Mobile Phone contract for teenager

seaniboy

Threebabes wrote: »

Hi, Ive never heard of giff gaff. Is it a sim that you put in your own phone?

Yip, its o2's direct subsiduary that uses o2, much like Tesco (everyone has heard of them, right ?) who buy o2 at wholesale, so does giffgaff.

seaniboy

lurkylurky wrote: »

Thanks for the warning - we don't have auto recharge.

It's the unlimited texts that's tempting me with the O2 deal. I was at the house once when my 14 year old neice's bill was delivered. I thought it was a catalogue landing on the mat. Fortunately, she has unlimited texts and makes good use of 'em - around 3000 a month!

I had 3 handset on my a/c once, two had unlimted texts - I got sent a copy of the prior bills to dispute charges that were wrong and meant to be INCLUSIVE so had to go through the calls and verify them....many a4 sized envelopes THUDDED through the door one day & I though something was repeatadly exploding LOL, it was copy bills & all together they were thicker than 2 Littlewoods catologues !

The worst thing was only about 40 pages related to calls !

Good old Orange's computer systems !!

gonzo127

i love the teenagers 'like all their friends' comments, my step daughter use's that so much especially about contract phones, untill we spoke to the parents and found out only 2 out of the 10 we spoke to are actually on contract.

yes it does seem like a great idea for unlimited text's (although most will have a fair use policy of between 1000-3000 attached to the 'unlimited') however it doesnt stop other people they know from using it for calls, favourate is things like the talking clock or calling random numbers in places like china. one of the girls at my step daughter's school who did have a iphone contract (god know why they are only 13) anyways she had been bragging about her contract and iphone then when she was in her classes left her phone in her bag, someone slipped it out dialed something and put it back ended up with a good couple of hundred pounds bill for that one day

as ever a contract is a risk, the 30 day simplicy tarrifs might be a good idea to start off with as if they do run up a massive bill you just cancel the contratc as its only a 30 day one.

other idea might be something like orange pay and go as for a £10 a month top up you get 300 free texts a month on top of the £10 credit

lucylucky

I keep seeing posters on bustops for £5 simplicity from o2 for unlimited texts, so that might be an option.

DS seems to text constantly but the most he has managed in a month, so far, is 475.

One thing to watch out for is data.
If you get him a phone which can access the internet then be advised, he, or his pals will use it.

DS's classmate received a bill this month for just short of £1000:eek:

All for surfing the web - looking at youtube mostly

DrScotsman

gonzo127 wrote: »

however it doesnt stop other people they know from using it for calls, favourate is things like the talking clock or calling random numbers in places like china.

I agree with your post, but just to let you know I'm pretty sure most (if not all) networks let you place a block on calling international numbers (...from what I've read on MSE).

And maybe premium rate ones.

jamespir

i cant belive parents are dum enough to get their kids contract phones you have to be 18 to get one for a reason but i bet your the same kind of parents who buy their kids vodka

BillScarab

jamespir wrote: »

i cant belive parents are dum enough to get their kids contract phones you have to be 18 to get one for a reason but i bet your the same kind of parents who buy their kids vodka

Nice tolerant viewpoint there.

HAs it occurred to you that not all teenagers are idiots. Some are actually sensible, repsonsible, trustworthy people.

DrScotsman

jamespir wrote: »

i cant belive parents are dum enough to get their kids contract phones you have to be 18 to get one for a reason but i bet your the same kind of parents who buy their kids vodka

James, much like news channels, on this forum you only hear the bad news, usually from parents who naively expected the network would baby them with a credit limit. Most people know the risks of a phone contract, and I bet most parents make a good attempt to justify how trustworthy their children are and make the correct decision.

Children don't instantly mature at 18, and some are more mature than others.

Aidy

I recently got a T-Mobile Pulse (Android OS with 3.2 inch touchscreen), unlimited texts and internet + 100 mins for £7.50 a month direct from T-Mobile. It was 24 months, so you might get a slightly higher price for £18 months.

Great phone, downloadable apps, etc.

jamespir

DrScotsman wrote: »

James, much like news channels, on this forum you only hear the bad news, usually from parents who naively expected the network would baby them with a credit limit. Most people know the risks of a phone contract, and I bet most parents make a good attempt to justify how trustworthy their children are and make the correct decision.

Children don't instantly mature at 18, and some are more mature than others.

i see it in tescos kids and i mean kids ( look between 9-11 ) with 400 pound phones and some of them you can only get on contract and its ridiculous

first of buying your kid a 400 pound phone
and second letting them take it to school

what does a 9 year old need an iphone for ?