Are Cellphone applications supposed to be a hard inquiry?

[JSS3]

I called Tmobile yesterday to inquire about their LG phone package that I saw advertised. I specifically asked if it would be a hard inquiry before she ran my social. She first said she didn't know. That they just run your social. I proceeded to detail the difference between a soft and hard inquiry. I told her one shows up on you credit report and the other doesn't...well, not to the public. She said that it won't show up. I allowed her to run a check. Today, I got an alert from CK showing Tmobile as a new hard inquiry!

[Anf_dude]

Yes. Even To Add Lines, So I Was Told. But Weird How Only T-Mobile And Verizon Show Up On My Credit Karma And My AT&T Doesn't.

[wHiTeSoL]

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@Anf_dude wrote:
Yes. Even To Add Lines, So I Was Told. But Weird How Only T-Mobile And Verizon Show Up On My Credit Karma And My AT&T Doesn't.

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Yes, all the major contracted carriers run your credit via HP, don't let T-Mobile fool you with their "no contract" stuff, you are still signing a commitment to finance the handset over 2x months so they are extending credit to you. (0%)

[cottoncrown]

It's always a hard inquiry as far as I know. More importantly though, if you want to keep your sanity, don't choose tmobile. None of the CSRs know what they are talking about and the billing is always problematic. They can't even explain what some of the charges are in a dispute. Just my personal experience. I paid to get out of contract with them because it was such a nightmare.

[JediNeo]

I was under the impression all cell phones, cable and utilities were HP

[JSS3]

When changing over my utilities into my name:

My water company wasn't a hard pull

My electric company wasn't a hard pull

My cable/phone company wasn't a hard pull.

I thought cell companies were part of that group. On Ck it says, "Tmobile...Utilites and Fuel"

[lithium78]

Word of advice for anybody out there.  Don't bother signing a contract with a cell carrier to get a subsidized phone.  Phone technology has not changed enough in the past two years to really worry about getting the newest units, so just get a discount carrier and buy a phone off Amazon or eBay.  It will save you thousands of dollars in the long run.

[brianjb]

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@lithium78 wrote:

Word of advice for anybody out there.  Don't bother signing a contract with a cell carrier to get a subsidized phone.  Phone technology has not changed enough in the past two years to really worry about getting the newest units, so just get a discount carrier and buy a phone off Amazon or eBay.  It will save you thousands of dollars in the long run.

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That is good advice.  you can get on a plan with straight talk and be in the same network as AT&T, Verizon, etc but pay less since they aren't subsidizing the price.

i paid cash for my iPhone and am on Tmobile.  I am pleased with their service and rates.

[irrational]

My electric company (a small coop) gave me three choices. I could prepay service (based on the previous owner's usage levels), put down a security deposit, or they could do a credit check. Luckily it was only a SP.

AT&T when I setup DSL HPed my TU, and didn't even mention that was a thing they were going to do. Kinda crummy, considering I'm not leasing any equipment and the service is simply month-to-month.

My water and gas companies didn't do any type of credit check.

[wHiTeSoL]

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@irrational wrote:

My electric company (a small coop) gave me three choices. I could prepay service (based on the previous owner's usage levels), put down a security deposit, or they could do a credit check. Luckily it was only a SP.

AT&T when I setup DSL HPed my TU, and didn't even mention that was a thing they were going to do. Kinda crummy, considering I'm not leasing any equipment and the service is simply month-to-month.

My water and gas companies didn't do any type of credit check.

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Are you prepaying this (before usage?) or after the month is over?