Baffled by Vodafones Credit Checks, only seem to pass if you renew via Vodafone.

[gb22]

I'm completely baffled by how Vodafone are conducting their credit checks. 

My parents have been customers for a couple of years, with both lines registered under my Mothers name. They both have an impeccable, unblemished credit rating. I dont just mean the meaningless Experian score, but actually going by their credit report, the ludicrous levels of unsecured credit they are offered by CC's  (which they dont take), etc. If that isnt enough evidence, Vodafone themselves were prepared to offer my mother 2 x 16GB Red plans under her name. 

However they went via a reputable third party instead as they had a better deal and Vodafone wouldnt even get close to matching it. Porting their numbers out to Paygo on another network to keep for the future.

So imagine our surpise when Vodafone declined my father and mothers credit check. The people they were preapred to offer significantly more expensive plans direct were suddenly  not trusted because they went through a third party.

The cynic in me wonders if it's deliberate to disuade existing customers going via third parties.

Anyone have any clue what one can do in these circumstances as the process seems pretty opaque with Vodafone.

[amicuspro]

Just to add (and I know it's not just about credit score) but both I and my wife have 999/999 Experian Credit scores.

[Andrew111]

Exact same issue for me. I pay our Vodafone home phone/broadband account and wanted to get us the Basic SIMS contract, as it is better than the current contract I've had with EE (and formally Orange) for the past twenty years.

My credit check isn't bad, I did have some defaults some years ago but I've had no problem taking on various contracts since then. (I was with Plusnet on the Home Phone/Broadband before Vodafone.)

Like Newbie, I went through a third party as that's the only place you can get the Basics SIMs. Failed credit check. First time I called Sales to query this I was told it was actually not a credit check but that I had used the same details as an existing account holder (Me!!!). I was told this wasn't a problem and told to apply again and enter a different user name,  that my own given name and bank detalis would be fine, I was told it would just create a new account so I would have two.  Tried it, failed credit check. Third time Sales apologised and asked if I could get another family member to apply, as there should be no problem with a different name and bank account. So my wife tried. She is in seniour management and on a salary in excess of £50k with a totally unblemished credit record.  Guess what!  Failed credit check. Surprise surprise.  What's more we have chjecked and Vodafone has done no credit checks that show up for us.

Vodafone have no problem offering us more expensive deals if we buy from them direct. It appears that we are being scammed.

[Gemma]

@Andrew111 - We can speak to our Credit Assessment team for you. They'll then look if all the details were entered correctly, when the credit check was performed. 

Please send us your details by following the instructions in this private message.

[Aidans01]

I have had similar problems to those above. I first applied a year ago and was refused. We were able to take out a contract under my wife’s account. However we have just applied for a new contract under my wife’s name but we’re questioned about my number and big surprise, she was refused! Can you put me in touch with your credit assessment team in the hope that we can sort this out?

[Tash]

@Aidans01 A number of factors can affect the results of a credit check. While we'd be unable to determine what these factors would be, we advise checking this with a credit reporting agency such as Experian. You would also be able to reapply again in 90 days.

[Andrew111]

Hi Natasha. If you read my previous post you will see that this is not an issue about legitimate credit checks. It is Vodafone pretending there has been a failed credit check as an excuse for excluding Vodafone customers from taking out new  Vodafone contracts via third parties. It is a scam, it is dishonest, and it puts customers who realise what is going on right off Vodafone.

Congratulations Vodafone. My wife and I went to O2 for our monthly Mobile contracts. No 'credit issues' there. And what's more we will be moving to a different landlne and fibre provider as soon as the Vodafone broadband contract expires.  It's not just the deceit over the false credit check failures.  It was the scam about the promised  "£50 Amazon Voucher",  which never appeared after taking out the broadband contract; and then pretending that it wasn't Vodafone's responsibility, "as the vouchers are distributed by a different company".  It was only after I went to the time consuming trouble and expense of getting solicitors involved that Vodafone caved in and offered  the £50 as a discount off the bill. But how many customers are going to do that? It is a lot of hassle. My advice to anyone thinking of going with Vodafone is to go elsewhere.

[gb22]

@natasha

Why do Vodafone persist in pedalling this misinformation.

As mentioned by myself and others in many instances you don’t do a credit check. There is no soft or hard check reported on any of the credit ref agencies.

Yet you lie to customers and send them on a wild goose chase by directing them to Experian.

[Aidans01]

Yes, and after 365 days, no change! Our Experian credit report is faultless, and was 12 months ago. Can you put me in touch with your credit assessment team as I requested?

[Alex]

@Aidans01 We wouldn't be able to get you in contact with them as they don't have any public contact details. I'm sorry to see that your credit check has failed, but there's nothing further we'd be able to do. 

All of our information can be found here. 

[Aidans01]

And this is the bit that worries me.

“We may share your details with other companies in our group as well as fraud and theft prevention agencies. Information held by fraud prevention agencies may be shared with other organisations to help them make decisions on other credit applications or insurance claims made by you, your business partners or anyone in your household.”

So you are prepared to share whatever mis-information you hold on me with all sorts of agencies and thus damage my reputation elsewhere without giving me any chance to even know what it is, let alone correct it.