Buying a Mobile Phone in Britain..

[neeeeeeeeeek]

Go in halls for the first year, they are much better than they used to be and most of them have been built in the last few years. Then get somewhere in the second your when you know where you want to live and who you want to live with.

That house you posted is central, good for town, the uni, near a park, it's on the edge of Upperthorpe which is a bit of a dump but quite a new dump! It's not the nicest place but it's not that bad.

[Radomu]

How long are you in the UK for? Also you might struggle to get a contract phone as you won't have any credit history.

 

I am on Orange Sim only, £20 a month, 600 mins, unlimited text and internet. I just bought a HTC desire from someone on here. You might struggle to get sim only aswell as it stil requires some form of credit check / histroy. Pay as you go might be your only sensible option.

 

Buy a phone second hand and you can get some really good deals on pay as you go as long as you put on £10 a month, including loads of data for the internet. Free minutes will only be valid in the the UK so you would want to get a phone card for making international calls.

 

For three years at least. What do you mean by credit history? Like my history of using my credit card?

[RootsBooster]

By the way, the rolling contract/sim only deals usually aren't advertised, you tend to have to ask about them in-store or look closely for them in the brochures.

They prefer you to take out 18 or 24 month contracts!

[alternageek]

For three years at least. What do you mean by credit history? Like my history of using my credit card?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_history

 

redit history or credit report is, in many countries, a record of an individual's or company's past borrowing and repaying, including information about late payments and bankruptcy. The term "credit reputation" can either be used synonymous to credit history or to credit score.

 

In the U.S., when a customer fills out an application for credit from a bank, store or credit card company, their information is forwarded to a credit bureau. The credit bureau matches the name, address and other identifying information on the credit applicant with information retained by the bureau in its files.That's why it's very important for creditors, lenders and others to provide accurate data to credit bureaus. [1]

 

This information is used by lenders such as credit card companies to determine an individual's credit worthiness; that is, determining an individual's willingness to repay a debt. The willingness to repay a debt is indicated by how timely past payments have been made to other lenders. Lenders like to see consumer debt obligations paid on a monthly basis.

 

There has been much discussion over the accuracy of the data in consumer reports. However, the only scientifically researched studies that include sample sizes large enough to be valid have generally concluded the data in credit reports is very accurate. [2] [3] The credit bureaus point to their own study of 52 million credit reports to highlight that the data in reports is very accurate. The Consumer Data Industry Association testified before Congress that less than two percent of those reports that resulted in a consumer dispute had data deleted because it was in error.[4]

 

If a consumer disputes some information in a credit report, the credit bureau has 30 days to verify the data. Over 70 percent of these consumer disputes are resolved within 14 days and then the consumer is notified of the resolution.[4] The Federal Trade Commission states that one large credit bureau notes 95 percent of those who dispute an item seem satisfied with the outcome.[5]

 

The other factor in determining whether a lender will provide a consumer credit or a loan is dependent on income. The higher the income, all other things being equal, the more credit the consumer can access. However, lenders make credit granting decisions based on both ability to repay a debt (income) and willingness (the credit report) as indicated in the past payment history.

 

These factors help lenders determine whether to extend credit, and on what terms. With the adoption of risk-based pricing on almost all lending in the financial services industry, this report has become even more important since it is usually the sole element used to choose the annual percentage rate (APR), grace period and other contractual obligations of the credit card or loan.

 

Usually, coming into the UK as a new resident you wont have one, but it could be different if youre coming in under a student visa. I think once you have your bank acct you start building history.

 

Also applying for a phone and getting turned down is a GOOD thing when trying to build credit when you have none. The main reason why people with ZERO credit get rejected is because there is nothing on their history to verify them. Once youve been rejected, you should be able to apply and get accepted (though maybe at a higher monthly tariff or a sim only where you get minutes/texts but no phone)

[Radomu]

By the way, the rolling contract/sim only deals usually aren't advertised, you tend to have to ask about them in-store or look closely for them in the brochures.

They prefer you to take out 18 or 24 month contracts!

 

What are the difference?

[neeeeeeeeeek]

For three years at least. What do you mean by credit history? Like my history of using my credit card?

 

You are not on the electortal register, you have no UK credit history as you have never lived here, you can't provide any UK addess details for any lenght of time as you have never lived here, all things phone companies expect when offering phone contracts. They might not like the idea of you running up a massive bill then buggering off!

 

I might be completly wrong, you would be best speaking to other international students and seeing if thewy have managed to get a phone on contract but I would imagine most are on pay as you go.

[neeeeeeeeeek]

If you want a free phone you need to take out a 12 / 18 / 24 month contarct at X amount a month. Phone companies might not be prepaired to give do that as they might see you as a risk. Just buy a phone and get one of the pay as you go deals.

[Radomu]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_history

 

 

 

Usually, coming into the UK as a new resident you wont have one, but it could be different if youre coming in under a student visa. I think once you have your bank acct you start building history.

 

Also applying for a phone and getting turned down is a GOOD thing when trying to build credit when you have none. The main reason why people with ZERO credit get rejected is because there is nothing on their history to verify them. Once youve been rejected, you should be able to apply and get accepted (though maybe at a higher monthly tariff or a sim only where you get minutes/texts but no phone)

 

Thanks.

 

But judging by the fact that the UK has MANY international students, I find it hard to believe that they make it hard for them to get a phone... You might understand that I'm slightly scared of getting a credit card because I'm rubbish at organizing money. And yes, I will get a student visa.

[Radomu]

If you want a free phone you need to take out a 12 / 18 / 24 month contarct at X amount a month. Phone companies might not be prepaired to give do that as they might see you as a risk. Just buy a phone and get one of the pay as you go deals.

 

Maybe. I'm guessing pay-as-you-go has more expensive minute-based phone costs?

[neeeeeeeeeek]

Depends what you do with it.

 

pay as you go will give you loads of free mins to use in the UK, once they run out then yes, it might cost more but just get a deal that will give you enough. It's not much different to contract phones, if you are not using free minutes then it wil be expensive.