Yes this is the case! I was a receptionist for a mortgage company for about 4 years and every time your credit is checked it lowers your score by 5 points or so. No signifigant damage done unless it is being checked neumorous times in a short period of time! I think the credit chek thing to get a job is completely nonsence! How do people expect you to pay your bills if you can't get a job and make money to pay them. You know i am not blaming anyone here but me. That said....... You know that is great that you can do that but In my case I didn't buy what I couldn't pay for. I was a about 5 months pregnant and had just been laid off from a job. the $$$ my husband made wasn't enough to cover the bills, and WHO do you know that would seriously hire someone who looks like they have a beach ball under their shirt. So I didn't buy anything I couldn't pay for before I lost my job, due to down sizing. I had pleanty of $$$ to pay for it, and then some, but we can't control losing our jobs at an inconvenient time! And I didn't file bankrupcy I still pay what ever I can to the collection companies so I CAN pay my debt! Just my 2 cents on the issue Sharon