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Apple/Verizon wouldn't sell me a phone because I'm 'too young'
- Thread starter cowbellallen
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Not to chime in and say "me too!" for this thread, but I'm going to have to agree - it sounds like you may have something awry in your credit history and/or the folks at the store couldn't/wouldn't help out. I had credit cards before I had my own postpay contract phone so that may have helped, but I got a contract with Cingular/AT&T when I was 22, no questions asked. I'd say you should just be persistent and see if a Verizon store would be willing to play the deposit game if a contract is a no-go on its own.
Agreed. It has to be a credit problem.
I've never checked my credit before, but I would imagine I don't have any.
I just went to annualcreditreport.com and looked at my Transunion credit report. I've never done this before, so I would appreciate your help.
I am looking at my credit report but don't really see anything interesting. I don't see the 'credit score' thing that people are always talking about.
The only 2 things I see on here is one section called 'Regular Inquiries' and another called 'Inquiry Analysis'. It says "The following companies have received your credit report. Their inquiries remain on your credit report for two years."
Both of them say Verizon Wireless received a credit report on February 9.... which is weird because I was there tonight on Feb 10. Maybe they checked it when I reserved it on Wednesday afternoon?
I don't see a score of any kind on here. Anyone got a tip for me while I still have this loaded?
YG2BF-Kidding.
I bet you're older than most of the Apple Store Employees, of whom most own an iPhone (albeit w/AT&T in large part.)
The "too young" statement, just to placate you IMO, is BS.
Get yourself down to a Verizon Corporate Store and hammer this out; if you've got credit issues, give 'em a deposit.
This whole post is retarded IMO... if you want an iPhone you can damn well get it...
Excuse my language but I work for a rural cell provider. Anyone and I mean ANYONE (even those at 100% risk to the company) can get a phone through our small network. We only serve the Western part of our state. Someone with NO credit is better than someone with bad credit. The company I (indirectly) work for will accept a deposit from pretty much anyone.
I know that if you go in a proper Verizon store, and bring a wad of cash with you, you will be out the door in less than 30 minutes with an iPhone...
Excuse my language but I work for a rural cell provider. Anyone and I mean ANYONE (even those at 100% risk to the company) can get a phone through our small network. We only serve the Western part of our state. Someone with NO credit is better than someone with bad credit. The company I (indirectly) work for will accept a deposit from pretty much anyone.
I know that if you go in a proper Verizon store, and bring a wad of cash with you, you will be out the door in less than 30 minutes with an iPhone...
First time hearing such a thing. It could be your credit history and they used your age for an easy dismissal? I am younger than you and have open individual plans all over the place. I don't see what the problem is.
You can try using a debit card and/or perhaps go to Best Buy to open a plan. It wouldn't hurt.
You can try using a debit card and/or perhaps go to Best Buy to open a plan. It wouldn't hurt.
thats weird, Im was 19 when I have my first individual plan, and two years later I have my iphone 4 plan with Tmobile without any hassle, no questions asked for credit whatsoever. I am in the Netherlands by the way, and with my status as international student here all I have to do is showing them my passport and resident permit
I was 19 when i signed my first phone contract. I am 22 now. There is NO way you're too young. Plus if you have failed your credit check they would have told you out right. They won't sugar coat it with this "you're too young" bull. Speak to a manager.
Your Credit record is more important than you currently might be thinking of it.
Check your credit history and score, credit report and score from the 3 bureaus: Experian, Tranunion and Equifax.
There are not the same, and by looking only into one or two of them is not enough.
Check if your personal data is right: full name, date of birth, home address, employer, phone number, past and current credit accounts.
If there are inaccuracies or wrong information, fix them.
If at the end your "bad" or "risky" credit rating is the main reason, you can easily overcome that situation, and the sooner you start the better.
One good thing for the Verizon iPhone is that is not been sold only by Apple or Verizon, there are other retailer like Walmart and Best Buy, so move on and work things out to get your wonderful Apple iPhone.
It is a necessary small burden to pay a monthly fee to monitor and manage your credit reports online.
Check your credit history and score, credit report and score from the 3 bureaus: Experian, Tranunion and Equifax.
There are not the same, and by looking only into one or two of them is not enough.
Check if your personal data is right: full name, date of birth, home address, employer, phone number, past and current credit accounts.
If there are inaccuracies or wrong information, fix them.
If at the end your "bad" or "risky" credit rating is the main reason, you can easily overcome that situation, and the sooner you start the better.
One good thing for the Verizon iPhone is that is not been sold only by Apple or Verizon, there are other retailer like Walmart and Best Buy, so move on and work things out to get your wonderful Apple iPhone.
It is a necessary small burden to pay a monthly fee to monitor and manage your credit reports online.
I'd definately call Verizon about the situation and if i were you i would pull a credit report to see whats actually out there. When making such a purchase they should never need the original social security card and then sending it on to another location. most of the time they'll just ask for your drivers licsense, even when i've made a car purchase i was never asked for the actual social security card. in my opinion it doesnt sound like their following their normal procedure or someone is trying to commit identity theft at that location.
You need to go back to the store and push this as if they really DID deny you a phone for age, it would be illegal. If you are telling the truth, they are in the wrong and would be liable.
Everyone here is missing the obvious - he has no credit and no history - note this one report his history basically starts this month, and he says there's no entries on the report that he's pulled.
I don't know if Apple allows Verizon, etc to take deposits to start anew, but at the very least, OP needs to go get a credit card or 2 and start charging and paying it off regularly just to build up some history and think for the interim, he should family plan with someone if he's dying for the phone.
Verizon had better change their story as it would be illegal to refuse the phone due to the OP's age. They need to say it is his credit or lack of same. The OP is insisting that Verizon is saying it is his age.
"come back when you get some pubes"...my favorite line from Beavis and Butthead....seriously though, there's no legal age limit on owning an iPhone, you were denied for lack of credit worthiness, and even then all that's required is a deposit of about $300 which Verizon will find a way to keep...if you're 18 or older I'd call the Better Business Bureau and complain...but my sixth sense tells me your credit is $h#tty. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
PS I'm an Academic Advisor and plenty of my freshmen students who are younger than the OP have iPhones that were purchased at an Apple Store
PS I'm an Academic Advisor and plenty of my freshmen students who are younger than the OP have iPhones that were purchased at an Apple Store
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I can understand that they deny you for a bad/lacking credit history but the comments about your age are outrageous and I hope you have proof of that. Because I would call Verizon (after confirming your credit is ok) and tell them that you feel discriminated against and raise a big stink. If your credit is ok this might give you a iPhone and maybe some nice apology and a freebie. Just imagine they had said "you can't have an iPhone because you are too old/fat/black/jewish/female/foreign/small (or whatever people like to discriminate against these days)".
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Go to Verizon, talk to someone important and demand not only an explanation, but also an iPhone 4 and some form of compensation. That's pretty unacceptable treatment from those employees.
Go to Verizon, talk to someone important and demand not only an explanation, but also an iPhone 4 and some form of compensation. That's pretty unacceptable treatment from those employees.
Be careful with that website - they will sign you up for a bunch of monthly fees by viewing your credit repot unless you cancel them within 30 days. I think it is around 24.95 or so a month.