get a mobile phone contract with bad credit?

[frdsmth9]

I really want to upgrade from my payg phone to a pay monthly contract but i have bad credit history from my student days... Does anyknow whch companies can provide a contract to people with bad credit?

[Barney]

how long since your last debt ?

[frdsmth9]

3 years ago. Defaulted twice on a mobile phone contract with 3.....

[Barney]

3 more years PAYG then, you wont get credit for a phone after that without very high costs

[peterb]

Ring around and ask. There aren't that many mobile phone companies to try. Even if they are iffy, you may get one by paying a deposit up front.

[Leon S]

Hey there,

I got a question that is related to this thread's topic (defaulted phone bills)... I'd appreciate some advice.

Four years ago, when I was 18, I lived in the UK for over a year and signed an 18-month contract with T-mobile and got a new phone that came with it. I truly believed I would stay in the country for some time but at my parents’ request I had to leave London to start my university studies. Only 9 months had elapsed from the beginning of the contract (therefore 9 remaining). I rang T-mobile and they said there was no way at all to cancel it. I was 18 and totally broke, and so I just decided to leave the country instead of paying the £150 or so that it would have cost to get to the end of the contract.

(I am a bit upset now because some people told me long afterwards that if you can prove that you are officially leaving the country and therefore you won't be able to use the contract anymore, they are somehow obliged to cancel the contract. Is that true?).

Now, after 4 years, I am considering moving back to the UK but I am a bit scared of the consequences of that unpaid contract. In your case, frdsmth9, what troubles did you get? Just bad credit rating? A criminal record? My question might sound silly, but I really got no idea..

Finally, is there some way to just pay for that debt (without insane penalties) and forget about this T-mobile issue? Now I could much more easily afford it.

Thank you very much for your advice !

[peterb]

You could contact T mobile, with your old contract details - explain the situation, offer to pay the outstanding debt and ask for the contract tobe re-instated - they may sy yes, and ask for an upfront deposit - or may offer you PAYG.

longer term consequence is if they took out a county court judgement against you - which will affect your credit rating - and not just with T mobilke. If that is the case, the only option is to discharge the debt and apply to have it expunged for the judgement list. That would be the normal action for a company to take.

Otherwise, you could apply to another mobile phone company and see if you have been blacklisted.

[frdsmth9]

Thanks for the advice guys. Im glad to say I managed to get a contract in the end with T Mobile. Thanks PeterB! I applied for a contract phone, but was offered a sim only contract instead. They said as long as I paid 3 months bills on time then I could upgrade to a free handset. Thats pretty reasonable I think, and im well chuffed!

[peterb]

Thanks for the advice guys. Im glad to say I managed to get a contract in the end with T Mobile. Thanks PeterB! I applied for a contract phone, but was offered a sim only contract instead. They said as long as I paid 3 months bills on time then I could upgrade to a free handset. Thats pretty reasonable I think, and im well chuffed!

That sounds pretty reasonable! Glad it worked out for you!

[frdsmth9]

I went with T Mobile after reading some interesting advice on www.badcreditcontractphones.co.uk. It says that credit checks differ for different handset and tariff selections. So if you apply for a less expensive handset on a low cost tariff, the credit checks are easier to pass. My credit rating is pretty bad, so it didnt work for me, but I managed to get the sim only contract with option to upgrade after 3 months.