Cell Phones after Bankruptcy

In today’s day and age, cell phones have become more of a necessity than a luxury and it is increasingly difficult to find cell phones after bankruptcy. However, even people with less-than-perfect credit can get the cell phones they want with a little knowledge and advice.

Credit Score and Cell Phones

The major contract cell phone service providers in the United States require credit checks before providing handsets and service. This is because cell phone technology has gotten so advanced that there is a potential for consumers to rack up bills ranging in the thousands of dollars quite easily. Determining how well a potential customer is able to manage his or her money is a huge deciding factor for many contract cell phone companies, so getting cell phones after bankruptcy can prove to be difficult in most cases. This does not mean it cannot be done, however.  There are two major ways to get cell phones after bankruptcy: large deposits with contract providers or prepaid service.

Maximum Deposits

Some of the country’s contract cell phone service providers will still extend service to someone after they have filed bankruptcy, but at a price.

Everyone knows that these providers often require a deposit based upon the number of lines requested and the type of service they are interested in. The time since the bankruptcy has passed will often have an impact on a customer’s FICO—or Fair Isaac Corporation—credit score. This numerical value is often the only piece of information a cell phone company will use to determine a customer’s deposit amount, so people trying to get cell phones after bankruptcy often pay the highest deposits—up  $500.00 per line.

Being Declined for Contract Service

If a potential customer’s bankruptcy is still pending or if their FICO score is very low, they may be declined for contract cell phone service altogether. Some people believe that getting cell phones after bankruptcy is impossible at this point since none of the major providers are willing to extend service. This is not the case, however. Even if someone is turned down for contract service by all of the large national contract service providers, there are still options available to them. These options include prepaid cellphone service or paying a family member to add a line of service to their existing plan. Either of these options are great ways to get cell phones after bankruptcy.

Prepaid Options

Prepaid cell phones are available to anyone regardless of their age, social status or credit history. These devices range from the simplest phones available to high-tech touchscreen phones with full data access. Although prepaid phones are often not as nice or as advanced as those offered by contract cell phone service providers, they do provide customers with everything they need in a mobile device. As an added bonus, many prepaid cell phones are less expensive than their postpaid counterparts, meaning people trying to find cell phones after bankruptcy can do so with less money and less hassle than ever before. Family prepaid options are also available to help save even more money.

Some say it can be difficult to get a cell phone after bankcruptcy and not getting one can seem to be an issue with most families who use them to communicate with them. That is why companies like T-Mobile cell phones prepaid are a good way to still get a cell phone and not have to worry about dealing with the phone companies or large deposits.

Family Plans

Another option for finding cell phones after bankruptcy is to be added to a friend or family member’s contract plan for a price. Although this option is sometimes harder to secure than a prepaid device, many friends and family members are readily available to help out in certain situations. For instance, although it may only cost a family member $10.00 or $20.00 a month to add a line of service to their existing contract, they might ask to be paid $50.00 or $60.00 a month—the same as many individual lines of service through the same company. This helps both the person who is dealing with the bankruptcy and helps the friend or family member pay their bill more easily.

Low Income Options

In the event that finding cell phones after bankruptcy seems too expensive for a newly-fragile budget, many states offer LifeLine and LinkUp programs for low income families to be provided with cell phones at very low cost to them. With these programs, customers are only provided with the bare minimum voice service—often 200 minutes a month with no texting or data services at all. This is a great way for low income families dealing with bankruptcy to have emergency cellular service, and the price ranges anywhere from $5.00 to $20.00, depending on the state that the service will be used in.

Getting cell phones after bankruptcy may seem like a difficult task, but there are dozens of options available for people to choose from. Postpaid contract service is sometimes available with a deposit, but prepaid service is the best way for people to get cell phones after bankruptcy.

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