Teenager & Mobile Phone Bill

fernliebee

I would also give him a pay as you go phone instead. If he has only just begun his contract is he able to cancel it (maybe within 14 days?) if not like you say it may be cheaper in the long term to pay off his contract and go on to pay as you go anyway.

Personally the thing that gets me about this situation is it is the SEVENTH time! So he is obviously not learning his lesson doing it you DH way, new measures need to be taken. The other thing that concerns me, is that he thinks he can get his own way by being aggressive. It is quite normal for teenagers to try this but personally I would be coming down heavy on this behaviour, not giving in to his aggressive demands. Like other posters say he is taking the ****.

Maybe you can say to DH, look we have tried your way, it's still happening, can you please support me in another tactic? See how that goes.

ETA: Can you not give him jobs with a financial amount merited to them and he has to do these to 'pay' you back for the bill. Ie wash the windows £5 deducted from what he owe's.

Pepzofio

cindiedunkley wrote: »

Thanks again guys.
If we surrender the contract I reckon it will cost us £450 (£25 x 18mths) and that is just a bridge too far for me at the moment.
I have got some errands to do in town after work and I am going to get a payg orange sim card.
I know that there are going to be tantrums tonight and I have in the back of my mind all your comments and advice and I am going to fire them like bullets at the pair of them. The first one to mention the mobile phone is going to get both barrels.
I will update you tomorrow, if I can't it will be headline news in the Sun

Are you tied into a mobile contract at all? If not, you could always convert your number (if you have one that is) to PAYG & give it to your son, then take over the contract phone.

ETA: Point out to your husband that if son continues to run up high bills and you fall behind with them, HIS phone will also get cut off and it will be HIS credit rating that gets wrecked!

Apricot

I agree with what you have done. I did this when I was 16, my mum got me a contract phone and I ran up a bill of over £1000 over a few months. My phone was taken off me and I paid £20 out of my £30 wages each month back to my mum until the phone was paid off.
It absolutely devastated me to give the money to my mum each week after work but it really made me understand the value of money a lot more. Do not under any circumstances give him the phone back with the contract sim still in it. If you get him a payg he can always call you on 0800mumdad in an emergency & get you to call him back - I know this number works from mobiles as my sister uses it to tell people quickly to put the phone down & ring her back on an almost daily basis.

~_SKY_~

I agree the first time or two this happened it should have been dealt with, as it wasn't he learnt that he can get away with it and will do it again, kids are like that if you give them a inch.

I would never have a contract phone even myself and there's no way i would ever give a teen one with me paying the bill.

I would as already said go through the bill and see who and what he's been texting or phoning to rack up these bills, are you sure he's not using those text numbers on the telly, text *** and speak to hot girls in your area today etc. they charge a lot and this kinda bill is what most of them men have to deal with. If he's not doing that i'd still say take a look, and don't give him the phone back. Give him a PAYG one, as already said as well he can still make 999 calls even with no credit, so his dad can't use that as an excuse.

Make this now the time where you take control and teach him about the real world, if you dont and pay it all for him and still let him get away with it, then when he comes to having to go out into the world by himself well he'll end up on here in god knows how much debt.

Get him a pay as you go sim then he will have no choice in either putting more credit on himself or not being so rash in texting and phoning that much.

Good luck to you.

Pepzofio

princessleah_ wrote: »

I agree with what you have done. I did this when I was 16, my mum got me a contract phone and I ran up a bill of over £1000 over a few months. My phone was taken off me and I paid £20 out of my £30 wages each month back to my mum until the phone was paid off.
It absolutely devastated me to give the money to my mum each week after work but it really made me understand the value of money a lot more. Do not under any circumstances give him the phone back with the contract sim still in it. If you get him a payg he can always call you on 0800mumdad in an emergency & get you to call him back - I know this number works from mobiles as my sister uses it to tell people quickly to put the phone down & ring her back on an almost daily basis.

Had never heard of this so googled it - 2 minutes minimum @ £1.50/min + £1.50 connection fee = £4.50 before you've even said hello! :eek::eek::eek:
Glad I don't know your sister! Or do you mean she says 'hiit'sprincessleah'ssistercallmeback' in the space where you're mean to leave your name? Now that is truly MSE!:money:

mackemdave

OP....couldnt you take on your sons contract so at least it wont be wasted and give him a PAYG phone.

MORPH3US

cindiedunkley wrote: »

If we surrender the contract I reckon it will cost us £450 (£25 x 18mths) and that is just a bridge too far for me at the moment.

Just for info, if you surrender a contract then you are entitled to a 25% discount on the settlement fee I believe, I think ofcom brought that in.

You also don't have to pay VAT on it if you surrender.

So £450 - VAT = £371.25 and then 25% off that is £278.43

Also, did he get a decent phone with the contract? You could sell that for as much as possible to contribute to the settlement.

Apricot

Pepzofio wrote: »

Had never heard of this so googled it - 2 minutes minimum @ £1.50/min + £1.50 connection fee = £4.50 before you've even said hello! :eek::eek::eek:
Glad I don't know your sister! Or do you mean she says 'hiit'sprincessleah'ssistercallmeback' in the space where you're mean to leave your name? Now that is truly MSE!:money:

Thats exactly what she does and I quickly put the phone down and ring her back :rotfl:I thought it had cost me the first time she did it but when I checked my bill it hadn't charged as I didn't actually accept the call - as soon as she says its me I put the phone down!
Don't tell them though

Molly41

My DS2 has unlimited texts but recently overspent - 3000 texts plus 200 over his limit in 1 month:eek: Now he paying back the 20 quid. I have cut all their credit limits to 0 - I have four contracts one for each child. Generally they dont abuse it and its cost effective. Set limits.

System

I was never allowed a contract phone when i was younger. Why? Because i had no incomings and couldn't afford it. My parents, if i was lucky would get me £10 of credit here and there. But i've managed fine with PAYG. I barely even spend £10 a month (but always top up a tenner as i get then get free internet and free texts).

Make him pay it back. And don't let your husband give in. If he does tell him to get the contract in HIS name and he can bloody well deal with it.