[hammo]

Im an 02 customer and wanting to upgrade my phone when I can but ive got another contract phone and fell behind with my payments for it untill now and its cleared up.

I asked to upgrade the phone i owed money on but they went through the motions and credit checked me low and behold they rejected me.
So all I want to know am I stuck getting a contract phone forever because ive been off sick from work and thats why my credit is bad at the moment.
Is there anywhere who will let me have a contract phone with a POOR credit history!!!!!!

[Appleseed]

I doubt you'd get a phone on a contract, but you'd probably get a SIM only deal on a month by month basis. Pay it promptly for a few months and I'd say they then probably take you on board with a phone and a longer contract.

[RobinOfLoxley]

Hunt your phone and "unlock codes" on Google. You maybe able to unlock it and use any SIM (PAYG). Or phone customer services and ask for an unlock code.

Or see o2 website for free 02 SIMs. Bottom left on the home page.

Or try a Tesco SIM (£1.21 at the checkout, Tesco uses the o2 metwork). Worked on my o2 handset.

Have fun

[RobinOfLoxley]

oh btw loads of dodgy sites. Dont give out your credit card details.

Dont post your IMEI number in public

[bluechang]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobinOfLoxley

Dont post your IMEI number in public

Funny you should mention that - there is a thread 182 pages long full of people posting thir IMEI in full public view!

[iRuss]

Try https://www.3minutemobiles.co.uk/ or http://www.worryfreemobiles.co.uk/

[prking]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobinOfLoxley

oh btw loads of dodgy sites. Dont give out your credit card details.

Dont post your IMEI number in public

I'd be interested to know why I shouldn't post my IMEI?

[RobinOfLoxley]

Yes I saw the 182 pages.

IMEI # is like your PIN on your debit card. People can misuse it.

That is why you should keep it secret.

Unless you call up your provider for a PAC or PUK code.

[prking]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobinOfLoxley

Yes I saw the 182 pages.

IMEI # is like your PIN on your debit card. People can misuse it.

That is why you should keep it secret.

Unless you call up your provider for a PAC or PUK code.

In what way would the possesion of my IMEI allow people to misuse it?

[RobinOfLoxley]

They can report your phone stolen and it is then disabled by your provider.

[klbrock]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iRuss

Try https://www.3minutemobiles.co.uk/ or http://www.worryfreemobiles.co.uk/

No. No. No. Please. No! Seriously, they will rapidly shaft you with their constant sales harassing. Thankfully they eventually got the message after a nicely worded solicitors letter

[iRuss]

Quote:

Originally Posted by klbrock

No. No. No. Please. No! Seriously, they will rapidly shaft you with their constant sales harassing. Thankfully they eventually got the message after a nicely worded solicitors letter

My cousin has 3 CCJs and both of those companies were able to offer him contracts. He's had no hassle from them at all, he's full of praise for them.

[prking]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobinOfLoxley

They can report your phone stolen and it is then disabled by your provider.

No they can't. When someone phones up they have to go through security to prove they are the account holder, there is a record of the IMEI being used against that account, and in most cases you would not need to even know your IMEI. So for someone to block your phone, they would need to impersonate you.

If the impostor were to report it to the police, then they would fail the id check.

So quoting your IMEI is as harmless as quoting your phone number, which is why the IMEI is printed on the outside of the phone packaging and on the paperwork for a phone sale.

[lalaland]

Quote:

Originally Posted by prking

No they can't. When someone phones up they have to go through security to prove they are the account holder, there is a record of the IMEI being used against that account, and in most cases you would not need to even know your IMEI. So for someone to block your phone, they would need to impersonate you.

If the impostor were to report it to the police, then they would fail the id check.

So quoting your IMEI is as harmless as quoting your phone number, which is why the IMEI is printed on the outside of the phone packaging and on the paperwork for a phone sale.

Actually, if someone gets hold of the information that allows them to know what handset you have and what IMEI number you have they can use that information to clone your handset. Example,

You have a Nokia N97, IMEI of 1234567890123456.

Dodgy person has an N97, IMEI of 0987654321098765, but there's is stolen and the IMEI has been blocked from all UK networks, rendering it useless in the UK.

Dodgy person sees that you have an N97, sees you IMEI and uses the illegal process of changing his IMEI to your IMEI on their handset. They've just cloned your phone, so now their handset works on the UK networks again.

Not a major issue in terms of it affecting you, but it's not totally harmless either.

[lalaland]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hammo

Im an 02 customer and wanting to upgrade my phone when I can but ive got another contract phone and fell behind with my payments for it untill now and its cleared up.

I asked to upgrade the phone i owed money on but they went through the motions and credit checked me low and behold they rejected me.
So all I want to know am I stuck getting a contract phone forever because ive been off sick from work and thats why my credit is bad at the moment.
Is there anywhere who will let me have a contract phone with a POOR credit history!!!!!!

Is your current O2 phone a contract phone? If so then you shouldn't need a credit check to upgrade with 02.

[prking]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lalaland

Actually, if someone gets hold of the information that allows them to know what handset you have and what IMEI number you have they can use that information to clone your handset. Example,

You have a Nokia N97, IMEI of 1234567890123456.

Dodgy person has an N97, IMEI of 0987654321098765, but there's is stolen and the IMEI has been blocked from all UK networks, rendering it useless in the UK.

Dodgy person sees that you have an N97, sees you IMEI and uses the illegal process of changing his IMEI to your IMEI on their handset. They've just cloned your phone, so now their handset works on the UK networks again.

Not a major issue in terms of it affecting you, but it's not totally harmless either.

