New to phone contracts - help please

Prudent

I have always had a PAYG phone which I have used for texting (I send about 400 texts a month) and made the very occaisional call.

My dd is just leaving home and moving to London for her first job. I want to be able to chat to her as well as text. Neither of us presently has a contract phone and I am wondering if a contract would suit us better cost wise.

I am looking for advise about the following:

1)I know me some packages include free minutes. Are there any advantages to being on the same network?

2) DD is just starting out in the world of work (other than small part time jobs). How long will she need to be working before she can take out a contract?

3) What are 'typical packages' and how many free minutes etc should I expect and what kind of tie in. I am happy to pay around £30 a month, but am not bothered about a phone with a great deal of functions. DD likes a decent phone and would be willing to pay more.


4) are deals generally better on line or in store?

grumbler

Prudent wrote: »

Neither of us presently has a contract phone and I am wondering if a contract would suit us better cost wise.

This depends on how many minutes you are going to use.

1)I know me some packages include free minutes. Are there any advantages to being on the same network?

Yes.
http://giffgaff.com/goodybags/hokey-cokey-extra-minutes-free-for-each-call
http://icardmobile.co.uk/rates.php?dest=UK

Neither is a contract. Both offer free calls to the same network.

2) DD is just starting out in the world of work (other than small part time jobs). How long will she need to be working before she can take out a contract?

My son never worked. He is a student and was given a contract.

3) What are 'typical packages' and how many free minutes etc should I expect and what kind of tie in. I am happy to pay around £30 a month, but am not bothered about a phone with a great deal of functions.

Without a phone (sim-only) you can get loads for £10. If you want to pay more you can get :
12x£20 - 1200+unltd - chitter-chatter
1x£25 - 1500+unltd - giffgaff (unltd to the same network)
6x£18 - 1500+unltd - talkmobile
1x£25 - 2000+5000 - three (+5000 minutes three-to-three)

A basic phone costs next to nothing:
http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/pay-as-you-go/shopybyprice/10

DD likes a decent phone and would be willing to pay more.

http://www.moneysupermarket.com/mobile-phones/ - will work with any other sim card.

4) are deals generally better on line or in store?

IMO, online. Don't forget quidco/TCB
A 'decent' phone may require mobile internet bundle included.

Guys_Dad

Too many threads on here from relatives who get landed with big bills from other relatives' use of contract phones, as well as stolen handsets incurring costs from thieves before network was involved about theft.

If DD is going to stand on her own feet, pay the bills etc, then it's her choice. You don't say how old she is and I am assuming quite young.

I would suggest that to begin with she gets a giff-gaff PAYG goodybag that will give a very good deal for minutes and texts, as well as email if she wanted it.

Any cheap Carphonewarehouse unlocked handset will do the job - you may have to pay £10 for a PAYG sim that you can put to one side.

Same advice for you, although going on a monthly or annual sim-only plan at about £10 might be an alternative for you. But remember the golden rule -

If you have a PAYG phone and it gets lost, the most you lose is the value of the phone plus the credit on the sim. If you lose a contract handset or a sim-only deal, you can be £00's out of pocket if a thief steals it and rings all over the world. You are liable till the network is informed.

Prudent

Thank you for grumbler for a very informative post

Yes Guys Dad, DD is happy to stand on her own two feet. She has been paying for her own phone for a long time now. We are just looking for the best options for the new circumstances. Gifgaf PAYG goodbag is looking a good option. . A cheap handset which I could just keep in the house and phone for a chat in the evenings would do the job as my other phone is fine for everything else. DD will be earning a decent wage so will probably want a better phone. I will check if her current phone is unlocked and if so we could put a Gifgaf sim in that so that she could also just keep it in the house for our calls.