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Mobile phone contract while unemployed and receiving benefits?

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  • Trum
    Trum Posts: 16 Forumite
    DCFC79 wrote: »
    Register with mse club, Noddle and clearscore.
    Ok all 3 or is it just pick one? Surely all sites will be similar? I have never done anything like this before, are there any problems that can arise? I read TERRIBLE reviews for experian and the like, is the MSE one any better?
  • Atasas
    Atasas Posts: 753 Forumite
    Trum wrote: »
    Ok all 3 or is it just pick one? Surely all sites will be similar? I have never done anything like this before, are there any problems that can arise? I read TERRIBLE reviews for experian and the like, is the MSE one any better?

    https://www.noddle.co.uk
    is absolutely best free credit agency
  • Trum
    Trum Posts: 16 Forumite
    Atasas wrote: »
    is absolutely best free credit agency
    Can using a site like noddle hurt your credit rating? I dont know what im doing and scared i sign up to something that screws me up somehow, is that silly and impossible?
  • DCFC79
    DCFC79 Posts: 40,641 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Trum wrote: »
    Can using a site like noddle hurt your credit [STRIKE]rating[/STRIKE]file? I dont know what im doing and scared i sign up to something that screws me up somehow, is that silly and impossible?


    Yes silly and impossible.


    Everyone has a right to check they're own credit file.


    Not everyone (eg lenders, phone networks) will use all 3, some just 2 and some maybe just 1, its better to check all 3.
  • Trum
    Trum Posts: 16 Forumite
    Ok so on Noddle I got a score of 598 and a 3/5 credit rating and showing i have 0 debt. So i dont really know what that means, i guess its a standard score for someone who hasnt had loans and debt before?
  • mije1983
    mije1983 Posts: 3,665 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker Name Dropper
    Trum wrote: »
    Ok so on Noddle I got a score of 598 and a 3/5 credit rating and showing i have 0 debt. So i dont really know what that means, i guess its a standard score for someone who hasnt had loans and debt before?

    It doesn't really mean anything, and no lender will ever see that 'score'.

    What matters is your history of paying back credit, and paying it back on time.

    If you have had little or no credit, then lenders will have no idea if you are responsible when it comes to repaying them as you have no 'history'.

    Are you on the electoral roll in your current home? That's always a good starting point.
  • Trum
    Trum Posts: 16 Forumite
    mije1983 wrote: »
    It doesn't really mean anything, and no lender will ever see that 'score'.

    What matters is your history of paying back credit, and paying it back on time.

    If you have had little or no credit, then lenders will have no idea if you are responsible when it comes to repaying them as you have no 'history'.

    Are you on the electoral roll in your current home? That's always a good starting point.
    Yes on the electoral roll and the only credit i had was a credit card for 3 years which payed a single bill monthly and i paid it back in full every month.
  • mije1983
    mije1983 Posts: 3,665 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker Name Dropper
    Trum wrote: »
    Yes on the electoral roll and the only credit i had was a credit card for 3 years which payed a single bill monthly and i paid it back in full every month.


    You said the credit card was a few years ago, but how many is a few? Is it still displayed on your credit report? They don't stay on forever once the account is cancelled.
  • Trum
    Trum Posts: 16 Forumite
    mije1983 wrote: »
    You said the credit card was a few years ago, but how many is a few? Is it still displayed on your credit report? They don't stay on forever once the account is cancelled.
    I had it from around 2010 to 2013 and then i just didnt renew it because RBS upgraded to Visa debit cards so i used that instead. Its not on my credit report no.
  • Trum
    Trum Posts: 16 Forumite
    Thanks for the help everyone, i got the £7.50 a month contract from plusnet, what a FANTASTIC deal, the same minutes/data with vodafone was about £20 more! This way i can spend maybe £200 on a nice Xiaomi phone for maximum value and have a killer contract for about 5% of my benefits a month, im so impressed with that!
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