Anyone confused about cell service + bankruptcy please read!

[Beeheery]

hi all,
i am not sure if anyone knows it, but my credit is LOW. i mean LOW LOW LOW. Under 400 to be honest. Anyways....I tried signing up with Tmobile today under my name and got denied immediately. I tried att and sprint and same thing. I finally tried Verizon and got approved and all i had to do was put a REFUNDABLE 400.00 deposit that is credited back after 12 months. So...if anyone is needing to get a cell under their name, Verizon (surprisingly) is the best. At least in my case. Now...of course I do not know what will happen to my phone AFTER i file. that is something i am not sure about. If i remain current, will that be an issue? thanks!

[reeltrouble]

my atty said that our cell carrier would not be notified, since we arent including any of their debt, and always pay on time. So, unless they re-check your credit, they probably will never know.

[Beeheery]

thanks reel. I would hope it wouldnt be an issue since i do not get the 400.00 back for a whole 12 months. thanks for your response!

[hamburgervol]

I like my pre-paid phone($100 per year), however I do use mine sparingly. I hate talking on the phone.

[Beeheery]

my reason for doing that instead of prepaid is because i was told that will help rebuild my credit since it will survive bankruptcy and as long as it remains current, it will help my score go up.

[jessegirl]

You will be fine. I have verizon thru my whole BK process and I never heard a peep from them. I am discharged and still have verizon.

[Beeheery]

thanks jesse. can i ask what chp you filed and when and how it went? i am still just waiting become im too chicken shit to file!

[jb300]

Just so everyone knows there is a prepaid service through Nextell that they do no credit checks, no contract, and right now it is $50.00 a month in our area for unlimited everything. Minutes, texts, internet.

So if anyone is having trouble finding a cell phone carrier to take them, this just might fit the bill.

[queenfluff]

Mine getting filed next week and I purposely put my Verizon cell included with the creditors because I want to get rid of it. It is too much to pay (even the cheapest plan) per month and I hardly use it at all. Plus I want a different number. I am going to get a pre-paid once it is turned off.

My lawyer said if you want to keep your cell (as long as you can pay it) than don't list it and you should be good. If you want to get rid of it, you should list it like I am doing.

Hamburgervol, do you mind if I ask which pre-paid service you have? I am trying to plan ahead and research which ones to get.

[OregonMom]

I added my cell phone with US Cellular in my plan because they told me I had unlimited calling in 7 western states and when I went to the north end of my state I get stuck with a $450 phone bill!! I do Virgin pay as you go. Get 1000 minutes for $50 bucks.

[catleg]

Be sure, if you ever have a cell phone with video capabilites, or a wireless data card, that you don't start watching live broadcasts on it. With ATT and Verizon there are 5GB/month soft caps on usage, so you can get hit with massive overages. Some guy who was mentioned in a newspaper article watched some stuff on his slingbox while on vacation and got hit with a $25k bill by ATT.

[Brighterdays]

What about the $400 security deposit? Won't that show up as an asset to the trustee, assuming the filer is completey honest under oath!! My attorney asked me if I had any deposits on utilities or renta center items.

As for the bk and cell, just list it as and expense and not a creditor. That is the advise I got from my attorney. see my thread on the subject.

http://www.bkforum.com/showthread.php?t=37656

[Logan]

Go get a prepaid phone.

[Florida30]

This forum is a good source of info because I didn't even think of cell phones after ch. 7.

Question: Currently, I am on a family plan from my partner, two lines under his name. I had verizon for a long time but had company phone for free. If I file ch.7 and then try to apply to ATT under my own name, will i get approved?

[lolasaurus]

my reason for doing that instead of prepaid is because i was told that will help rebuild my credit since it will survive bankruptcy and as long as it remains current, it will help my score go up.

Unless there is some very recent change, none of the cell phone companies report on time payments to your credit. There is no indication on your credit report that you have cell service.