2000 - 07:12 am I know how you feel about the humiliation part. I spent a lot of time feeling it both before and after my BK. The good thing that came out of it is that I lost that feeling. Now I don't care anymore. If you decline me or want a deposit, then, oh well. (Now, I do need to get better at limiting my inquiries though). I quit caring about what others think. The only two opinions that matter are me and the missus'.
|
| | Monday, December 11, 2000 - 06:20 pm Heres an interesting fact: I got a SprintPCS account with a $125 deposit. I also got an inquiry on my credit report, even though companies like Sprint don't report your account or payment history to the CRA's.
|
| | Tuesday, December 12, 2000 - 07:06 am Credit Criminal, I know what you mean. Well the phone companies (?????BELL) does it too to determine your credit worthyness if thats any relief. I've had my phone for 6 months and my ASL has not dropped off yet. I called a rep (for another problem) and ask them when would my ASL dropp off. She said they review it after 6 months and 6 months every month thereafter. Well I guess I didn't make this cut. Maybe next time. The only thing I could be interested in is Add-a-phone which is good for a "couple". You can't get add-a-phone with an ASL account.
|
| | Thursday, December 21, 2000 - 01:14 am I believe that ATT wireless does not run a credit check on their customers. I tried several places before them and was told $350-500 deposit. I also ran a recent credit report and it did not show any inquiry from them, however it does show them reporting monthly payments (good). I got my phone and it seems to be a pretty good deal, not the greatest number of mins, but overall good service) and no problem at all - didn't need a deposit or anything. You can apply online and do the purchase and everything at www.attws.com. Just my .02 worth
|
| | Thursday, December 21, 2000 - 06:49 am I used to work for AT&T Wireless and they most definately did a credit check. It was only a credit score type check and I believe it is somewhat low, but usually people who didn't think they would be approved would not be and vice versa. However, they hav (or had) an option called SLM. This is NOT prepaid, but no matter what your credit was you could give them a credit card and they would charge you card every month for your bill OR IF YOU HIT the SLM (Service Limit Monitoring amount - usually $200) before then. At that time they were not offering prepaid in the market that I was working - they are now - so I am not sure if it is still available.
|
| | Thursday, December 21, 2000 - 07:22 am AT&T Wireless is on my Equifax file. They list as an "individual account." The balance is always zero and the high credit is always zero. They appear to update every two months. They also did a hard inquiry the day I signed up. I didn't sign up for anything special... Just ordinary service.
|
| | Friday, December 22, 2000 - 03:36 pm Don't forget about instant credit. When I worked retail I sold both Sprint PCS and Verizon Wireless. I rarely did a credit check with Verizon, cuz It was faster and easier to do instant credit. Instant credit is $250 available on Visa/MC and the hold is only as long as your bank holds authorizations, from a couple days to a week. You can pay your bill online. The plans are good too. Kelly
|
| | Friday, December 22, 2000 - 05:45 pm Now THAT is interesting. Just last night I tried to get an 800# that required a credit card for verification, and I used my debit card. TODAY, I was missing $100 from my bank account, my "available balance" was $100 less than my balance, with no indication why. Called Compubank to find out that there was a $100 charge from Kall8. Apparently they released the hold, just checked again. Don't know if that was the result of my very nasty E-mail to Kall8 or automatic. BUT, who'd pay the NSF and creditor fees if I had checks bounce due to the "hold?" Maybe this is a common practice and I just never noticed it? Why don't businesses tell their customers that's what they're doing?
|
| | Saturday, December 23, 2000 - 04:29 am The phenomenon you are referring to is known as credit card blocking. It is standard practice when you submit a credit card as identity that a $1.00 charge is authorized and then the charge slip is never submitted. When you rent a hotel room a much larger authorization is submitted and, if you check out and pay cash or use a different credit card, that "block" can remain for quite some time.
|
| | Saturday, December 23, 2000 - 03:37 pm I was aware of the "blocks" for hotels or car rentals. And maybe that's why I was never able to use my debit card to rent a car. Most recently in Calgary, Enterprise told me right up front that they'd authorize $300, and upon return of the car they'd credit back or charge the difference. Maybe that's Canadian law. I like it! I wouldn't have cared if Kall8 charged just a buck, but for me "the buck stops" at about 10 bucks. $100 is way out of line to confirm my identity. Especially without prior notification.
|
| | Tuesday, December 26, 2000 - 01:11 pm Well, that's a convention for car rental companies here in Canada: the car rental co. in my case last week took a "pre-auth" for $250.00. According to VISA and their bank's rules, the pre-authorization drops off AUTOMATICALLY after five calendar days then that credit is available again to you on your card (I paid via debit card for the final settlement). Works like a charm; AND, they of course informed me upfront and gave me a pre-auth receipt with such duly noted. This would of course as you mentioned, be unique to Canadian banking regs.
|
Credit Forum CreditCourt Forum 2003 Credit Suit CreditFactors Order Credit Reports |