Credit check

treeno

Hey all!

Hope this is the right forum. Anyway, I am 18 in my first year of uni and wanted to get my first mobile phone contract (my previous ones my dad has taken out for me). So I put in an order on Phones4U for a Note II with Vodafone but I got a call to tell me the credit check had not been passed by Vodafone. I signed up for a month trial with Experian and as I suspected my report is pretty much empty. The only things showing up on it are checks made by my bank when I signed up and for the overdraft on my account etc. and also a "utilities" check by Vodafone. When I rang them up to cancel my account so I wouldn't be billed the guy said he was surprised it was a utilities check (whatever that is) and not a full credit check as usually when they check and reject you credit it affects your score, so he said I was lucky.

What I did learn from Experian is that I am not on the electoral roll at my home address and apparently that can severely affect your ability to get credit. Could this be why I was rejected and why they didn't even run a full credit check on me? As I said my score is what I assume to be default (850 or something) and there is no credit history on it. I have sent off the electoral roll form which will take effect starting in March, is it worth me re-applying after then?

Thanks guys!

jenniewb

If Experian have told you that the electrol roll issue will affect your credit status, then I'd assume they were correct and will have answered your question.

It probably costs companies more money to run full checks and if you are trying to get an answer fast, a full check would no doubt take longer, if your about to buy something in a shop and the shop don't want you to leave empty handed, they'll undoubtedly opt for the cheaper or faster option.

Improve your credit check by paying back any loans or credit cards in full and on time. This will give evidence to prove your credit-worthy and other companies may then decide to trust you.

I don't know if waiting until March will be long enough, some companies can just use past checks when re-running another check to save cash and time, if you've had a check quite recently (and 3-4 weeks may be quite recently) then they may decide to just go with that again. I guess it would depend on which companies you opt for as some others may well do a quick check, see you'd been declined and just go with that decision. Wait a bit longer.

19lottie82

You could ask them if it would be worth your while getting a 30 day contract sim only deal for a few months (the credit checks aren't as strict), then re applying.

Nereis

I work for orange and for them, not being on the electoral roll is an automatic fail. I'd say you have a much better chance from March.

treeno

Thanks for the replies. The council website says that I will be registered on the electoral roll on 1st March, would I be OK to put in another order on that date or should I wait a while?

chanz4

Nereis wrote: »

I work for orange and for them, not being on the electoral roll is an automatic fail. I'd say you have a much better chance from March.

I have passed with orange, when just not on the electroll

19lottie82

chanz4 wrote: »

I have passed with orange, when just not on the electroll

me too.

is this a recent change?

Cloudane

I just had this with Phones4u and T-Mobile. I'm on the electoral roll alright - almost 31 years old and born in the UK!

Based on a combination of healthy cynicism and Googling, it seems that this is a tactic that Phones4u employ to try and get you onto a more expensive network because you have chosen the best deal (like any MSE'er should) and it's not very profitable for them. Especially if they know that you've cancelled straight at the end of a contract in the past. They will therefore lie about the credit check and phone you to offer trying it with alternative networks.

If you stand firm with your choices and insist you weren't looking to pay more and that it's too bad but you'll have to leave it, you'll get told "oh hold on! It seems we've been having problems with the credit check link to {network}, if we put it through again it should work this time". And surprise surprise it then works. Because they'd rather get something from you than nothing.

I let them go ahead with it, but have a feeling I will regret it at some point if I don't watch them like a hawk. I guess it's like buying things from China on eBay (e.g. battery claiming to have a capacity of x): I know perfectly well I'm accepting lies to get a good deal, and in all likelihood, they know that I know. It's all a game (though how OFCOM and the like allow them to play it I don't know). Just be extremely cautious with p4u - I will be going through the contract fine print letter by letter and will exercise my 14 day cooling-off rights at the slightest hint of trouble.