DD trying to buy phone - transaction declined - any ideas

[ifonly4]

DD is 18 years old. She started uni in September.

She tried to buy a mobile phone about a month ago, upfront cost and then on monthly contract. Transaction declined at time of payment. Just tried again twice, once trying to pay via a bank where she's had account for a couple of years and is still at home address, the other a newish account with student loan attached registered at uni. Both have sufficient for upfront cost in account. Both transactions declined again.

Phoned phone online company, they referred her to her bank. She phoned the bank who she's been with for two years, they said there's no reason they'd refuse payment and confirm from her history they'd give her a credit card or overdraft, so no bad history.

She's done some kind of free online check that doesn't affect her credit rating, it says she isn't registered for voting and that could be the problem. She's been registered for voting at home since August (her name was added on the register for May election but shaded out, so even then they had her noted) and has a polling card. Registered at uni address, awaiting polling card.

She had to give all addresses on the application. Does anything think it's because it's taking a while to register at the moment for uni address, or is could it be something else?

She's never missed a payment, has never had any debts.

DD had this issue when she tried to get her contract in her own name - turned out she failed the identity check because our address goes:

3 Smith Street
Locality
Postal Town
AB1 2DC

The locality was missing from the phone company's system but was on her address with the bank so kept returning as the address not matching.

Could be confusing information.

They use credit reference agencies to confirm identity and address as well as credit history, so the fact that she appears to have moved but not told her bank, or may be registered at more than one address could trigger the computer to say no, because things don't match up exactly.

She could try and contact everyone and get it all sorted out, but it might not be straightforwards or she could just buy a phone outright and get the service via GiffGaff goodybags, which I think is technically PAYG, so no contract check. Will probably work out cheaper that way anyway.

Thanks for replies. I will pass on your comments, and any others. We know home address isn't an issue as we've purchased something from company before. She's actually frustrated as she's trying to deal with it herself but can't sort. She wants the latest iphone (yes I know!) but has found a brilliant deal, so it's so annoying. Around the corner is renting a flat/house, so need to sort any credit problems.

Oh I had this at uni! It was my address being a halls of residence. I registered it to my parents’ address instead and it went through.

Is it because she’s registered to vote in two places?

I once got refused credit ( was mortified)
I spent an entire weekend becoming a credit score expert and the only reason for it I could gather was that I’d opened a new bank account less than 6 months previously. Even though it had no overdraft or credit card

Have just spoke to DD. Apparently all her records are registered at home still. We've bought something through the phone company ourselves, so can rule out the locality in the address.

Students are allowed to vote in two places (although only one main vote in a GE) so that shouldn't be the problems.

She has opened a student account within the last six months, so possibility that could be it.

She's desperately trying to be indepedent, but I suspect it'll work out far more for an iphone paying up front and then sim only, rather than the brilliant low contract she's found. Looks like we'll have to buy it in our own names.

When I was 18 and just starting uni I tried to get a contract in a T-Mobile shop (so 8 years ago!) and the person in the shop said I probably wouldn’t get the contract so the easiest thing to do would be for my mum to take it out and in a couple of months transfer it to my name. So we did that. I was living at home so no halls or second address.