Does Wind still have an impossible credit check?

**lmoreau** · 05-02-2012, 10:32 AM

My credit isn't stellar, not terrible but it's not amazing. Anyway a year or so ago maybe more when Wind was newer I tried to sign up for pay after but it was declined due to credit. I remember people on here posting saying they have amazing credit and were declined as well.

Since then I signed up with Bell Mobility and was approved with no issue at all. I'd like to get a phone on a tab but not if it means another impossible credit check where I'll get a big hit and just be declined. Just wondering if they have relaxed at all their credit checks as I know they were super hard to pass before?

**Tendenzi** · 05-02-2012, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by lmoreau

My credit isn't stellar, not terrible but it's not amazing. Anyway a year or so ago maybe more when Wind was newer I tried to sign up for pay after but it was declined due to credit. I remember people on here posting saying they have amazing credit and were declined as well.

Since then I signed up with Bell Mobility and was approved with no issue at all. I'd like to get a phone on a tab but not if it means another impossible credit check where I'll get a big hit and just be declined. Just wondering if they have relaxed at all their credit checks as I know they were super hard to pass before?

They have become more lax with it than the initial Pay After requirement, as each tab and tab+ became revealed it was said to have lowered the qualifying credit score required. But I don't know by how much.

**Guest 268** · 05-02-2012, 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by lmoreau

Does Wind still have an impossible credit check?

When was it ever "impossible"?
I signed up for a "Pay After" account in January of 2010, and I wasn't even aware of it taking any appreciable time while I was in the store.
Although I hear that WIND's requirements for qualification may have relaxed somewhat.
Would there be a "downside" with trying again?

Good luck!

**rockjock** · 05-02-2012, 01:24 PM

Quite a few people found it Impossible to comprehend with their excellent credit why Wind would turn them down. The topic was a hot one 300+ posts all in all. Maybe it is easier now that Vimpelcom owns them? Worth a try?

**lmoreau** · 05-02-2012, 01:46 PM

Originally Posted by rockjock

Quite a few people found it Impossible to comprehend with their excellent credit why Wind would turn them down. The topic was a hot one 300+ posts all in all. Mayne it is easier now that Vimpelcom owns them? Worth a try?

Exactly! I mean impossible is a strong word but I didn't have bad credit and I remember forum posts on here people saying they have amazing credit with no negatives and were turned down. The downside to the other poster is that it's a hit on your credit score which lowers it by 5 points every time someone checks so that's the only drawback. I guess it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot though.

**daddiorc** · 05-02-2012, 05:26 PM

i don't recall ever having a credit check done. bought the sim, did the online form with the wind rep, and i was up and running within the hour.

Sent from my Galaxy S2X

**Gilez** · 05-02-2012, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by rockjock

Quite a few people found it Impossible to comprehend with their excellent credit why Wind would turn them down. The topic was a hot one 300+ posts all in all. Maybe it is easier now that Vimpelcom owns them? Worth a try?

I assumed it was because Wind's low prices attracts the kind of people who have poor credit who don't understand why.

**Linde** · 05-02-2012, 05:46 PM

Perhaps they have the credit standard really high, because its very easy to use the pay-before service instead. I guess it would help with collections or other types of fraud, seeing how Wind is a newer company, and doesn't want to devote many resources to these departments. I kind of like the wind pay-before system, considering the phone plans are not expensive anyways. Also with pay-before, there are no surprises when the bill comes, say if you were roaming in the USA. If I load $5 when traveling to the US, the service will stop when I run out of money. I won't come home and realize I spent a lot more then I actually wanted.

**rockjock** · 05-02-2012, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by Gilez

I assumed it was because Wind's low prices attracts the kind of people who have poor credit who don't understand why.

I did say those with excellent credit. Those with poor credit would understand why they were not approved. Maybe TCC ( Trans Canada Credit ) did look at Winds debt load and raised the credit score requirement to protect themselves.

**lmoreau** · 05-07-2012, 10:43 AM

K was approved no problem this time

Got the Bold 9790 for $49 on the $40 plan, it's a sweet phone so far (for a BlackBerry that is). I told him I was declined a year ago and he even said I'm sure they can make it work this time.

**bubble.tea** · 05-07-2012, 03:33 PM

Originally Posted by kitwatuser

...Would there be a "downside" with trying again?...

Since a credit check affects your credit score, to 'wastefully' expose your rating to a 'hit' without the guarantee of securing the account, to only suffer the hit but get refused the account would be the 'downside'. "Gotta"-"Love"-'those'-"quotations".

OP, when you were refused, were you given at least a required security deposit (as is customary in cases of poor credit ratings) or simply a flat-out denial of service???

**Tendenzi** · 05-07-2012, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by bubble.tea

Since a credit check affects your credit score, to 'wastefully' expose your rating to a 'hit' without the guarantee of securing the account, to only suffer the hit but get refused the account would be the 'downside'. "Gotta"-"Love"-'those'-"quotations".

OP, when you were refused, were you given at least a required security deposit (as is customary in cases of poor credit ratings) or simply a flat-out denial of service???

Deposits may be customary but not at WIND. It's simply approved or denied.

**bubble.tea** · 05-07-2012, 04:25 PM

simply intense.

**TouchMyBox** · 05-08-2012, 11:16 AM

I think I was 21 when I did wind's credit check when they first opened, so it can't be too hard, can it?

**Tendenzi** · 05-08-2012, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by TouchMyBox

I think I was 21 when I did wind's credit check when they first opened, so it can't be too hard, can it?

It's difficult to discuss what is classified as "hard or easy" when it involves people's credits. I passed mine, but a person who would be very successful and wealthy specialist / professional (compared to me) failed the WIND credit check and had voiced his concern loudly enough to get Tony Lacavera's attention and personal sign off to allow the person on pay-after. So it really all depends what's tying up your credit or hurting your score. (true story).

So up until late 2010, the credit check was difficult to pass, the tabs were introduced at this time and the criteria was lowered a bit, but not much and as WIND got their back-end together, the credit scoring required to get a tab became more lax. It's near or slightly above industry average now.