Forum Discussion
Credit check left a hard inquiry
So, before I had established an account with t-mobile, a representative from t-mobile specifically told me that the credit check would be a SOFT PULL and NOT a HARD PULL. So i agreed to have them pull my credit since it was only going to be a SOFT PULL. After all was said and done, four days later i check my credit and BAAAM! It's a friggin HARD INQUIRY that showed up on my credit. Called t-mobile's credit department told them a t-mobile representative specifically told me it was going to be a SOFT INQUIRY and they told me that it's definitely going to be a HARD INQUIRY, according to their policy. To resolve this issue they told me to contact Transunion to dispute the inquiry. Transunion told me to call t-mobile. So i call t-mobile to see if they can provide me a document/policy that SPECIFICALLY SAYS IT WILL BE A HARD PULL/INQUIRY that shows up on your credit. I was then transferred about 600 different times to 600 different departments in t-mobile and NOT ONE can provide me a policy/document/credit disclosure that states that it will be a HARD INQUIRY. NOT ONE!!!!
Is there any way I can resolve this? Transunion said that t-mobile needs to provide me with a deletion letter that allows transunion to remove the inquiry from my credit, but apparently t-mobile cannot provide such a letter.
I hear what you're saying and we do appreciate the feedback. If you're not getting the best customer service in our retail stores, there are ways that we can report that and bring it to their attention. Here on the support site, we don't have the ability to change the requirements for credit checks or provide any other documentation other than the link I posted. A change like that would have to come from another department. As I mentioned before, I can pass this suggestion along, I just can't say for sure if this'll change or when. But, I can get your feedback in the right hands so our internal team can review it.
I'm not at all surprised. Thank you for posting about it, because it helps other people like me avoid making the same mistake. Btw. It states clearly on ATT policy that they only do soft checks. I'm currently looking at their deals rn to switch over. I've. Been with t mobile for over 5 years prepaid and 2 and half as reg customer and I swear the service was better prepaid.
Today, I wanted to get home internet from T-Mobile and I figured out that there will be an hard inquiry. The surprising point is that I am using T-Mobile for a few years and my family plan is on autopayment. I do not understand why T-Mobile needs hard inquiry; what I pay for the family plan is more than home internet and there was no hard inquiry.
For getting home internet, in my mind, this does not make any sense at all.
The problem is not so much the hard inquiry, the problem is that their associates lie and tell you it will be a soft inquiry when in fact it's a hard one. I went back to the store to complain and I could tell the manager was in on it. Looks like this deceptive approach is how their employees are being trained
That's not how your credit score works. An inquiry does not "take points off" your score. Your score is made up of many factors, 1 of which is inquiries. You get a single inquiry & it has little effect on anything. But that inquiry stays on your report for 2 years, but have a much more significant effect for the first 13 months. Now inquiries only account for 10% of your score, but that can hurt you as much as 55 points which can be the difference between a 3.8% Auto Loan & a 18% Loan, so it IS significant. It does not hurt too much if, say, you don't plan to open a new account or apply for a new job, or move in the next 2 years, but if you are looking for a mortgage it can really hurt.
The fact that it says it may affect your credit is the same as saying it's a hard inquiry. & the thing is, no matter what, they are ONLY allowed to check your credit report if there is a legitimate business need or you authorize it. If you are getting a subsidized device or doing a payment plan are the ONLY reasons they are ALLOWED to access your credit report. If not you have a case
I contacted the office of the CEO and their advice was "Contact the credit bureaus". I'm filing a police report and disputing with the bureaus as well as filling in court against T-mobile for unauthorized credit check and misleading and deceptive business practices. I even offered to pay the $200 deposit so my credit wasn't checked but the manager swore that the credit pull was a soft one yet here we are.
Totally agree!
T-Mobile is a total piece of garbage company for placing a hard hit on a customer's credit report. Especially when credit reports impact REAL THINGS like buying a house! This is an evil business practice for a stupid $70/mo service that customers CAN CANCEL ANYTIME (or simply be turned off for non-payment)! People are not applying for a freaking car loan, and the fact that both the T-Mobile support and executive team refuses to operate in truth or be helpful with this is infuriating. Just saying 'we screwed your life, and we don't care' says everything about their corporate attitude.
After only three months of service, I just cancelled my T-Mobile account because of how badly they treat their customers, and will be posting a lengthy feature article slamming this company and its practice on my company's travel site. Our team of writers has been touring the world for over a year and wanted to use the T-Moible international plan, but after this experience we will be letting all of our readers know to STAY AWAY FROM T-MOBILE! There are better options for international data plans and we'll be promoting them all.
THE BBB sometimes are no help at all in these situations... I have contacted The better Business Bureau many times concerning a variety of different things with other companies and they usually tell me I need to contact the store. If the store already know what has transpired Why am I contacting the store (again)? Only 1 time after contacting the BBB paid off... because I ordered something from a Office Store and they charged my debit card but never delivered the item... several months later they never delivered the item.... the item was a large dresser and the driver wanted me to meet him at a Walmart parking lot because my street was two narrow. Wait a minute is this Craigslist????
You may be just out of luck (sorry)... these class action lawsuits are no guarantee you will win. The only true winner are the lawyers.
dinged my score 10 points!!! 😠
i asked the supervisor and she said SOFT.
Riiiight!
I had the exact same issue. Still trying to work through it. Only in my case, they left a hard hit on my credit report not once, but twice! Same day, same time stamp! The manager in the local store looked at it for himself on the computer - he actually saw it but then just gave me the standard policy BS and forms to file a dispute with TransUnion.
That they even do a credit check for a simple pre auth on a credit cared (NO hardware or utilities purchased - nothing) I truly believe is unnecessary, and maybe even unethical. But to do it twice is nothing short of incompetence.
I spoke with TransUnion an they told be that I had t get a special authorization from t-mobile before they could remove it - and t-mobile just told me to go to dispute.transunion.com! That portal does NOT allow me to dispute some report checks - including this one (ones) in question.
So I'm stuck! I really hate t-mobile for this. Totally not responsive or responsive to consumers at all.
I also emailed with BBB about this too but all they told me was to take it up with the initiator of the check and the reporting company. No help.
Next step - as above, I'm ready to file that police report to get at least one of these checks removed.
It's not their credit report so they don't care. That's how it looks to me.
Also looking for better cell phone service provider in the mean time.
Totally brutal.
My personal experience, my 0.02.
If there is anyone else in this position please post - maybe we can get some justice with a group of voices instead of just a few.
I just had the same thing happen to me at a T-Mobile store. Nailed me for 19 points from one hard inquiry. Solution you ask? First two options didn't work out, so I chose the third. As well as a complaint to the BBB.
DIRECTIONS TO DISPUTE T-MOBILE’S UNAUTHORIZED HARD INQUIRY
TransUnion dispute hard inquiry:
1st option- Contact T-Mobile and ask for a letter of deletion
2do option- Ask T-Mobile to contact transunion
3ª option- File a police report, send police report to TransUnion
Mailing details for submitting police report to remove inquiry:
On a separate sheet of paper include :
Nombre
Dirección
Last four of Social Security Number
Reason for sending document and file number (Contact TransUnion at 1-800-916-8800 and ask for the file number for a dispute on the inquiry)
Mail to
Attn: TransUnion
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016
____________________________
When we stand up, they fall down!
