Cheap contract mobile with international credit card?

dubaidave

Hi,

We currently live in Dubai and our 18 year old son is going to Uni in Swansea in September. I am trying to get him a mobile in the UK and found a great deal with 3. However when I put my Dubai credit card for payment it said it would not accept it.

Does anyone know of a good contract phone that I can get but pay for with my Dubai credit card?

Thanks

Dubaidave

agsnu

No, you can't do this - mobile phone contracts are a form of credit, and if you are in Dubai then you won't have a UK credit history. He will probably need to take out the contract in his own name, and may need to put down a deposit.

dubaidave

Thanks for your reply. He will have a bank account when he gets there and I am going with him to get him settled so will try and sort it out then

Dubaidave

dubaidave

Hi Again,

Just another thought. Is there any way I can pay upfront for an 18 month contract? May be that would be a solution.

Cavey

dubaidave wrote: »

Hi Again,

Just another thought. Is there any way I can pay upfront for an 18 month contract? May be that would be a solution.

Not normally. Any calls made in excess to the contract would need to come off the account that pays the bill, so they just wouldn't give you the contract unless it is pitched against an account in the UK.

A better option might be to pick a PAYG system. A number of operators offer freebies if you top up £10-30 per month (like free SMS or free calls, and the more you top up the more you get) and then you have the £30 to spend on other things. It doesn't get you a decent handset with it, but handsets tend to be cheaper in other countries anyway, so you might want to compare prices and possibly give him one (making sure it is unlocked) to bring with him.