Can you get bad credit if you dont pay a cable bill?

Question

I recentlty turned off my cable and returned everything but I still have a balance I owe. I dont plan on using them again but i'm wondering if they'll give me bad credit

Answer 1

Expect it to get reported. Expect any legitimate bill that you owe and don't pay to be reported.

Is the fact that you might get reported the only thing that will make you pay up? How about the concept of personal honor? If there was more of that, maybe we wouldn't need credit bureaus.

No one can give you bad credit. Bad credit is something YOU earn.

Answer 2

yes you can and when you apply to any cable or satalitte company for new cable service styhey will require you to pay a fee anywhere from $200 to $2000 dollars depending on your credit and not paying your cable bill goes on your credit the same as not paying a credit card

Answer 3

if it's over 3 months, then most companies will call up an agency to collect the money. they tend not to mess with the agencies. it costs them to use the collecting agencies or even lawyers. they would rather work with you to resolve it so they could penalize you to increase their gross. I think I was late for a few of utility bills, those never showed up on my credit reports. most times late fee usually takes care of things. of course, nothing you should worry if you pay up. seriously the anxiety is not worth it. just pay it so you can have a better sleep.
car payment, credit cards, those are more important to your credit history since they refract more of your immediate finance. even if you are late for the credit card payments, sometimes even that doesn't show up on the reports. it happened two months ago, I forgot a $12 bill for two weeks, they made me pay $2 financial charge, that's all. of course, it's better not to forget to pay them. :)
one time a 3-month old medical bill showed up on the credit report, I moved to a new apartment, but the bill didn't arrive to the new address. they didn't claim the insurance correctly, it was a mess to deal with.
if you don't plan to get a loan and you have a job, a bad credit history really doesn't do much damage to your life. I doubt people use credit report to decide to give you a job, may be jobs related to finance. A bad criminal record definitely will. When I got my car, I had like 8 (out of 48) late car payments, usually cuz I forgot, so far I have no problem of looking for job. if you are qualified and stand out among the applicants, they'd hire you. in fact, I also have a big student loan to pay off. In my opinion, I think bad history makes you a more desirable employee cuz you need money.

Answer 4

This is another gift Congress gave the major corporations with the 2005 Bankruptcy Reform Act (or, as I like to call it, the final b*tt screwing of middle America).

Yes, delinquent utility bills can, and are, being reported to the major credit reporting agencies and will lower your FICO score and harm your credit.

Not to mention that delinquencies can increase the cost of insurance, put you at risk for not being hired for a job, and can land you in court. If the cable company decides to sue you, the few hundred dollars (or less) that you owe, could end up doubled or tripled with legal fees and court costs.

Don't risk it, just start sending them payments and before you know it your balance will be zero.

Answer 5

If they report it to one of the three main credit reporting agencies then it will show up on your credit report and affect your credit score. I would suggest paying the bill before they turn it over to collection.

Answer 6

They will send you another bill with added money to pay, or possibly cut off your cable

Answer 7

depends on the amount, but yes the phone company ganked me a few years ago and i had no idea i had a balance, for some reason i had an 36 dollar balance and i later found it on my dam credit, ANYTIME u move, always contact your utilites compnays a month after u leave and make sure all your accts are CLOSED! and paid in full, i just recently found out the phone company in SC never turned me off even tho the house was sold, so i owed for 2 months of service, crooks some of them are, but nothing you can do

Answer 8

Anymore, any utility bill you don't pay or pay late will add to a negative rating on your credit score. Better to pay up and preserve your credit rating.

Answer 9

of course they will turn you in to all three credit agencies pay the bill.

Answer 10

They do have the right to report it to a credit agency. Some will only report you if you still have their equiptment.