The point with IMEI is that they are constructed using a simple formula that identifies model, manufacturer etc. So there is no reason to steal an IMEI, you can easily construct one. In fact if you did want to do something illegal, it would be better to use an IMEI which wasn't already allocated. (Because a cloned IMEI is much more likely to be detected than a valid but not issued IMEI)

But we are straying far from this topic, and are not supposed to discuss illegal activities.

Suffice to say, there is no reason why an IMEI should be hidden. If there were, it woudn't be printed on packaging, receipts, insurance forms etc.

[hammo]

sorry LaLa but they Do credit check you on O2 been there seen it and been refused!!

[lalaland]

Quote:

Originally Posted by prking

The point with IMEI is that they are constructed using a simple formula that identifies model, manufacturer etc. So there is no reason to steal an IMEI, you can easily construct one. In fact if you did want to do something illegal, it would be better to use an IMEI which wasn't already allocated. (Because a cloned IMEI is much more likely to be detected than a valid but not issued IMEI)

I wasn't aware you could simply make one up, however it's a lot more simple to simply google a few sites and come up with a batch of N97 IMEI numbers to use on your stolen handsets than it is to have to calculate your own. Putting the IMEIs online simply makes the process easier.

You can grow your own apples, but it's easier to pick them from your neighbour's tree. Obviously it's wrong, but sadly that doesn't stop some people.

If you were a criminal, why risk a calculated IMEI when you can use a legit one from the internet, found in a matter of seconds?

Quote:

Originally Posted by prking

But we are straying far from this topic, and are not supposed to discuss illegal activities.

There's nothing wrong with warning someone about how their details could be used illegally, so as such this wouldn't be against DS rules. We are not providing instructions on how to do it, not stating someone should do it, we are warning against what could happen. Just as warning someone that leaving their satnav in their car for all to see could result in it being stolen would be just as acceptable.

Quote:

Originally Posted by prking

Suffice to say, there is no reason why an IMEI should be hidden. If there were, it woudn't be printed on packaging, receipts, insurance forms etc.

None of which are publicly broadcasted. It's not a problem to have them on your mobile box or papers that you'd keep to yourself and then destroy before throwing out, as you should with any personal papers, but to have them on the internet makes them available to everyone.

My number plate on my car is on general view, it's on the log book, insurance papers and other things too. However, if I was to post details of my car online, or a photo of it, I would certainly do as most other people do and blank out the number plate. Why? Because it's really easy for someone to clone the plates and use it to make it look like my car to hide a stolen car or to use their cloned car in a crime. It happens a lot, and not putting a registration on the internet is one way to reduce this.

So considering the above, just because the IMEI is displayed in some locations doesn't automatically mean there is no threat at all by showing it on the internet, consider the above examples and you'll see what I mean.

[lalaland]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hammo

sorry LaLa but they Do credit check you on O2 been there seen it and been refused!!

That's very unusual.

I was with O2 for about 6 years before I jumped to TMobile this year. My wife is still with O2.

Every year when I upgraded they simply sent me a new phone and my contract was tied in for a further 12 months, they never carried out a credit file search on me for any upgrades over those 6 years! They did a credit file search on me when I was a new customer, but after that they never did another. I know this for 2 reasons,

1 - they are required to inform you by law that they will do a credit search.

2 - no search ever showed up on my credit files held at experian, equifax and others, which I check often using checkmyfile.co.uk

My wife, still with O2, took an upgrade not so long back. She got a new handset and a further 18 months contract. She did NOT get credit checked for this, they simply saw her as an existing customer, gave her a new phone and altered her tie in period.

So I still don't believe that O2 carry out credit checks for upgrades. Have you checked your file to see if they've actually done a credit check on you? It may be that they've realised you've owed them a lot of money and deemed you to be too big a risk to renew the contract on, after looking at your O2 account history, and then declined your request for a new contract.

[Appleseed]

I understand they do a credit check (whether or not you are an existing customer) if you upgrade to an iPhone, but not for any other upgrade.

[prking]

lalaland, your analogies are a little bizarre and quite wide of the mark. For example, the IMEI is nothing like a licence plate, it doesn't identify your account. You are thinking of the IMSI, which identifies you to the network and is what is used when accounts are cloned. You certainly wouldn't want that on public display.

[lalaland]

Quote:

Originally Posted by prking

lalaland, your analogies are a little bizarre and quite wide of the mark.

Not at all, it may just be that you aren't understanding the point.

Quote:

Originally Posted by prking

For example, the IMEI is nothing like a licence plate, it doesn't identify your account.

A number plate doesn't identify an account either.

A number plate identifies an object, in this case a vehicle. An IMEI identifies an object, in this case a mobile phone. Both are not closely guarded secrets, but you're best putting neither of them on the internet to avoid people cloning the identity.

So in that sense, the IMEI and the number plate comparison is valid and I don't know how you got confused with an account

Quote:

Originally Posted by prking

You are thinking of the IMSI,

No I'm not. If I was then I would have said IMSI, however if you look at my post you'll see no such mention of IMSI until you bring it up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by prking

which identifies you to the network and is what is used when accounts are cloned.

Please don't confuse account cloning and handset cloning. The two are different subjects. This may explain why you didn't pick up on what I was talking about as it appears you have the subject confused. The topic is the IMEI number and the safety, or lack of, of posting it online. The issue I raised was handset cloning, through the use of IMEI, I am not talking about account cloning which is where I think you've got yourself confused.

Quote:

Originally Posted by prking

You certainly wouldn't want that on public display.

Just as you wouldn't want your IMEI on the internet either, to prevent people cloning your handset, as I was trying to suggest and I hope you've now understood

[RobinOfLoxley]

sry all/prking I stand corrected. ty