Bamboozled mum

benbranson

anonymousie wrote: »

Contract phones are uncapped spending, even SIM only contract don't appear to have a cap.

Not quite true, look at the T-Mobile solo fixed SIM only offer.

As long as they havent changed them recently then you can go for (say) £20 per month giving 600 minutes, unlimited texts and internet. Your monthly bill is then fixed at £20 and anything over that is paid for by topping up, like a PAYG phone. No contract, just 30 day notice to cancel it.

You have the certainty of a bill being £20 a month and never any more and it gives the responsibility to your son to top up with pocket money if he wants/needs to use more. You don't get a phone included but as others say, buy one on PAYG (or keep existing one).

Best plan is to pop to your local T-Mobile shop and ask about solo fixed options (I used to work for them about a year ago and have kept up to date with the things that they're doing)

frugallass

I know that a contract for my 17 year old would be dangerous - she has spent years trying to talk me into it and I've always said no - she's been daft enough to tell me about her friends running up huge bills (and it was never their fault of course) and their poor parents have to pay hundreds and hundres of pounds for totally un-necessary phone calls and texts.

greyster

ah so solo fixed is the old u-fix tariff.

T-mob is the only network that offers a plan with fixed mins and then forces the customer to top up if they need to use more mins/texts. Great for families to give to children as they cant go out of control like a normal contract.

remember if you want the above, you want solo fixed not solo. Solo is a normal contract without a phone or tie in.

456789

I like the sound of this T-Mobile plan other networks should follow suit - but probably won't as they benefit from big bills

[Deleted User]

Maggiesoup - perhaps you could post what kind of usage your child needs? And what phone they're after?

It's a lot easier to recommend the best way if we have hard facts to go on:

Good way: "I want to buy my daughter an LG Cookie, she needs 300 texts a month, but only makes 10 minutes of calls or so"
Bad way: "I want to buy my son a phone. It's gotta be a good one. He'll be using it quite a bit"

maggiesoup

Hi Bill, you must know teenagers well, he has a LIST of phones he would like (if only he gave the same amount of interest to homework!). Here goes,
LG-GD900 (300 mins unlimited texts - 24 month contract)
LG-KM900 (600 mins unlimited texts - 24 month contract)
SAMSUNG TOCCO (500 texts 400 mins talk) - 25 month contact)

Any help would be great.