Vodafone Refused Credit Check

mad_panda

Hi All,

I hope this is the right place to post this. - Finally found the mobile phone forum


The other day I applied for my first mobile phone contract through vodeafone's website, all excited about it until the next day I got an e-mail saying I failed the credit check. Which I could not understand why. So after finding out that they couldn't tell me the reason etc I went looking for the websites and signed up to Equifax & Credit-expert (Esperian) and got my scores, one was showing 400 the other over 900. So I carried on and got the report turns out that I had to add my addresses for the last 5-6 years so I did.

Next day i go back to check and suddenly my accounts had doubled and included a default. From a flat I was staying in at uni there was another person with the same name a couple floors below me and shows a different DOB on the site.
On Equifax, it only shows in linked address but when you view the details it shows quite a few missed payments & defaults.

Now I have submitted disputes, found it a real pain for Esperian until I managed to get their direct number from saynoto0870.

1 - Do these disputes take long to solve and will it be easy considering the info I gave above?

2 - How long should I wait until I apply for another contract, this time with O2? I think vodafone is a 3month wait now, yet the search doesn't show up on my report??

3 - I have no credit cards, just a mortgage and debit cards. Is it woth taking one out to keep up credit?

4 - Is there any recommendation on which credit site to keep a monthly subscription to? I read that esperian in the US can link to all three main agencies. However I do not see this option here.

5 - The only other issue I can see is that I recently bought myself a house, last November, previous to that I was renting elsewhere. Will this have much of an impact?

6 - if I do go for another contract or credit card and I am asked the question "Have you been refused credit...." what would be the best way to respond to this seeing as it was not my fault (that i can find anyway)?


At present and in the past I have had no debts except for a mortgage that I am currently paying and a student loan

Hope that someone can help.

Cheers,
Mad

drbesty

O2 score even tougher than Voda so it might not be worth appliying to them, TMobile and Orange are pretty lenient, 3 even more so

mad_panda

Do they?

The reason I would like to go with Vodafon or O2 is the coverage that they have where I live which is out in the countryside.

robbies_gal

ive heard the same that o2 are pretty hard to get on with a default

i got an orangw contract for my husband with a default but then again id already been with them for 2 years on another contract so that might have helped

slenderkitten

drbesty wrote: »

O2 score even tougher than Voda so it might not be worth appliying to them, TMobile and Orange are pretty lenient, 3 even more so

orange has took over tmobile so they would be about the same for credit. try orange i have defaults but i have been a long customer of theirs anyway. but you should get one with orange

mad_panda

Can anyone offer any more help with my original post please?

I have been tempted to write to vodafone to see if they can do a manual check but I don't think it will help.

gjchester

mad_panda wrote: »

Can anyone offer any more help with my original post please?

I have been tempted to write to vodafone to see if they can do a manual check but I don't think it will help.

First your "credit score" means nothing. No company uses it to rate you, it's just an indication of Experian and Equifaxs reading of your history. Stop paying for the service.

Secondly make the changes then re-apply, however remember that each credit search leaves a mark, apply too many times and you'll be seen as too desperate.

Finally writing to vodafone is unlikley to have any effect, they won't tell you why you failed as you could then just re-apply with the changed details.

Answering your questions.

1 - No idea but you'd be looking at weeks at the mimimum.

2 - Your choice. Remember your leaving search footprints though

3 - Possibly but then you have a mortgage so there is some payment history. Remember they are not interested in how much credit y7ou have, jsut how good you are at making payments, taking a new card out (if you get one) won't have much effect till you use it and make the payments.

4 - Yep none. Unless you really want to monitor your record don;t bother.

5 - Actually thats proabaly posative, again it's not the credit but how you make payments.

6 - Usually it's a Yes/No box and you have to say Yes
.

mad_panda

Thanks for the reply gjchester I didnt realise the score was useless, but then again i am just learning about all this.

Now after checking my report again (free trial on experian) I can see that there have been no searches by vodafone, I got the refusal last Weds and no record of any search has taken place after checking this morning.
Does it usually take a while to show up?
If not I am confused as to why no check was made.

I plan to phone them up again and confirm if any searches have been carried out by vodafone.


At present as mentioned I have a free trial on experian so hopefully when the issues with my report are resolved I will end the trial.

In reply to you gjchester

2 - how many searches & timespan is considered bad?

6 - so if you say yes do you have to give the reason as well and for how long do you have to say yes?

gjchester

mad_panda wrote: »

Thanks for the reply gjchester I didnt realise the score was useless, but then again i am just learning about all this.

Maybe in hindsight thats too harsh. It has helped you identify a potential problem, but you could have done that by paying the £2 for your credit record too.

Cancel it after the trial is over. And this may help..

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/loans/credit-rating-credit-score

mad_panda wrote: »

In reply to you gjchester

2 - how many searches & timespan is considered bad?
6 - so if you say yes do you have to give the reason as well and for how long do you have to say yes?

There is no simple answer to the questions.

2. Each lender has it's own criteria that are confidential. If vodafone were to tell you you can only apply once every month then you'd use that to apply on the 1st of October, then time the next application to the 2nd of November. By keeping what they use to rate you confidential they don't make it easy for someone to cheat the system.

6. In terms of saying Yes it depends what the options are on any given form.

Sorry thats not more use, it really does come down to each lender.

mad_panda

Thanks again.


Right just spoke to someone at experian to confirm my dispute is currently being investigated and it is.

Secondly they said no search has been carried out by vodafone on my credit report. This confirms the information with equifax as well. So seems no credit check has been done.

What can I do about it and does that count to my question 6??


Lastly as mentioned in my original post I am currently in dispute with some information so if vodafone somehow accepted that they didnt do a check and then do one that will have an affect wont it?

robbies_gal

how has is come up as they havent done a check if they refused you though?