I am SO upset right now. Last year I signed up for a water service here in AZ. Gave them no social on purpose and would only agree to their service on a month to month. No full contract. Just got a new credit report and there is an INQUIRY, a hard inquiry at that, from their company. Can't I do something about this??? How in the world did the pull this information with no social? Anybody???????????
Yes. Write to them (evidence) and ask what was their permissable purpose to make an inquiry on your credit report. Check your documentation from when you initially set up the water service. Re-read anything you have on file.
Reports can be pulled with just name and address. No SSN is needed. If you were a customer at the time they pulled, they probably had permissible purpose. Even month to month service involves an extension of credit since you are using the product or service before you are paying for it. Why would you have a contract locking you into water service that cannot be terminated at any time? People move.
Always: Thank you. I did write to them. They are supposed to be investigating it. Apparently it was supposed to be a soft inquiry, but it isn't. Ontrack: I don't know what state you live in, but here in Arizona we don't drink the tap water. Have to get outside bottling companies for water. They usually require a year lease on the cooler and a year supply of water. However, I AM planning to move so I wouldn't sign a year contract. You can come across a little harsh on some of your replies ontrack. What is up with that?
Not intending to sound harsh. Many companies try to "require" contracts: health clubs, cell phone companies, alarm companies, etc. When you see yourself being steered to be locked into a year or longer contract, on a product that could be started or stopped on a monthly basis, you have to take it as a red flag. The "free" cell phone, or the water cooler, isn't so valuable as to justify year contracts for business reasons, so my assumption is that their business practices are deliberately predatory, designed to lock in customers, minimize competition, and extract payments for services not delivered, beyond their value to the consumer. I had assumed you were describing a problem with a water utility company, where year contracts would be uncommon.
You are right ontrack. I am not happy with this company at all. I forsee myself giving back the cooler, the water and doing in myself. I wasn't implying that you are gruff on purpose. I just feel that sometimes you are very short commented and some people can interpret that wrong. Maybe your just intimidating?? I'm sure that's it. On that take, I kinda wish I was intimidating to some people, mostly creditors, CA's CRA's.....you get the point.
And by the way, there are about 5 typos in that last reply and I have been at this way TOOOOO long today. Time to take a break and time to start remembering to use spell check before posting.
I was once kind and gentle, and believed this was the best of all possible worlds. I now know better. We live in a world that also contains predators and idiots. You can manage your affairs perfectly, pay all your bills on time, and still have your life messed up by incompetents, or be harassed by scum collecting debts you never owed. Once you realize this, you can choose how you will deal with it. You can ignore it and pay one price, or face it and pay a different one.
There's your "true credit" side. Couldn't agree ANY MORE to you last posting than to any of your replies I have seen. Here Here!! Oh, and just for the record, I got the inquiry deleted today. Even got an apology letter. But, I still have some questions for them and I still probably will stop their service. Thanks again, Ontrack.
