Credit check declined - 7th circle of Hell in trying to progress

[Toweliechaos]

So my contract runs out in a few weeks. Finally, the phone I wanted was available on a contract at a price I was happy to pay. So placed an order. Comes up with credit check declined. This is bizarre - I've literally never been refused credit in my life. My rating with Transquin is 669/710 and the only way I can make that any better is by living at my current address for longer than the 3.5 years I've been there. Experian is 999 and Equifax is 1000. I am literally at a loss to know how to 'fix' an already perfect credit score. Plus, as the credit team refuse to talk with customers, no-one can tell me which credit company to check with.

Then I made the mistake of trying to find out what was going wrong. Oh dear. I actually got someone helpful who advised me I had to file an appeal form. I agreed even though there was no need for an appeal in my eyes as it was obviously a computer error elsewhere. Anyway, I got a response within a few hours that simply told me it was still declined due to 'not meeting the criteria' and with no means of reply offered. Oh, and telling me I should wait 90 days before trying, despite telling them I only had about 20 left on the contract.

I then got on to live chat and had said I wanted to make a complaint. The first person, very nice and all, clearly ignored the complaint part and tried to see what the issue was with the credit check. The Credit team wouldn't even speak to him apparently and in the end he put me on to the manager, who is now filing a complaint. He also tried to talk to the credit team and they refused to talk to him either.

I was then advised to try the social media channel. I had the same experience as always (and I have no idea why people keep advising to do that in here) - once they understood the issue the response was 'call 191 and speak to the team'. I mean, where do you even start with that?

So, it looks very much like I will have to leave Vodafone and go elsewhere as they appear too pig-headed to accept that perhaps, just perhaps, their customers of several years with multiple products and a perfect payment history don't really need to be credit checked to the nth degree and then refuse to talk to them about why they've been refused credit. Perish the thought they might just accept that moving to evo has been a total balls up and must be costing them customers hand over fist.

Anyone found a way to get past this 'computer says no' mentality?

[hrym]

An hour to check that the automatic procedure has worked (no links have failed, which I've seen happen) and that the details correspond?   Seems feasible to me, but you may well think otherwise.   The fact remains that the credit team's decision is final.

[simax]

It is clear that for whatever reason, Vodafone have declined further business from you. Remember they don’t have to continue to supply services to anyone should their “perceived” risk be too great. The fact you don’t see yourself as a risk is irrelevant. Best look elsewhere…

[AnnS]

@Toweliechaos 

If you were taking a SIM only contract without a device, the chances are there wouldn't have been any problems and with you already having an airtime contract for your mobile, plus broadband, there shouldn't have been any need for any additional credit check.

The part where this has failed, is with the device part of the Evo contract.  As far as is know the loan is provided by PayPal Finance, there was a post some time back where this failed because the customer had some dispute going on at the time with PayPal.

You deserve a explanation here, Vodafone can't go failing a credit check without a good reason,  especially as far as you are concerned  being a loyal long term customer, you can just bet there are other customers in the same situation failing the check without any good reason.  There is also the added problem where a hard check would have been completed.

Just hope the Social Team get to the thread and pick this up and will be able to provide some help.

[simax]

A credit check doesn’t mean just relying on credit file data. They will also have their own internal scorecard that will be used. It could be the OP failed their internal scoring before it even went to an external CRA.

[Toweliechaos]

I'm really not interested in anyone's opinions on my credit rating. Some of you seem to think you know far more than you actually do, as well as impugning my record without any data. I know my credit is flawless both with and without vodafone. I have a 100% record of credit. Never refused, never missed a payment, plenty of evidence of credit both in the past and currently. I am a perfect loan candidate. Anyone else wants to comment on my credit score being the issue, please keep your opinions to yourself.

The check has failed due to computer error. Nothing more or less. 45 minutes, after banking services have closed, is nowhere near enough time to do a 'deepdive' on someone's credit history. The vodafone system is palpably broken and losing them customers. Simply continuing to say 'their decision is final' in no way addresses my original question or the failures in vodafone's credit checking system. 

[simax]

I’ve not said your score is the issue! I’ve just stated that Vodafone have decided for whatever reason not to accept your business. They are under no obligation to do so. If they’ve said they’ve reviewed it (credit files can be reviewed 24/7 and don’t rely on banking hours) and still said no then you’re flogging a dead horse regardless of what you think your “score” is. Going into a store and stamping your feet isn’t going to help.

[Toweliechaos]

Who said anything about stamping feet? Or is that what you consider simply asking for an explanation as to why someone with a perfect credit history is being denied credit by someone who is already giving me credit?

As it happens, I've just had someone from their complaints team phone me to see if I was satisfied with the outcome. I pointed out that as nothing appeared to have happened, I'm not sure what I was supposed to be satisfied with. She tried very hard to be understanding but in the end, all I still got was they can't reveal what the problem is. And yet I am supposed to imagine that something magical will happen in 90 days to change the credit problem - even though there is no problem with my credit. They have at least saved me the grief of going into store to talk to a human as apparently they will just parrot back the same drivel.

It is a farcical system, operated by drones, disregarding their customers in entirety. Without wishing to sound pompous, the idea of being refused credit for something as pititful as this amount is risible.

[hrym]

No one is questioning your credit rating, which I'm sure is impeccable, but Vodafone have refused you and there will be a reason for that.

If you haven't, it would be worth getting the full record from one of the agencies (eg Experian) to see whether there's an obvious flag or error that needs to be dealt with.

[Toweliechaos]

Thank you for providing a sensible view on the matter. You are absolutely right in that I deserve an explanation and simply being stonewalled is utterly unacceptable customer treatment. I know a mistake has been made but it's not on my part. Quite why they are so blase about losing customers is beyond me. So far, they have done literally nothing to help me with this. I am going into store tomorrow to see if speaking to a human has any material effect. If that fails to produce anything other than the sort of answers people keep placing in here, then I will be asking for the PAC codes for me and the other contracts as there is no alternative at that point.