will I need a credit check?

moohound

Hi, I recently became debt free, but I have 9 defaults on my credit file.

I have a Blackberry Torch with Vodafone for £33 a month over 2 years and the contract has just expired (6th April)

I would like the Samsung S4 which I can have for £33 because I am an NHS employee. I have never defaulted or paid late with a phone contract.

If I ask for the Samsung will I be turned down because of the defaults?

Now my debts are paid I have £600 to £1100 disposable income (depending on overtime) after everything has been paid including food, so affordability is not an issue!

I like Vodafone because we go camping, and I can get a signal in remote areas, and I have been with them for years.

grumbler

moohound wrote: »

If I ask for the Samsung will I be turned down because of the defaults?

How long is a piece of string?

I like Vodafone because we go camping, and I can get a signal in remote areas, and I have been with them for years.

If you ask Vodafone for upgrading it's quite likely that they will make a decision without an external credit check.

moohound

I mostly want it for data/GPS/weather when camping/biking/walking/climbing etc, I make very few calls and texts.

I'll ask and if they say no I'll bin them off and just buy one, and go PAYG.

Any recommendations for good coverage in Wales/Highlands/Lakes?

grumbler

moohound wrote: »

...
I like Vodafone because we go camping, and I can get a signal in remote areas, ....

moohound wrote: »

Any recommendations for good coverage in Wales/Highlands/Lakes?

If you are happy with them, why change?
Also, there are cheaper virtual networks using Vodafone signal: Talkmobile, Ovivo.
BTW, Ovivo give 500Mb(+150m+200t) p.m. free.

Guys_Dad

You got into debt and then cleared it. Well done.

Now, ask yourself the following. Although things are financially ok now, what would happen if I had a £35 mobile contract and I was made redundant in a couple of months? Have I sufficient capital in the bank to keep on paying the contract off, or caould I afford it, plus my other commitments, if I lost my current income?

You don't need an S4. You might want one, but don't need one.

If you want GPS and maps, then you should consider a Nokia Lumia windows phone (Don't knock it till you try it!) You get Nokia maps built in and they don't use the internet at all. Just back from Turkey, roaming off, but still able to track where I was using Nokia maps.

You could use OVIVO (free after first month), and get a Lumia from just over £100 as well.

Your choice, but do think ahead.

Bingolingo

If you have the disposable income then why not buy a phone outright and then ask Vodafone to put you onto an appropriate SIM only tariff.

That way you'll save money (depending on the phone you buy of course) and Vodafone will continue to make regular reports on your credit file which will help to re-build your credit history.

moohound

Guys_Dad wrote: »

You got into debt and then cleared it. Well done.

Now, ask yourself the following. Although things are financially ok now, what would happen if I had a £35 mobile contract and I was made redundant in a couple of months? Have I sufficient capital in the bank to keep on paying the contract off, or caould I afford it, plus my other commitments, if I lost my current income?

You don't need an S4. You might want one, but don't need one.

If you want GPS and maps, then you should consider a Nokia Lumia windows phone (Don't knock it till you try it!) You get Nokia maps built in and they don't use the internet at all. Just back from Turkey, roaming off, but still able to track where I was using Nokia maps.

You could use OVIVO (free after first month), and get a Lumia from just over £100 as well.

Your choice, but do think ahead.

I have £9650 in an ISA as a disaster fund.

I will have a look at the Nokia, and I might just buy one, the samsung or the Nokia or a different one who knows, and go sim only.

I would not have bothered if I wouldn't be getting the 20% discount for being NHS, it just seemed reasonable thats all.

I don't desperately want another gadget, we have an iPad, and a Nexus7, I just wanted something to take outdoors.

never heard of OVIVO will look it up, thanks

When I started with Vodafone they seemed the best for remote areas, but that was years ago, and the others might be better now, thats all.

Buzby

I'd suggest a Lumia is a bad move - I tried it for 7 months and found the screen excellent but everything else klunky and badly organised,neither a poor App Store and many apps unavailable (serving iPhone & Android).

Nokia ditched a serviceable OS to take Microsoft's shilling - it will be their ultimate undoing.

Guys_Dad

Buzby wrote: »

I'd suggest a Lumia is a bad move - I tried it for 7 months and found the screen excellent but everything else klunky and badly organised,neither a poor App Store and many apps unavailable (serving iPhone & Android).

Nokia ditched a serviceable OS to take Microsoft's shilling - it will be their ultimate undoing.

I had a bad opinion of Windows phones as well and was an Android convert. In fact, I still use Android for my tablet and spare handset.

I won't disagree that the app store for androids is much bigger than Windows 8. And I would never knock Androids at all.

I got a Lumia 720 because I fancied a replacement handset for my 2nd line and I thought I would try out a Windows phone, knowing I could always put the sim in my old Android if it went wrong. (Actually, I can't as the 720 uses a micro sim). I also wanted some experience of tiles and Windows 8 in preparation for my next PC.

I have to say that after a month, I am hugely impressed with the facilities, not just the maps. It took a bit of getting used to, but honestly I find new things every week that are impressive. One thing that is miles better than my Android is that the Sat Nav app kicks in immediately every time, even faster than my Garmin, whereas the Androids I have used are a bit more hit and miss. Gmail integrates well with Outlook email as well.

The other great thing is battery life. I can get 3 days out of it as against 1 day from my Android. From the Lumia range, I chose the 720 because it is the slimmest and just feels nice. But the 520 does the job as well, and is quite cheap.

Sorry if this sounds a bit fan-mailish, but I have been converted to the Windows/Nokia combination and feel that there may be some things on the horizon from these two big players.

Vodafone

Hi moohound,

Further to advice given yesterday, I can confirm that you wouldn't be credit checked again when upgrading.

Thanks,

Lee

Web Relations Team

Vodafone UK

robbies_gal

as the rep says u dont get credit checked for an upgrade if u can afford it just go for it-as for remote areas they all vary