O2 Credit check on iPhone for existing customer

Hitme

Hi,

Do O2 re-do the credit check for an existing customer switching to an iPhone for the first time?

Used to have a good rating but not at the moment, worried that if I try for the iPhone (3GS is ok) then I'll get rejected and that will then stop me getting a cheaper handset as well.

Thanks.

liubeliu

I went from a basic Sony Flip phone to a 3GS with Three over the weekend. Assistant just processed the order, no ID, no credit check. All he wanted to look at old phone to check the SIM to ensure that it was the one for the number I was upgrading. I walked out with the iPhone 15 minutes after walking in. He did have to call someone to check that the account was not in arrears.

I suspect O2 should be no different.

spike7451

Yes,
O2 do a credit check on everything apart from P&G,It's part of the sales process & is done by Experian.
(I used to work for O2,moving people from P&G to contract)

Hitme

spike7451 wrote: »

Yes,
O2 do a credit check on everything apart from P&G,It's part of the sales process & is done by Experian.
(I used to work for O2,moving people from P&G to contract)

PAYG to Contract is different to renewing a contract especially when you have been with them for 8 years or so without missing a payment. I don't believe they do a Credit Check on non iPhone renewels as I wouldn't have got my current deal 16 months back however I read somewhere that all iPhone contracts get checked regardless, just wondering if this is still the case.

spike7451

Hitme wrote: »

PAYG to Contract is different to renewing a contract especially when you have been with them for 8 years or so without missing a payment. I don't believe they do a Credit Check on non iPhone renewels as I wouldn't have got my current deal 16 months back however I read somewhere that all iPhone contracts get checked regardless, just wondering if this is still the case.

They do a credit check on all of them,the online shop used by O2 sales wont complete unless it's done.It's the final stage before you submit the order.Good long term customers are most likely to pass the credit check although Experian may decline it for other reasons or ask for a refferal.

liubeliu

spike7451 wrote: »

They do a credit check on all of them,the online shop used by O2 sales wont complete unless it's done.It's the final stage before you submit the order.Good long term customers are most likely to pass the credit check although Experian may decline it for other reasons or ask for a refferal.

Experian won't decline or pass as they only provide data, O2 will have its own criteria and basis information from Experian to decide pass or decline, a referral is when the automated O2 credit score is borderline and someone human within O2 will make the decision based on info provided by Experian.

spike7451

liubeliu wrote: »

Experian won't decline or pass as they only provide data, O2 will have its own criteria and basis information from Experian to decide pass or decline, a referral is when the automated O2 credit score is borderline and someone human within O2 will make the decision based on info provided by Experian.

I've seen refusals where the customer has been advised to contact Experian & from what I was told by my manager at O2,it's them that made the call,not O2.

robt_2

spike7451 wrote: »

I've seen refusals where the customer has been advised to contact Experian & from what I was told by my manager at O2,it's them that made the call,not O2.

That is definitely wrong. 02 make the decision, not Experian.

And it is standard procedure to be told to contact the credit reference agency.

spike7451

robt wrote: »

That is definitely wrong. 02 make the decision, not Experian.

And it is standard procedure to be told to contact the credit reference agency.

I give up...I only worked there but obviously the are people here who know better than someone who's seen it with their own eye's when processing orders every day for the past x months!

robt_2

spike7451 wrote: »

I give up...I only worked there but obviously the are people here who know better than someone who's seen it with their own eye's when processing orders every day for the past x months!

I'm sorry, but it is a fact. Experian and the like do NOT decline people. O2 requests a 'score', it comes back, and then o2 decide whether it has passed or not depending on criteria that o2 have set. This is all totally invisible to the end user (you).

And before getting smart, have you considered that maybe, just maybe there are people that know more than you?

Exhortation

spike7451 wrote: »

I've seen refusals where the customer has been advised to contact Experian & from what I was told by my manager at O2,it's them that made the call,not O2.

It is standard practice for a company that has seen a potential customer declined for credit on the grounds of their credit score recommend that said person contact Experian. The reason for this is that there is an assumption made by the company that there may be an error on the person's report that has led Experian to return a low score and that it is in the best interests of the customer to have this checked out as it will also affect any future applications for credit made by the customer.

I wouldn't brag about having worked for O2. I used to have running battles with their customer services staff that would last days because they didn't have sufficient knowledge of their own products.