Quote Originally Posted by SmoothPancakes View Post
While they would get the initial ding to their credit score because of the hard inquiry, they actually would be helping their score in the long run since they'd be spending two years paying for the All Access. Two years of on time payments will help their credit history and show they can keep up with payments on time, while the temporary ding from the hard inquiry will lessen over time and disappear after two years.

So say you're a kid heading to college with jackshit for a credit history, this actually could help as you would be able to build up a little bit of a history through this.

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You are correct that IF credit is used wisely it can help your score for future (and more important purchases like a car, house, etc...). My point is that a significant % of people that cannot afford the upfront cost of a console are also more/most likely to forget to pay on time or have financial difficulties that prohibit them from making the timely payment. Of course, if you don't pay it off in equal payments the interest rate is borderline ridiculous (I think is saw 30% which starts from the original purchase date not the end date). Also if you default on an Xbox console your credit history/score is toast for years if not decades to come. I've always been cautious with my credit so the reward of a gaming console seems small in comparison to the risk. In college I worked at fast food joints to pay my way through school, make car payments and saved what was left for fun/games/etc...

Again, its a smart business move by Xbox and many people can properly take advantage of the offer. But the media's likely story of this as nothing but a win proposition for the consumer is far from the truth as there will undoubtedly be people who screw up and damage their ability to borrow for more important things down the line.