ATT mysterious hard hit credit inquiries

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@surf003 wrote:

No Direct TV - I don't do TV  . . . "can't start a revolution 6 feet from your television" Grant Peeples 

 

This an old thread , the issue was resolved.  But, the hard hit was not warranted and caused me stress and concern.  They screwed up and I was supposed to take my valuable time to dispute?  No.  Bad business practice.  

 

Whomever revised this thread, thanks for getting me ramped up again!  

 

I like ATT, when they are good.  But, when they are bad, they are bad good.  

 

~b 

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My apologies; I didn't notice that you had jumped back in. I got you and @Madmamasan confused. 

Just spent another hour and a half on phone with att. I was adamant on my conversation last night listening once again to their sales pitch on direct tv that I DO NOT AUTHORIZE a credit check. The rep told me I have credit info in my file from adding a line couple days ago. I told him I never authorized it then either but since it was done I went forward with the order for direct tv. Curiosity got the best of me, checked my credit report this morning thad lol and behold DIRECT TV ran a credit check on me last night. Also received email at 12:30 in the morning detailing the customer agreement that I agreed to according to them. I sat and went through those 11 pages, no surprise it didn't match up with my notes of the conversation. Pretty livid I called to cancel, finally after Jenna transferred me to Red who transferred me to Paul who transferred me to Liz who transferred me to Jesus who cancelled my order. Maybe it's finally time to make some changes.

@Madmamasan  Sure, like Comcast, Cox, what ever.   And they will run a credit check too.  

How much of a divet  will multiple TV credit checks make?

 

Well "Tv" credit checks, at least in this case is a hard credit check which can have slightly more of an impact than a "diver". I know of a case where in little over 6 months this person had 4 hard credit checks run and her score dropped by 18 points. "Overuse of credit checks can very well be punitive to consumers." by Joe Ridout, Mgr of consumer services for the advocacy group Consumer Action. LA Times published an article on this exact topic. Rather than question how much the customer is hurt by it, why not instead ask why in the world would the same company that has received monthly payments for however many years need to look beyond their own records for payment history. That's all I asked, provide me with a reasonable explanation and I will authorize. Leaving it at " It's policy" and ending any hopes of securing what business they do aggressively pursue leaves one wondering. Anyway adding salt to the wound was having this done anyway after clearly denying authorization and told info in my files will be sufficient, LAST NIGHT!

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@Madmamasan wrote:
Well "Tv" credit checks, at least in this case is a hard credit check which can have slightly more of an impact than a "diver". I know of a case where in little over 6 months this person had 4 hard credit checks run and her score dropped by 18 points. "Overuse of credit checks can very well be punitive to consumers." by Joe Ridout, Mgr of consumer services for the advocacy group Consumer Action. LA Times published an article on this exact topic. Rather than question how much the customer is hurt by it, why not instead ask why in the world would the same company that has received monthly payments for however many years need to look beyond their own records for payment history. That's all I asked, provide me with a reasonable explanation and I will authorize. Leaving it at " It's policy" and ending any hopes of securing what business they do aggressively pursue leaves one wondering. Anyway adding salt to the wound was having this done anyway after clearly denying authorization and told info in my files will be sufficient, LAST NIGHT!

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Unless you are planning to obtain new credit with in the next few month, and drop of 18 point in your credit score is meaningless. 

Really, "it's policy" is all the explanation AT&T needs to give; however, I can see the argument that paying AT&T bills does not give them sufficient coverage that you will continue to pay a (potentially) higher bill when you add  new service. 

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As a matter of fact that is exactly what happened applied and denied

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@Madmamasan wrote:
As a matter of fact that is exactly what happened applied and denied

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I'd say a person in a position where 18 points makes the difference between obtaining some credit and getting none at all (as opposed to a higher interest rate, for instance) might have other issues going on besides a TV company checking their credit. 

Check your score every day for a month and I think you'd see some fluctuation (even with no credit checks).

 

 

Well yes I have to agree on average. However there are cases where hard inquiries can absolutely hurt you. Say somebody who does not have much credit, someone I know very well paid cash for everything, financed nothing. Now he has no credit history so just a few hard inquiries very well may hurt him should he suddenly decide or need to seek credit. His report may be construed as somebody who may not be in a position to afford credit. Hard hits yet no credit history. Hard hits stay on your report for 2 years. He is not an isolated case. That generation is dwindling but you also have those who can easily afford it but choose to pay cash up front over paying any type of interest charges. I know a few individuals like that as well. Those requesting permission for this inquiry need to abide by the consumers decision plain and simple. For this to be abused by a representative from a corporation such as AT&T is arrogant and ludicrous, in my opinion of course.

During my divorce I monitored my credit all the time.  Drove my nuts.   But it changed all the time. 

When my bills were paid up my score went up..   when the credit card balance was high, my score nt down.  This could happen twice in a month.  

The alterantive or consequence, to refusing credit checks is not getting services or using prepaid.  

ATT is particularly picky.  And far too often I see posts from people who can't imagine why ATT wants to be paid and on time.  Cause and effect I think