O2 Credit Referrals...

[Anonymous]

I was refused an O2 contract due to failing the O2 credit check. I have an excellent credit history so after buying and checking my Equifax report and finding it has a high score raised the matter with O2 credit referrals (email only service). After waiting for the obligatory 5 days I got the non-specific and very vague response below. I asked someone else on this forum who reported similar credit check problems and they confirmed that they got the same response.

It seems then that even after the 5 day wait, all you get is an automated and unhelpful response. I've now sent in a customer complaint, but it really seems that once the O2 automated credit check has marked against you, it's extremely difficult to actually get a 'thinking' human being to look at the case and enter into a meaningful dialog that would help to resolve the mis-understanding.

Can anyone suggest how, or to whom I could address my enquiry more directly or tell me of any success stories in overcoming such problems?

Text of O2 reply:-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good afternoon

Thank you for your email about your application for service with O2.

O2 use a number of business policies to assess an application for service via an automated scorecard. Credit scoring produces consistent decisions and is designed to ensure all applicants are treated fairly. As many criteria are considered when assessing applications, it is unlikely that any one specific item would have meant that you did not meet our requirements.

Regards


Telefónica O2 UK Limited
Credit File Referrals (Uk)
Finance and Professional Services
Suite P, Arlington Business Centre LS11 0NE
f +44 (0)113 202 5865
www.o2.co.uk

[Anonymous]

I would just like to say due to the amount of fraud that goes on o2 is one of the hardest company's to be excepted on. Your score is one of the followin
1. Accepted
2. Referal-A human being manually looks through each referal which is then usually declined,(even 1 late payment within the last 12mths). The system used is from the credit agency so if your refered it means the credit agency arent happy with accepting u.
3.Declined.

[Anonymous]

Its official, 5 days after the query sent, i received the standard,

Thank you for your email about your application for service with O2.

O2 use a number of business policies to assess an application for service via an automated scorecard. Credit scoring produces consistent decisions and is designed to ensure all applicants are treated fairly. As many criteria are considered when assessing applications, it is unlikely that any one specific item would have meant that you did not meet our requirements.

Any idea what the number is i can dial to speak to a human being?

[Anonymous]

I think if you search the O2 web site you can find a PDF file that details their complaints service which may have telephone numbers. However I was successful by emailing mycare@o2mail.co.uk and asking that someone call me, which they did, and as described above, eventually resolving the problem.

[Anonymous]

pmb 999....im going through the exact thing you went through....is there anything you would suggest me to do...i have contacted equifax...high credit rating...and everything u have done. Im getting very frustrated with this.

Any advice would be helpful
Thanks

[Anonymous]

Just been through the same hassle. No debts, no outstanding credit, mortgage paid-off and worst of all - I'm actually moving house so am not on the Electoral Register at my new address (not updated till Dec 1st).

Eventually spoke to a human at Equifax who confirmed that the ONLY negative issue with my credit rating was that I'm not on the electoral roll. Sent them utility bills and driving license to confirm address, but they said that this would not necessarily mean that my credit rating would be upgraded from Good (when I was rejected by O2) to Very Good!!!

Apparently if I was in debt and paying off a loan my credit rating would be higher - this is progress!!!

[Anonymous]

Word of worning about the electoral roll. We just applied to O2 for a contract and were declined based on our credit reference check. It turns out you have to re-register, or at least confirm your details, on the electoral roll every year.

We did write to O2 at mycare@o2mail.co.uk. They were helpful when they wrote back, almost straight away, saying that they turned us down based on our credit score, and the the providor was Equifax. I'm now going to shell out the £2 each so we can get our scores. We've never been turned down for credit before, not even from the bank, so it will be interesting to see what our score is.

Does anyone know with O2 if it matters what kind of pay monthly contract you are going for? Is the credit score needed for a £45 contract higher than for a £20 contract, for instance? Does a contract where they supply the phone rank higher than one where you supply the phone?

I was considering going to the Office of Fair Trading over this though, because it appears they have a monopoly position over the supply of the iPhone. Have I got this right?

[Anonymous]

Until people stop pointing fingers and listen to reason and logic, nothing will ever come of this, all the talk making o2 out to be the bad guy is purely on low knowledge

A credit check is nothing to do with o2
O2 have a score, that you have to meet to obtain credit, this score is provided by Equifax to O2, therefore if Equifax tell you you have a high score, yet they tell O2 that you have a low score, where does the fault lie? not with O2, they would love to give you credit, they are there to make money, however when Equifax say to O2 "do not give this person credit" then what are they supposed to do

things commonly wrongly said that make no difference:

It's only £35 a month - over 24 months you are effectively applying for a £840 loan up front, you also have the facility to run up a £5,000 bill in the first month, the cost does not factor into it

But I have a £300,000 mortgage, how can you turn me down for £35 a month its pathetic - Mortgages are a completely different kettle of fish and are secured on your home, they are almost guarenteed as the company stand to make more from the sale of your house and would lvoe you to default

I've been a customer for years - this does not mean you will pay back credit each month and is nothing to do with it

The electoral register is one of the biggest things that people need to register for, firstly it is an offence not to be registered on there

When you make an application for credit, your credit history i.e whether or not you have defaulted on your mortgage only accounts to around 35% of the total decision process, therefore as things go the fact you have paid off your mortgage and debts is for the most part irellevent, whether you are registered on the electoral roll accounts to 40% of the decision and is the first thing checked on a credit check, if you are not registered then you need to do so to swing 40% of this your way, this is nothing to do with o2 and it is not their fault, its down to us to register ourselves to put ourselves in the best position, being accepted for credit is down to you as individuals to make sure everything is correct and up to date and not O2, if you are not prepared for what you are trying to do then you cannot point the finger when it doesnt go your way.

It works a lot better when people look at facts instead of coming on boards shouting "o2 turned me down for credit i have no idea why" and proceed to blame the company

[Anonymous]

Hi all
I went to O2 at the Trafford Centre this morning to get a new phone and looked to get a iphone but i was declined a contract the guy who served me rang to see why i was declined and they said it was due to late payment on an old orange mobile internet which due to changing banks i couldn't pay on time but i paid it the month after. i was told to write to Credit File Referalls and they would sort it out.
My question is can i send them an email insted
cheers
Chris

[Anonymous]

how do i find out why i have been rejected by o2????

[Anonymous]

My credit score with Experian is 999, that means I have never had a CCJ or default and have never missed a credit payment. Can you imagine my surprise then when the O2 shop in Grantham declined my in-store application for a mobile phone for the princely sum of £10 per month? I got home and re-checked my file on-line with Experian, but nothing had changed. I even checked Equifax, and my file still showed a perfect credit history. I recontacted the store manager to discuss the situation, though I would not touch O2 with a bargepole now, I was so perplexed I said I would bring a copy of my score into the store if he could help me discover why I had been declined. I could detect from his tone that the manager just wanted to get rid of me; he suggested I go on-line and make a complaint to www.creditreferalso2.com. I did this but all I could find was this website which appears to be a furum for other people who have had similar experiences, though none as inexplicable :robotindifferent: .