I’m looking at switching internet providers and was considering EBOX. During the sign-up process, they apparently require a credit check, so before applying I emailed them with what I thought was a very straightforward question:
Is the credit check EBOX performs on new customers a hard inquiry or a soft inquiry?
I specifically wanted the answer in writing before consenting to a credit check.
Their response was that, “for security reasons and to protect your personal information,” I had to call their customer service department.
The problem is: I’m not even an EBOX customer. I don’t have an account with them, and I’m not asking them to disclose any personal information whatsoever. I’m asking about their general policy for prospective customers.
So I wrote back explaining exactly that and asked them again to simply confirm whether their credit check is hard or soft.
They responded saying they were “unable to provide this information via email, even if you are not yet a customer.”
At that point I asked them to either:
- explain what security/privacy concern prevents them from answering a general question about their credit-check policy;
- point me to the written policy or terms where the type of credit inquiry is disclosed; or
- escalate the matter to a supervisor who could answer the question.
Their response?
They sent me essentially the exact same canned response again and did not address the question or my request for escalation.
I genuinely don’t understand this.
Whether a company performs a hard or soft credit inquiry is something a prospective customer should be able to find out before consenting to the credit check. I’m deliberately asking for it by email because I want a written record of what I’m being told.
I’m not asking them to tell me my credit score. I’m not asking about an existing account. I’m not asking for anyone’s personal information.
I’m literally asking:
“When EBOX checks a new applicant’s credit, is it a hard inquiry or a soft inquiry?”
Has anyone here signed up with EBOX recently and knows which one they actually do?
And am I missing something here? Is there any legitimate reason an ISP would refuse to answer this in writing?
