Can Poor Credit Score Stop You from Getting a Reliable Satellite Internet?

Can Poor Credit Score Stop You from Getting a Reliable Satellite Internet?

Can a poor credit score be a problem when getting a satellite internet connection for your home or office? Find the answer in this blog.


The short answer: Well, not really. Unless, of course, you have really really bad credit score.  

For the long answer?

Read on…

It’s a norm for satellite internet providers in the U.S to check customer credit histories before approving their application. 

Why do they so?

The reason is simple; to minimize their losses. 

Satellite internet equipment can be relatively expensive.  Much more so than other internet options. As such, some customers can have a hard time paying their satellite internet bills. Since, collection efforts can be expensive for satellite internet providers; they choose to run credit checks to ensure that a prospective customer won’t run default on their payments.  These credit checks can fall into two categories, soft and hard.  When a company like AT&T (Directv)  does a hard credit check, your credit is impacted and often times your social is used to run your credit.  Viasat on the other hand performs a soft credit check which only uses your date of birth, name and address.  This can produce a more favorable result sometimes and has little to no impact on your credit score. 

So, what if a customer has a poor credit score? Will they be denied the service?

It depends on two things:

1)    What satellite internet provider are we talking about?

2)    How bad is the credit score?

Let’s take a detailed look. 

HughesNet

HughesNet will perform credit check. 

When they do, and if they find your credit score on the low side, they won’t exactly reject your service request, but they may not offer you discounts or access to their amazing leasing programs. Another downside is you may be in for some hefty deposits if your credit score is too low.  The Hughesnet deals offered to lower credit customers does not differ from the better credit customers.  The main difference is equipment cost as the hughesnet packages for lower credit customer also does not differ either.  

That said, you can still expect to receive a good internet deal from HughesNet, given the company’s reputation for providing top-notch customer service. Hughesnet high speed internet service is also ideal for consumers who live in more rural areas where services like AT&T internet are not available.  Satellite internet like Hughesnet and Viasat are known for providing quality high speed internet for folks who like to live off of the beaten path but still want to stay connected.  

Viasat

Viasat performs mandatory credit checks for every application. However, the good news is that they exercise a flexible policy to accommodate customers who have a poor credit score. Viasat packages are reasonably priced as well.  

Unless your credit score is really bad, and we mean really really bad, the company won’t reject your application.  Another thing we have found is that customers tend to think they have worse credit than they really do.  This leads to people who are genuinely interested in ordering new internet service for their home, being scared to get started because they fear the results of the credit check.  You will find that when you speak with an like the folks over at Konecteaze, they have options for customers of all credit levels.

Our recommendation is don't be scared and you will actually be surprised at how we will be able to find you a fast, reliable, reasonably priced internet service, regardless of your credit. 

DIRECTV

DIRECTV was purchased by AT&T and although it does not provide its own satellite internet services, it does partner with other ISPs to offer satellite internet packages to customers. Typically when ordering Directv, the agent will automatically see if ATT internet is available so that you can take advantage of their bundle offers.  If AT&T high speed internet is not available, they may try to sell you DSL.  AT&T DSL is cheaper but extremely slow which may inhibit common internet activities like streaming.  Face between the decision of DSL or satellite internet like Hughesnet or Viasat, satellite internet is the clear choice. 

So, the credit requirements for DIRECTV depend on the type of package you choose. Still, it’s very rare that the company will reject your application based on poor credit score. Most of the times, they’d ask you to make an adequate down payment to avail the service. This deposit can be as low as $100 to as high as $300 for the satellite equipment.  The deposit is typically paid back to you on each bill $5 at a time.  The good thing is  paying your Directv bill, or any bill for that matter, on time, will surely help to increase your credit score and allow you to take advantage of future new customer promotions like the $200 gift card being offered by some providers right now.

The other thing to consider is your Directv package cost will be the same wether your credit is good or not so the only upfront cost with ATT is the deposit.  

Conclusion

A poor credit score can hold you back in a lot of ways, but not when it comes to getting a reliable satellite internet service for your home or office internet needs. 

At KonectEaze, you can shop for the best satellite internet deal by simply entering your zip code. Get started here!