Nobel laureate 'Venki' not good enough to buy phone in UK

Nobel laureate Venkatraman Ramakrishnan was in for a surprise as he tried to buy an iPhone, putting down his first name as “Venki”. British mobile phones major O2 did not find him “credit-worthy” enough to sell him the phone right away, leading to the scientist suspecting an element of racism behind the bizarre case.

Ramakrishnan, an Indian-American currently researching here, was forced to pay a three-month deposit of 325 pounds at the O2 store in Cambridge in December last year, when most applicants with good credit histories are not asked for a deposit.

Every contract with a new customer is subject to an automatic credit check, using credit reference agencies such as Equifax and Experian. The rating is then used by companies to offer or decline credit.