iPhone Credit Check

mrochester · 2 Nov 2007 at 23:45

Hi there seems to have been some confusion about how the credit check works when buying the iPhone, and what happens if you fail the credit check. O2 have put up a list of FAQs in their website that I've certainly never seen till now.

Basically NO credit check is done in store. You simply pay £269 and walk out of the store with your iPhone. At home is where the credit check takes place. If you fail it, you can take the iPhone back to a store in an 'as new' condition for a full refund

"What happens if I fail the credit check?
If you do not pass the credit check, you will not be able to activate your iPhone. You'll need to return the iPhone in as new condition with all the original packaging and accessories to the original point of purchase, with proof of purchase and the email confirming activation failure within 14 days of receipt for a full refund."

jabski · 3 Nov 2007 at 00:06

what sort of rateing do you have to have ??

Morba · 3 Nov 2007 at 00:20

do a free experian check :]

paradigm · 3 Nov 2007 at 10:13

Or, activate it yourself, with iPhone for £269

ste_bla · 3 Nov 2007 at 16:03

Sorry what?

You have to buy the phone for £270 and then have a monthly contract on top?

Is that right or am i confused?

Christo · 3 Nov 2007 at 16:29

ste_bla said:
Sorry what?

You have to buy the phone for £270 and then have a monthly contract on top?

Is that right or am i confused?

Correct! Expensive isnt it. You could have course not register it and hack/unlock the phone and have no contract of course.

ste_bla · 3 Nov 2007 at 16:46

Chrisp7 said:
Correct! Expensive isnt it. You could have course not register it and hack/unlock the phone and have no contract of course.

Yeah but still £300 :eek:

Hamzter · 3 Nov 2007 at 16:56

So does that mean no credit card = no contract? Not that it affects me, I'm just gonna unlock it anyway

ste_bla · 3 Nov 2007 at 17:28

Hamzter said:
So does that mean no credit card = no contract? Not that it affects me, I'm just gonna unlock it anyway

No credit check = the company checking your credit history (cards, phone contracts, ccj's etc) and deciding if your worth the risk of giving you credit in the form of a mobile line

Wicksta · 5 Nov 2007 at 09:09

All you people thinking of unlocking it, be careful. This is just like you going into a phone shop, getting a subsidised N95 and then never paying a single monthly payment. O2 and Apple will be doing everything in their power to stop people from doing this, including blocking IMEI numbers or decativating the phone in other ways.

I wouldn't risk it myself.

Cuchulain · 5 Nov 2007 at 09:22

Wicksta said:
All you people thinking of unlocking it, be careful. This is just like you going into a phone shop, getting a subsidised N95 and then never paying a single monthly payment. O2 and Apple will be doing everything in their power to stop people from doing this, including blocking IMEI numbers or decativating the phone in other ways.

I wouldn't risk it myself.

But surely with an N95, you're signing up to a contract in-store first? So if you don't cough up the monthly fee's you'll get taken to court, not so with the iphone.

Burned_Alive · 5 Nov 2007 at 09:48

I should imagine most people will pass the credit check though, even students with no credit history. So it'll be pretty difficult to get out of the contract.

Wicksta · 5 Nov 2007 at 09:53

Cuchulain said:
But surely with an N95, you're signing up to a contract in-store first? So if you don't cough up the monthly fee's you'll get taken to court, not so with the iphone.

Yes but you're buying the iPhone at a subsidised price based on the understanding that you'll take up one of three contract options.

bam0 · 5 Nov 2007 at 10:19

Wicksta said:
Yes but you're buying the iPhone at a subsidised price based on the understanding that you'll take up one of three contract options.

The iPhone has been unsubsidised by all the networks who have released it so far, seems to be a requirement by Apple to maintain it's exclusivity.
In this case you own the hardware as soon as you buy the phone, they just really, really want you to buy an O2 contract with it.

Mr-White · 5 Nov 2007 at 10:22

whats the criteria to pass the credit check ?

MW

[TW]Fox · 5 Nov 2007 at 11:58

The iPhone is nothing but a con.

I also cannot beleive this ridiculous way they are going about its launch. Why can they not simply credit check you in store as they do with every other handset?

Are fashion obsessives really this gullible and easy to exploit?

Wicksta · 5 Nov 2007 at 13:59

bam0 said:
The iPhone has been unsubsidised by all the networks who have released it so far, seems to be a requirement by Apple to maintain it's exclusivity.
In this case you own the hardware as soon as you buy the phone, they just really, really want you to buy an O2 contract with it.

At £270 I believe that it IS subsidised, what other 'top' phone could you get from that price without a contract? And Apple stuff is always a more expensive than competitors.

Wait and see how much a real unsubsidised iPhone costs in France.

maddness · 5 Nov 2007 at 17:19

so how do we fail this credit check

Hamzter · 5 Nov 2007 at 17:25

Wicksta said:
At £270 I believe that it IS subsidised, what other 'top' phone could you get from that price without a contract? And Apple stuff is always a more expensive than competitors.

Wait and see how much a real unsubsidised iPhone costs in France.

I think they claim it's unsubsidised, altho they would probably sell it for more than that if it was sim free. Analysts reckon that they only cost about £200 to make, however there's also the large R&D and profit margins to add on.

Johnz0r · 5 Nov 2007 at 17:36

[TW]Fox;10421520 said:
The iPhone is nothing but a con.

Out of general curiosity, why don't you like it?