Telia: Advance payment for mobile contract

[mjb44]

Hi all,

Looking for some advice on mobile phone providers. My UK contract is about to expire so have been looking for a new Finnish sim card. I did a bit of shopping around and settled on Telia for a basic monthly contract including calls and mobile data.

I applied for the contract and just received a letter requesting an advance payment for the subscription of 340€. I guess because I've been in Finland only a year, my Finnish credit history doesn't yet exist, so I guess they're not too keen on giving me a subscription contract upfront without some sort of security deposit – which seems fair to me

It's just surprising that it's so much! The monthly charges are only 24€, which would mean a deposit of 13 months. Given that the contract doesn't have a fixed term and can cancel any time, it seems like an unreasonable amount to charge upfront. They mention it's a credit to my account, which in theory would be refunded if I cancel early, but the negative reviews online from previous customers, and limited information in English doesn't fill me with confidence.

Was wondering if anyone had any alternative recommendations on a provider that wouldn't require such a large advance deposit?

Thanks in advance

[rio]

Have you checked with Elisa and DNA also? Usually all of these three companies are desperate to sell their subscriptions, so some might agree to sell at lower price. Alternatively of course you can get a prepaid for an year or so till you become eligible.

[betelgeuse]

I applied for the contract and just received a letter requesting an advance payment for the subscription of 340€. I guess because I've been in Finland only a year, my Finnish credit history doesn't yet exist, so I guess they're not too keen on giving me a subscription contract upfront without some sort of security deposit – which seems fair to me

It's just surprising that it's so much! The monthly charges are only 24€, which would mean a deposit of 13 months. Given that the contract doesn't have a fixed term and can cancel any time, it seems like an unreasonable amount to charge upfront. They mention it's a credit to my account, which in theory would be refunded if I cancel early, but the negative reviews online from previous customers, and limited information in English doesn't fill me with confidence.

Even if the static monthly charges are only 24€, you could still be collecting other charges on top.

[jesse.hirvi]

I have the same arrangement with Telia as I had no credit history in Finland after moving from Australia. The upfront deposit was large, but as it's considered a credit on my account I haven't actually had a bill to pay for the last 8 months.

I had a bit of an issue with them at first as I didn't have Finnish ID at the time which meant that my account setup was delayed, but their phone team was helpful enough and got it sorted.