Mobile for daughter? Advice contract/payg/internet

Nick42_2

Hi
Looking to get a mobile for my daughter for her birthday. She is only 11 but am giving in as will be travelling to secondary school!

I am sure she will be using it like mad for texting her friends.

Don't really know where to start with which phone, what spec, make, network, contract etc and would be really grateful for any advice please.

Was looking at the £10/month contracts as you seem to get decent free phone but don't want her spending more than that - can you limit it?

Would be better with pay as you go?

Thanks

Exhortation

I wouldn't even consider a contract for any child of mine that wasn't capable of covering the bill (i.e. not in full-time employment). There are some very good payg deals out there these days that often include things like unlimited texts providing you top up on a regular basis. I would start by looking at these. I believe O2 do this kind of thing.

As for a phone, whichever one you get her will probably be the wrong one, after all, she is 11. Give her a choice but put a price limit on it. That way, you can't be blamed if it turns out that it's not "too cool for school".

ShaneUK

If she really has to have a mobile (I don't think kids do personally!) then I would plump for Pay As you Go. That way, you can truly limit how much she spends.

If her friends are on Orange, I would recommend going with Orange as well. Orange have a "Magic Number". that way, if she starts making phone calls as well calls to her Magic Number are free - they do not cost at all, and if you go with the Contract option, it will not come out of her minutes either. She will get 1 magic number straight away, and can then add a new one every six months. As far as I am aware, it also works the other way - if she has added a Magic number, that person can contact her for free as well - worth bearing in mind for true money saving - pointless both adding each other, add someone else instead :money:

Just checked - see here for terms etc. It is only 1 every six months with Contract - with PAYG it is three from day one, but you need to top up monthly by at least £10.

Nick42_2

definately want to limit the use!!!

Exhortation

Then payg is the only way to go.

sheilavw

Im with Tmobile pay as you go. I only really use texts so I am on text appeal so it is 3p per text, a £5 lasts me about a month. My husband got a sim from Asda for about 49p his texts are 4p I think thats Vodaphone

Oscar_The_Grouch

Your best bet is probably Tesco PAYG. Top up a tenner and they give you an additional £20 credit to use. The additional credit is used up first and disappears after a month, but the original £10 stays in place. This could cut your bills down dramatically and you may find you only top her up every 6 weeks or so.

As for the phone, get the cheapest one you can get away with. £30 gets you a pink Sony that has a camera, plays MP3's, has a radio and has Bluetooth for swapping photos/songs with friends (clicky). Everyone else is right, in that whatever you get her will be the wrong one. Birthdays and Christmas become the best time to get kids the "right" phone. Don't expect the first phone to have any resale value either, so write her name on the sim, battery, case and anywhere else you can think of so that WHEN she loses it, there's a chance of it finding its way back to her.

mabski

Hi i Know your your prediciment my son kept asking me for a contract mobile so in the end i gave him my old contract phone, which still had 4 months left to run, when i got the new iphone 4.
I phoned orange to down grade the package before i gave it him and instead they talked me into signing a new 18 month contract for which i got a experia x10 mini 400 mins anytime calls and unlimited texts all for £10 a month.
Hes had the phone for over a month now and his first bill was £12.68 for the month which i dont mind paying.
So if you can trust your kid not to go over their limits it makes sense plus they are never going to be stuck anywhere with no way of calling for help