Contract phone for student?

Ruby_Roo

Hey folks,

I'm not very au fait with contract phones in England, as we have our own networks in the Isle of Man, so I hope someone can help.

My brother has just gone to university and was just going to stick with pay as you go because of ££ even though he needs a new phone (his old one is falling apart).

So I was going to offer to pay for a contract for him - he will take the contract out and I will transfer the monthly fee to his account, so he would be responsible if he went over his limits. I don't really want to pay more than £15/£20 per month and ideally the phone will be cheap or free.

I suspect he will need texts more than minutes, and he'll be wanting a smart phone (though not necessarily the newest, snazziest one).

Can anyone recommend any contracts for us?

Thanks

Stuart_W

Here are some smartphones with 200mins/200txts/1GB data for £12 month

Here are some smartphones with 300 mins/1000 texts/1GB data for £18/month

or you can get 200 mins 500 texts and 500MB for £8/month if you buy your own phone.

Hope that helps for starters.

grumbler

I don't know how easy it would be to get a contract in this circumstances, but my son is a student too and, like me, is on a redemption deal.

Such deals do require some discipline and some extra work, but are very cheap.
For example, it is possible to get a refurbished Galaxy Ace with 12x(300+1000+1Gb) for just £45 in total:

Samsung Galaxy Ace (Refurb) - 12 Month Contract - 300 Mins, 1,000 Texts, 1GB Data - £25 Per Month @ Mobiles.co.uk

Buzby

Do also remember that for a variety of reasons, your contract gives the network the right to trash the contract holder's credit file. Some contrinbutors on here find out to their cost that Mortgages and Bank products are refused due to issues not envisaged in the desparation to obtain a handset. All it takes is for the hanset to be stolen or misused, and the nightmare begins. At least with PAYG your exposure is limited. Even a 30-day rolling SIM-only contract carries risk, but at least you can terminate within 4 weeks if your circumstances change.

I'd my your own unlocked handset, and put your own SIM into it. A contract is a needless accessory.

Ruby_Roo

Buzby wrote: »

Do also remember that for a variety of reasons, your contract gives the network the right to trash the contract holder's credit file. Some contrinbutors on here find out to their cost that Mortgages and Bank products are refused due to issues not envisaged in the desparation to obtain a handset. All it takes is for the hanset to be stolen or misused, and the nightmare begins. At least with PAYG your exposure is limited. Even a 30-day rolling SIM-only contract carries risk, but at least you can terminate within 4 weeks if your circumstances change.

I'd my your own unlocked handset, and put your own SIM into it. A contract is a needless accessory.

I appreciate you offering your opinion. However, I asked about contracts because I specifically want him to have a contract - he's on a limited income, so if I just give him cash for top ups, he might direct it elsewhere. If I pay for the contract, then I know he can always get in touch if he needs us.

jayme1

consider getting a cheap 2nd hand phone from somewhere like CEX or even a cheap new phone then getting a SIM only 30 day contract or even better giffgaff which is PAYG but you buy 'goody bags' a £10 goody bag gives you 250 mins and unlimited texts and unlimited internet. http://giffgaff.com/goodybags/10pound-facebook-goodybag

I would steer clear of taking out a long contract as he can still use the money you transfer to him for other stuff and also with a contract, he would HAVE to carry on paying for it over summer when he goes back home and wouldn't be using it.

Ruby_Roo

Thanks for your replies. Does anyone know what, if any, networks will let him text mobiles in the Isle of Man (when he is in England) from his inclusive texts? I think O2 will, but want to be 100% sure before we go with them.

Btw, the Isle of Man doesn't have the Uk networks, we have our own.

grumbler

I don't think that any network lets it, but some cheap/free options were mentioned today in this thread: Using Inclusive Texts to Text a USA Mobile

I also recall this confusing thread: Virgin phone contract missold! Please Help!

gjchester

Ruby_Roo wrote: »

I appreciate you offering your opinion. However, I asked about contracts because I specifically want him to have a contract - he's on a limited income, so if I just give him cash for top ups, he might direct it elsewhere. If I pay for the contract, then I know he can always get in touch if he needs us.

All the UK PAY networks let you top up online, you could simply do a top up each month for him that way. Your in control of where the cash goes and know he has the credit.

Seen on the way into work, T-Mobile have brought back the U-Fix contract. You pay a set amount each month, and if they user uses it all up then they need to top up as a PAYG. Not idea they can run out of credit and still potentially land you with a large bill out of the UK vs PAYG but an option

Buzby

Ruby_Roo wrote: »

I appreciate you offering your opinion. However, I asked about contracts because I specifically want him to have a contract - he's on a limited income, so if I just give him cash for top ups, he might direct it elsewhere. If I pay for the contract, then I know he can always get in touch if he needs us.

And if you pay for PAYG with an auto-top up to ensure continues service, how is this somehow worse than a contract? I would suggest that to 'specifically want' a contract would provide some benefit to the contract holder - over and above that provided by PAYG. As you haven't identified any reason, I'd suggest that putting your own financial security on the line (if you are taking it out on behalf of another) or theirs, simply to prevent possible financial misuse by a third party, is an accident waiting to happen.

If there was no requirement to provide credit file data disclosure permisssions, I might agree with you, but they do - and in my book that is the best reason to avoid them. A look round this forum will show these horrors are real, not imagined.