International Student: Contract...HELP

adamnsu

Hi,

My sister has come to pursue her Masters in the UK as an international student.

She wants to get a contract touch screen phone (NOT the expensive ones). Its mainly for calling, email, and networking (facebook).

A few questions on her behalf:

- Which phone companies is it easy to get a contract for an international student

- Which phone companies have good rates to call the Indian Sub. Cont?

- Which is a reliable but cheap touch screen phone to get on a contract?

Cheers in advance.

spiro

As she will have UK credit rating she may be better off looking at a 30-day contract possibly in conjunction with a SIM free phone.

What phone does she have now?

She may be better off using a third party (calling card etc) to get cheap calls to India.

Cisco001

I don't know which company would accept her having contract phone, she need to try herself.

regarding calling oversea, she could consider sim card like lebara/ lycamobile. (make sure she get sim free phone)
I find this cheaper than having phone card because they don't charge connection fee and don't seem to have a deadline of using up credit.

Stuart_W

A free SIM from icardmobile would allow calls to India for 2p/min
This would be pay-as-you-go, not a contract, and top up vouchers can be bought from most shops, newsagents etc.
A simple SIM-free phone would be required.

This is likely to work out just as good value as any contract in terms of minutes to Asian countries.

Might even be worth using the above combination to allow 2p/min calls, and getting another touch-screen handset for email/facebook type stuff - something like this maybe for £50 and then add £20 credit every 6 months to buy a "6-month internet booster" for £20 which will allow access to the internet for 6 months.

grumbler

India is 0.5p at http://www.vectonemobile.co.uk. Don't know if there are any pitfalls.
Nokia 1800 refurbished is just £4.90 at osps ([STRIKE]no topup [/STRIKE]£10 topup required, but £3 cashback is available)

adamnsu

Many thanks to all of you for your responses.

I gave her a nokia phone and a lebara sim card for now.

I know there is a credit rating issue on her part. Is it possible to
- Give a refundable deposit and take out a contract
- Take out a contract in my name and later shift details and direct debit in her name?

PS: Any touch screen phone recommendations??

grumbler

adamnsu wrote: »

I know there is a credit rating issue on her part. Is it possible to
- Give a refundable deposit and take out a contract

You never know until you try. Sim-only contracts are easier to get. Why are you so determined about a contract?

- Take out a contract in my name and later shift details and direct debit in her name?

You can probably get away with shifting the DD, but not the details.

PS: Any touch screen phone recommendations??

There are hundreds of touch screen phones starting from about £10 and ending at about £700. You question makes no sense unless you say what exactly you want from the handset.

http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/pay-as-you-go/phone-finder is a good starting point. Also http://www.omio .com/deals/pay-as-you-go (see 'features' tab).

The cheapest touchscreen (locked to '3') I know is £10 (free in fact): £10 1 month rolling contract with android phone (it's not android actually).