18 & Trying To Obtain A Contract Phone:

CALLMETHEDADDY

Hello, I'm 18 and obviously have no substantial credit history,
I've had a bank account for about 2 - 3 years,
i started with a Solo card but that was changed automatically to a Visa Debit card just before i turned 18.
I've aslo recently applied for and recieved a Prepaid Mastercard from CashPlus,
and I'm currently paying a monthly fee to the Credit Builder feature to try and build a credit file.

I'd love to get a mobile phone contract but i know this could be hard to do.
I don't want to apply & apply to each network just to build up a stack of credit searches and rejections on my fresh credit file.
I've got myself onto the Electrol Roll and I'm trying to do everything i can.

Does it make a difference if i tie myself to a 24 month contract instead of an 18?
Would it show that I'm less of a "risk" to take onboard?

And, Does the monthly charge effect your probability of acceptance?
i.e better to try for a £20 - £25 a month term instead of a £35 - £45 monthly term?

Any ideas, past experiences or "tricks of the trade" on the issue would be greatly appreciated,
Thank You.

spike7451

Try O2.
If you get knocked back due to low credit,then you may be offered a Simplicity Sim on a 30 day contract,after three month's,then you can go onto a contract.
They have some good offers on blackberry & other phones where you can get up to £240 credit back after the first bill,so effectivly you'll get X months free.

Fire_Fox

Try Tesco Mobile: they didn't ask for anything but my debit card - no ID and no credit check - and I now have an iPhone on a one year contract. DO NOT get an expensive or long monthly contract, many young people have had changes in circumstances and then not been able to pay the bills, you will end up with a bad credit rating if you don't meet the bill on time every month. Think what would happen if you got made redundant or sick and could not work, you cannot pay mobile contracts on benefits trust me. Anyway are you really going to want the same handset in two years time??

CALLMETHEDADDY

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Try Tesco Mobile: they didn't ask for anything but my debit card - no ID and no credit check - and I now have an iPhone on a one year contract. DO NOT get an expensive or long monthly contract, many young people have had changes in circumstances and then not been able to pay the bills, you will end up with a bad credit rating if you don't meet the bill on time every month. Think what would happen if you got made redundant or sick and could not work, you cannot pay mobile contracts on benefits trust me. Anyway are you really going to want the same handset in two years time??

Cheers,
I had a look at Tesco Mobile, they have an Unlimited usage tarriff for £30 a month,
seemed ever so.. to good to be true? Obviously must be correct though aha.
Don't they "piggy back" off of o2?

That's true about wanting the same phone in two years time,
although can you not upgrade for free after so long?
I'd rather not tie myself to two years,
the thought seems daunting enough, but i would want a tarriff and phone in general for longer than two years anyway so hm.

Just out of curiosity how much are you paying for your iPhone with Tesco?
All the other networks seem to give you a terrible tarriff for the price you pay, just so you can own the iPhone.

Fire_Fox

CALLMETHEDADDY wrote: »

Cheers,
I had a look at Tesco Mobile, they have an Unlimited usage tarriff for £30 a month,
seemed ever so.. to good to be true? Obviously must be correct though aha.
Don't they "piggy back" off of o2?

That's true about wanting the same phone in two years time,
although can you not upgrade for free after so long?
I'd rather not tie myself to two years,
the thought seems daunting enough, but i would want a tarriff and phone in general for longer than two years anyway so hm.

Just out of curiosity how much are you paying for your iPhone with Tesco?
All the other networks seem to give you a terrible tarriff for the price you pay, just so you can own the iPhone.

Tesco coverage is same as 02 as they piggyback, but all the iPhone tariffs are not on the website for some reason. I paid £320 for the phone (minus Clubcard vouchers) and £20 a month for one year for a 3GS 16GB - I plan to go onto 02 SIMplicity for year two (with £100 cashback) OR sell the phone and get a new one! This is a good iPhone article, does all the maths for us lazy bones:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/cheap-iphone

You seem very mature thinking about being on the electoral roll, wish I was so adult at your age! Please remember tho that this is a legally binding contract you are contemplating, you have no automatic right to get out of it or upgrade within the fixed term. Some networks will let you upgrade your phone or downgrade your tariff in the last three months, but with a two year contract that is still a long time!

CALLMETHEDADDY

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Tesco coverage is same as 02 as they piggyback, but all the iPhone tariffs are not on the website for some reason. I paid £320 for the phone (minus Clubcard vouchers) and £20 a month for one year for a 3GS 16GB - I plan to go onto 02 SIMplicity for year two (with £100 cashback) OR sell the phone and get a new one! This is a good iPhone article, does all the maths for us lazy bones:

You seem very mature thinking about being on the electoral roll, wish I was so adult at your age! Please remember tho that this is a legally binding contract you are contemplating, you have no automatic right to get out of it or upgrade within the fixed term. Some networks will let you upgrade your phone or downgrade your tariff in the last three months, but with a two year contract that is still a long time!

I've never thought about part-paying for the phone to get a monthly lower term,
something to look into there :cool: .

I've had a look through that link, with the idea that a new iPhone could be realeased this summer i should maybe hang on until then aha.

It's getting a high usage, but fairly priced deal that's most important really.
Prehaps a 30 day Sim-Only deal would be best for now, like the Simplicity with o2.

Ha thank you, I do need a phone for work and life in general,
but really i just want to build a good credit file, get some good financial foundations early on you know?
Hopefully it'll serve me well later on and i can keep building on it through-out life.

I'll get trying some of these ideas,

Thank's for all your help!
:beer:

Toe-Jam

CALLMETHEDADDY wrote: »

Hello, I'm 18 and obviously have no substantial credit history,
I've had a bank account for about 2 - 3 years,
i started with a Solo card but that was changed automatically to a Visa Debit card just before i turned 18.
I've aslo recently applied for and recieved a Prepaid Mastercard from CashPlus,
and I'm currently paying a monthly fee to the Credit Builder feature to try and build a credit file.

I'd love to get a mobile phone contract but i know this could be hard to do.
I don't want to apply & apply to each network just to build up a stack of credit searches and rejections on my fresh credit file.
I've got myself onto the Electrol Roll and I'm trying to do everything i can.

Does it make a difference if i tie myself to a 24 month contract instead of an 18?
Would it show that I'm less of a "risk" to take onboard?

And, Does the monthly charge effect your probability of acceptance?
i.e better to try for a £20 - £25 a month term instead of a £35 - £45 monthly term?

Any ideas, past experiences or "tricks of the trade" on the issue would be greatly appreciated,
Thank You.

To be honest you should get one no problem. However if you are that unsure, You can apply for sim only which is a much less credit check, and then they will upgrade you to a handset after (3 months with orange) and (6 months with o2) providing you pay your bills, and they won't do a further credit check.