Phone Contracts?
Handsets, networks, mobile telephony-related items and the conversations you've overheard on the train.
| Announcements | Posted on | |
|---|---|---|
| Please change your TSR password | 23-05-2013 | |
| Enter our travel-writing competition for the chance to win a Nikon 1 J3 camera | 20-05-2013 | |
-
- Reputation:
- Thread Starter
- Junior Member
- Posts: 35
Phone Contracts?Help! I tried to set up a contract deal in a o2 shop a few days ago and i would have to pay an upfront cost for the phone (fair enough) but because i have no credit history i would have to pay £200+ just to start my contract?!?! anyone else experienced anything like this?
-
- Reputation:
- Thread Starter
- Junior Member
- Posts: 35
Re: Phone Contracts?(Original post by Linzikins)
Nope I just got refused because I had no credit history and had to ask my parents to get it for me so I had to pay them haha
it wasn't that i got declined, i would just have to pay £200+
i think that's what i need to do :/ -
- Reputation:
- Thread Starter
- Junior Member
- Posts: 35
Re: Phone Contracts?no like i would have to pay £80 for the phone and then £150 on top because i dont have any credit history?(Original post by Pritesh.Mistry)
£200 on top of the amount you're paying up front for the phone?
Never had this issue myself even when I had my first contract with Virgin...
Did you do your contrat online or in store? -
- Reputation:
- Peer Of The TSR Realm
- Location: Central Scotland
- Posts: 1,625
Re: Phone Contracts?Is it a feww that they keep, or sort of like a deposit? i.e. do you get the money back at the end of the contract? I could almost understand that, as technically they're "taking a risk" on someone without a proven credit history, but straight up charging a fee seems strange
.
But... is this really how hard it is to get credit these days?? Phone contracts used to be a standard way to START building a credit rating, so that you could later get a credit card, and so on... how are you kids supposed to get started now? Phone contracts are about as basic as credit gets, surely. Though I seem to remember various student accounts offering "no questions asked" low-limit student credit cards... I guess that's your only real option for building a credit rating, then when you've had that for a while try again with phone contracts. -
- Reputation:
- Full Member
- Posts: 87
Re: Phone Contracts?Online(Original post by metalupyerass)
no like i would have to pay £80 for the phone and then £150 on top because i dont have any credit history?
Did you do your contrat online or in store?
I really have no idea why you're being charged extra - maybe have a look at the terms and conditions on the contract? -
- Reputation:
- Thread Starter
- Junior Member
- Posts: 35
Re: Phone Contracts?yeah, so i wouls pay like just over £200 first of all and then £21.50 everymonth.(Original post by zaliack)
Would you have to pay like £15 a month on top of that? -
- Reputation:
- Thread Starter
- Junior Member
- Posts: 35
Re: Phone Contracts?yeah i am pretty sure it's just a deposit.(Original post by Bhumbauze)
Is it a feww that they keep, or sort of like a deposit? i.e. do you get the money back at the end of the contract? I could almost understand that, as technically they're "taking a risk" on someone without a proven credit history, but straight up charging a fee seems strange.
But... is this really how hard it is to get credit these days?? Phone contracts used to be a standard way to START building a credit rating, so that you could later get a credit card, and so on... how are you kids supposed to get started now? Phone contracts are about as basic as credit gets, surely. Though I seem to remember various student accounts offering "no questions asked" low-limit student credit cards... I guess that's your only real option for building a credit rating, then when you've had that for a while try again with phone contracts.
I don't really know tbh, because i don't really fancy taking out a credit card incase i just go wild and go bankrupt lmao.
i dont really know how to get credit history, that sounds stupid i know lol :L -
- Reputation:
- PS Helper
- Overlord in Training
- Location: Basingstoke
- Posts: 2,189
Re: Phone Contracts?Definitely don't do it then, better off just buying a phone with pay as you go.(Original post by metalupyerass)
yeah, so i wouls pay like just over £200 first of all and then £21.50 everymonth. -
- Reputation:
- Peer Of The TSR Realm
- Location: Central Scotland
- Posts: 1,625
Re: Phone Contracts?The credit card you'd be offered with a student bank account would have a low limit of < £500, so even if you did go nuts and blow the full £500, you'd be looking at monthly payments of AT MOST around £15. I don't think going bankrupt will be too much of a concern. What you DON'T want to do is go nuts and apply for 5 credit cards, then blow all the money on those. Bleh. Still paying for that 5+ years later(Original post by metalupyerass)
yeah i am pretty sure it's just a deposit.
I don't really know tbh, because i don't really fancy taking out a credit card incase i just go wild and go bankrupt lmao.
i dont really know how to get credit history, that sounds stupid i know lol :L
.
But yeah the only way to start building a credit history, is to get credit, and then be good with your payments. "In my day" (I'm only 27, so not THAT long ago) getting a phone contract was pretty much everyone's first foothold in building a credit history... because they were easy to get and a standard, predictable monthly payment that couldn't get out of control. Then you can start getting / building credit cards if you're responsible with them, later things like car loans, which all contribute to how likely you are to be able to get something like a mortgage in future.
Like I said, though, if they're not even letting students get started with something as simple as a phone contract, I really don't know how young people are supposed to start building a good credit history!
.
