Vodacom says my por

[luaulucy]

So long story short Vodacom has turned down my application to take over my contract from my folks due to my portfolio being too low... Only got a credit card a few months back and don't have any other active accounts. I am paying for it anyway through changing the debit order details to my own just shite I can't pay it off or make it count toward my score.

I easily have enough money to buy out the contract and/or earn enough p.m. to pay the contract rate which is R589.13 p.m. and ends in a few month's time. I think the buyout is roughly R3000.00 but they refuse to tell me because I'm not the contract holder (twisted the clerk's arm a little for the estimate).

Anyway just wanted to open the discussion of whether it is worth buying the phone outright (Nothing Phone 1), or trying to build up some credit to get the transfer approved and then buying it out and upgrading.

The phone is R9 300.00 outright.

Phone w/ 200min & 2.4G is R679.00 x 24m = R16 296.00.

Sim only w/ 200min and 2.4G is R299 x 24m = R7 176.00.

Therefore either way you put it it's a R179.00 saving to go for the deal. - Negligible...

Once my current contract runs out I can then switch it to the sim-only deal.

This isn't just because I want a new phone but it's rather become a need, my current phone is 3 years old and in really bad shape. Sometimes I take calls and I can't hear or the caller can't hear me, have to reboot then it works fine, randomly goes from 30-odd % battery to 0% with no warning. This has really started to impact my work as I am constantly needing to make/take calls.

 

[vancouverguy]

@luaulucy I'd suggest buying a temporary cheapie cash and just continuing to pay the contract through your parents. When its over - transfer it sim only at a reduced package rate to your name. Their rules can be quite arbitrary even if you can show you can buy the contract out cash - but its due to so many people defaulting on their contracts.

Save up and buy cash if you can - phone contracts are usually a rip off and almost all mid level and above phones do the same thing (I've had an S22, A54, A53, Iphone 13 in the last year. Refused the S23 because my A53 was fine so I got the A54 instead)

 

[igrace]

@luaulucy Same thing happened with me when I tried to take over my contract, luckily the lady helping us knew how the system worked - she told us to wait for the contract to come to an end (or I guess if you’re in a rush you could pay to end it early) then once it’s on a month to month contract change over to pay as you go and do the transfer to your name and it should be approved since affordability and credit won’t matter anymore
*I was doing this just so I could keep my number, not sure if you could then change from pay as you go to a sim only contract

 

[luaulucy]

@igrace Thanks for the info, any chance that store is in CT? My local one is useless... Approached my dad with the idea of giving him the money to pay it off on my behalf but he refused because vodacom customer care said it would affect his future contract options. Bastards because they aren't loosing anything from it.

 

[igrace]

@luaulucy Unfortunately not but if there are any Vodacom 4U stores there, they’re generally a lot more helpful than normal Vodacom stores

 

[luaulucy]

@igrace I didn't even know there's a difference will check it out, thanks!

 

[lauraparker777]

@luaulucy The cheapest smartphone is circa R500, why do you need that particular phone (which you clearly cannot afford?) from your parents?

 

[luaulucy]

@lauraparker777 Its not a matter of affordability I can buy it no problem I just don't have a high enough credit score for a contract and thats what my query is about.
I pretty much need a mid tier phone. Picture quality and storage etc. Is also important for my work. Was contemplating an s23 but can't wrap my head around 20k for a phone.

 

[dally]

@luaulucy This is not financial advice. I am not a financial advisor.

Buy the Nothing phone outright and wait for the contract period to end, then do a change over.

Contracts with these telephone providers is often very difficult to sort out issues and cancel etc. Avoid if you can.

Buy a capitec sim card and buy data from them, they cost about the same as everyone else but the data doesn't expire. The Nothing 1 has dual sim so you can have your normal number and capitec for data.

 

[babyfaith]

@dally Yea I got a cash bought phone + MTN sim card and the buy my data + airtime via Airmobile. That's the way to go imo.

 

[dally]

@babyfaith Afrihost is pretty good, but if you have a problem getting into your account, they haven't been very good at helping

 

[babyfaith]

@dally Interesting. I've never had issues, but yes I can imagine having issues should you not receive the OTP upon logging in on a new device.