Mobile Phone Contracts

Chloe5

I am thinking of putting son on contract. Seen one from Virgin for £8.50 which seems to do the job but 18 month contract.

I can't find anywhere though that tells me what happens if he loses the phone and I know he will lose the phone.

I can see the advantages of contract but what are the disadvantages?

Jon_01

If he loses the phone and you haven't taken out insurance you have to buy a new phone, they won't send you a new one or cancle the contract.

The plus side, you don't have to buy him any more top up.
The down side, if he used a stack of minutes or texts over his allowance you get a huge bill. If a better phone comes out 6 months down the line you can't upgrade until the end of the 18 months...

Crazy_Jamie

Chloe5 wrote: »

I can see the advantages of contract but what are the disadvantages?

1) If he loses the phone then it is lost. You are not provided with a replacement and will have to buy a new one yourself unless you have insurance.
2) That £8.50 is not a cap or limit. If your son goes over the minutes or texts allowance, or uses other services such as the internet, you will be charged for that. There have been numerous threads in this forum where astronomical bills have been received from children going over their allowances on contracts. You will be fully liable for such bills if he goes over his allowance.
3) You will be tied into the contract for 18 months, which means no further upgrade until nearer to the end of the contract.

Mini_Bear

Also if your son is too ashamed to admit he lost his phone, someone could rack up a huge bill on your behalf before you can cancel the contract.
The main downside is there is no cap on useage so potentially your son could call 24/7 and surf the net and you would have to pay off the bill in full.
Typically these cheaper monthly contracts sting you if you go over the call/txt limit.
Contract fones, in my opinion, should be used by people over 18 who are legally able to get them. Kids should be on pay as you go.
Have you seen the new vodafone freedom packs? - £50 of credit for £10 a month. Seems like a much safer option to me. Plus vodafone do some decent little phones pay as you go - bday/xmas present perhaps?