Just bought a house but failed credit checks with Vodafone

[pepsimax66]

AIBU to be frustrated by this?

I recently (3 weeks ago) bought my first house with a mortgage, obviously they do extensive checks and there were no issues. Fortunately I've never been in debt or missed any payments, no CCJs etc. I have a good credit rating, had a couple of cars on finance over the years and paid off, credit card which I use for fuel and pay off every month. I even have some savings in the bank. There shouldn't be any reason for me to fail a credit check basically (and I never have)

Anyway, I tried to set up broadband with Vodafone tonight. I've never used them before but they had the best/cheapest deal. Went through all the questions on the phone and was about to arrange an installation date when the chap took my bank details and said I'd failed the credit check. Eh?! Couldn't tell me why as they hadn't given him in any details, just that the computer said no. He said he would escalate it to another team but it could take 90 dates to resolve and I still might be declined. I can't wait that long anyway and will just go with another provider but is that not just, well, ridiculous?

How on earth did I manage to get a mortgage for a lot more £££ yet Vodafone won't accept me for £24 a month broadband? 🤣

Is it possibly as you aren’t yet registered at that address? Have you changed all accounts etc so your credit history moved with you to the new property?

I've never heard of a company doing a credit check for providing broadband in the first place. And you'd think a large number of their new customers would be people who've just borrowed a large mortgage and moved into a new house.

Could just be a glitch, a ghost in the machine, a gremlin that's taken against you.

They do nowadays sky did on me few months ago

There are presumably going to be loads of people with poor credit ratings - much worse than the OP - who will struggle to pass a credit check. How are they going to get broadband?

The world just gets more crap all the time.

Have You ever had any contract with them in the past? Sometimes they check the record to see if you had contracts with them or had issues with them and it’s possible to say no

I had this with Virgin. I am already a customer for TV and broadband. Homeowner with a mortgage and they declined me for a phone contract after a credit check. No debt, on electoral role, excellent credit rating. Couldn't tell me why. So I took my business elsewhere.

Vodaphone are a truly awful company. You have had a lucky escape.
Try Plusnet.

@fiorentina I haven't moved into the property yet as I'm having some work done but I have changed the address on my bank accounts, registered the council tax, gas & electric, water etc. I've left my car insurance/driving licence for now. I explained to the call handler that I hadn't actually moved into the property yet but he said it wasn't a problem. It doesn't help that they won't tell me why I've been declined, bit daft really!

You’re probably not showing on the electoral register yet at the new address. But the same thing randomly happened to me with o2. I just went elsewhere.

I tried to upgrade my phone with vodafone. I failed a credit check with a 999 experian score and had been a customer for years.
I started an online chat, got transferred to a real agent on the chat. He set up details again, all fine.
A really unreliable system.

Coming soon: your only recourse will be to talk to an A.I. agent. Just wait...

It's probably not the same as your situation (too much of a coincidence, surely), but I was refused mobile broadband by Vodafone years ago, because I was told I'd failed the credit check.

I was panicked and paid £15 for a report from the CR company and didn't find anything, so I went back to the Vodafone shop, where I discovered that the assistant had carelessly entered my name wrongly. I'd given it very clearly, but she obviously just couldn't have been arsed - no apology either.

Needless to say, I hadn't failed the credit check, but the non-existent (at my address, at any rate) person whose name she had entered had - as it's a bit difficult to have a credit record if you don't exist.

I did eventually manage to sign up (more fool me) and had so many problems with VF, I'd never willingly choose them. I'm so disappointed that we'll probably end up with them by default for our phones once their merger with 3 has happened.

@Mumof3girlsandaboy nope nothing. I've always used O2 for my phone and sky for my broadband. Never used Vodafone and only wanted to go with them because they were cheaper than other providers.

My current broadband (rental property) is with sky but the account is in my mother's name and she pays the bill (long story, nothing sinister) and I just transfer her the money every month. Now I've bought my own house I want to change it to my name/account. I'll try sky tomorrow, hopefully they won't decline me too...

Different companies may have different policies but we would actually cancel/decline the application for this reason. Maybe the person on the phone did not have any idea what the underwriter checks involve.

Also, someone can have a perfect credit score but fail affordability checks. Not saying its the case for you but just because someone can afford x amount of money on their mortgage, it does not necessarily mean they can afford an extra ten quid per month.

It's because you're not showing up on the electoral roll.

You've had a lucky escape. Vodafone are beyond shit.

My friend failed a credit check trying to buy a sofa for her first flat. Never had any credit problems before or since. Your post has reminded me of this but I don't remember the reason - maybe new address.