topic Re: Credit check on SIM only upgrade to refresh? in Pay Monthly

Credit check on SIM only upgrade to refresh?

N4Th — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 10:15:07 GMT

Hi to all.

I’ve read through most previous posts on here and externally and different answers have led me to ask..

I have a Sim only contract at the min. I can 6 month upgrade to a handset this coming Sunday. My question is will there be a credit check involved as my credit history isn’t the best by a loooooooong shot but have kept up all my payments with o2.

some say yea you’ll be checked as it’s a new agreement - others say as long as bills paid then you should be okay?

can anyone help at all?

many thanks!!

Re: Credit check on SIM only upgrade to refresh?

MI5 — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 10:28:39 GMT

@N4Th

The whole point of going sim only for 6 months was to prove that you are capable of paying on time and therefore, no credit check was required. However, since the merger with Virgin Media we have been hearing that some people have been credit checked, it also doesn't seem to be consistent in approach, so the only way to find out is to apply and see what happens. In theory, it should only be a soft check so that shouldn't cause any problems.

Re: Credit check on SIM only upgrade to refresh?

N4Th — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 10:47:33 GMT

Many thanks for the response there!

well that doesn’t fill me with much hope I have to admit. How often has it transpired a credit check needed on these SIMO upgrades?

do you think there Is there anyone from o2 or anything that can provide some info on this? Ideally on this post so others can see too as it may save someone else asking!

Thanks again though MI, I do appreciate ir

Re: Credit check on SIM only upgrade to refresh?

MI5 — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 11:04:50 GMT

@N4Th

It's all down to what the computer says it would seem.

Re: Credit check on SIM only upgrade to refresh?

Breanna — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 11:54:04 GMT

If you do upgrade soon @N4Th, let us know how it goes!

Re: Credit check on SIM only upgrade to refresh?

N4Th — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 12:25:30 GMT

No credit check required and was able to upgrade today! 3 days early!

does anyone know if I can upgrade my delivery in the DPD app later today? (Specific time slot)

Re: Credit check on SIM only upgrade to refresh?

MI5 — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 13:01:23 GMT

@N4Th

You can choose which day for delivery but don't think you can choose a time slot.

Thanks for updates re credit check.

Re: Credit check on SIM only upgrade to refresh?

joanne1988 — Sun, 03 Dec 2023 15:22:51 GMT

I have a similar problem.And eventually found the answer.

I applied for a refresh contract 6 months ago and it got declined,but I was offered a sim only deal,If i paid the bills for 6 months i was told i could upgrade to any handset and move to a refresh.But in this 6 month period there have been some changes(I use to work for o2 for 5 years)

Before this new system(360) came in a sim only customer who had bad credit for aguments sake,could walk into o2 and get any phone they liked with no further credit checks(as long as the bills where paid on time)

And move to a refresh contract,BUT…..

Now o2 have decided that they are going to fully credit check ANY sim only upgrade to handset/refresh contract.

So if you are told in a store come back in 6 months please be aware that you will be fully vetted before taking out any phone on an upgrade(this includes if you are already on a refresh contract already!)

So if you have say the iphone 14 now on a refresh contract,and you want the 15,you will be credit checked again for the 15…even though you are already on a refresh…hope this makes sence..I argued my point and have eventually left o2 to ee,as i was fighting a losing battle.

hope this helps anyone wondering about this.

(all my info is from current o2 employees just before anyone says its rubbish)its not….

Re: Credit check on SIM only upgrade to refresh?

Oxonian — Sun, 03 Dec 2023 16:35:30 GMT

@joanne1988

Thank you for that information. It actually reconciles quite nicely with the comments of @MI5 (above) on 28 June 2023 and seems to reflect changes since VMO2 came into being.

Re: Credit check on SIM only upgrade to refresh?

dustybin1545 — Sat, 17 Feb 2024 18:03:43 GMT

I was told 6 months after taking my SIM only contract I would be able to upgrade in August after the merger took place and failed the credit check today

Re: Credit check on SIM only upgrade to refresh?

Oxonian — Sat, 17 Feb 2024 21:11:24 GMT

@dustybin1545

Unfortunately, evidence gathered from other posts seems to suggest that credit checks have been tightened significantly in the last few months and are now used a lot more frequently that they were previously.

Re: Credit check on SIM only upgrade to refresh?

Enlli — Sat, 17 Feb 2024 21:54:13 GMT

@dustybin1545 wrote:
I was told 6 months after taking my SIM only contract I would be able to upgrade in August after the merger took place and failed the credit check today

I was on the Virgin Community for 12 years and promising people they could pass credit if they took out a SIM only contract then turning them down was common.

Regretfully O2 is going more like Virgin Mobile every day

Re: Credit check on SIM only upgrade to refresh?

Dino1968 — Sun, 18 Feb 2024 00:07:16 GMT

Hi I know o2 were credit checking last year. I have been with o2 on full contract since around 2016 always had zero issues upgrading to a new handset. Then last year April time I think - was looking at new hand set - was rejected - could not understand why. Checked my credit file and remembered I had placed a notice of correction about some out of date information - some companies regardless see this is a no go even though it was voluntary by myself. Anyone can add notice of correction to there own credit file. Anyway got in touch with the credit ref agency asked them to remove my notice of correction - which they did. A week or so later re-applied to o2 and it went straight through. Only downside - 2 hard searches filed on my report.

Back in 2017 it was soft check only. My credit file aint great but aint the worst either ... so im not sure if I would be approved or not when I look for a new handset late in this year. But then again with the great monthly sim only contract I now have with o2 - Im tempted to pay up front for a new hand set to avoid the high priced monthly data plans that come when you buy a phone on contract. But hard credit checks IM sure are now a certainty with O2.

Re: Credit check on SIM only upgrade to refresh?

Oxonian — Sun, 18 Feb 2024 12:40:06 GMT

@Dino1968 @dustybin1545

It's worth bearing in mind that you are not just subjected to a credit (debt) check - your ability to make future monthly payments will also be considered.

Your application will inevitably fail if O2 cannot satisfy themselves as to your identity, so if you do not have much of a credit history, being on the Voters' List (Electoral Register) is probably significant too.

Re: Credit check on SIM only upgrade to refresh?

Dino1968 — Sun, 18 Feb 2024 15:01:08 GMT

Yep I remember having this problem when I moved house a while back took a few months for Electoral reg to update. Im glad to be out of contract on my handset though and im not blown away by the latest s24 ultra. Will stick to my s23 ultra then either go pixel late this year or the s22222 watever it will be next Jan/ Feb. Still on contract for a book3 Pro - which I kind of regret as its not the best bit of kit but it is what it is 😉 1st world problems n all.

Re: Credit check on SIM only upgrade to refresh?

Oxonian — Sun, 18 Feb 2024 15:51:37 GMT

Yes @Dino1968, choices, choices, choices. 👍