Ok, first the bad news, Phone Companies don't show up as good accounts in your CR, so why should it count when they pull a hard look up on you? Ok now the even worse news. I've been a Verizon customer for years, no payment problems. I have Local Phone service and DSL with them. I just added them as my long distance carrier, and they do a hard look up on me!!! WTF!!! Then, even worse news. I've been a Cingular Cellular customer for two years, no payment issues. So I decide to upgrade to the family plan and add a second phone for a whopping extra ten bucks a month, and they do a hard look up!!! WTF!!! Phone companies, BAH HUMBUG!!!
Hmmm....shouldn't be that way. I work for Cingular and have worked in the credit dept before. Generally, the only time they'll pull a hard is the initial application for service and any subsequent lines WITHIN 6 months of the first activation. After 6 months, it's supposed to be based off of existing account history. You may call and complain.
THEY "CAN" PULL A HARD---THEY DON'T HAVE TO!!!! They can do a "SOFT" BUT THE "LOGICAL" THING WOULD BE NO INQUIRY FOR EXISTING CUSTOMERS... "IF" they were worried about getting paid...HOW ABOUT ASKING YOU TO PAY $50.00 IN A CREDIT AGAINST THE NEXT BILL???
Re: Re: My Rant -- Phone Companies! True. We went off the previous 6 month pay history. If it was questionable, we went through the bureau again. But in their case, 2 yrs of service...should have been an existing acct review.
