17 year old has managed to get mobile phone contract!! And can't afford it

mjsvinyl

My son has managed to get a phone contract and can't afford the payments, he is only 17, Vodafone are refusing to cancel the contract without paying back the full costs, is the contact legally binding since he's 17

Neil_Jones

You normally have to be 18 to agree to a contract, since a 17 year old is classed as under the age of majority.  There may be the odd exception though to contract law.

That being said, its more likely the agreement is in your name (or you're guarantor or similar) and you let your son use the phone.  Which is more likely what's happened here.

N.B.:  Not a lawyer.  General understanding. 

eddddy

mjsvinyl said:

My son has managed to get a phone contract and can't afford the payments, he is only 17, Vodafone are refusing to cancel the contract without paying back the full costs, is the contact legally binding since he's 17

Do you mean he lied to Vodafone and said he was 18?  Because they wouldn't have agreed to a contract with a 17 year old.

Anyway, if he has a contract with Vodafone and he's 17, his age means he can void (cancel) the contract without penalty.

But if he lied about his age to get a phone contract, that could be considered to be fraud - which is a criminal offence.

DCFC79

eddddy said:

mjsvinyl said:

My son has managed to get a phone contract and can't afford the payments, he is only 17, Vodafone are refusing to cancel the contract without paying back the full costs, is the contact legally binding since he's 17

Do you mean he lied to Vodafone and said he was 18?  Because they wouldn't have agreed to a contract with a 17 year old.

Anyway, if he has a contract with Vodafone and he's 17, his age means he can void (cancel) the contract without penalty.

But if he lied about his age to get a phone contract, that could be considered to be fraud - which is a criminal offence.

ID would be needed to show he was who he said he was, credit file would be checked which would also show his date of birth.

So many blanks to be filled in.

OP you need to ask your son how he got the contract ?
Dont think the stores are open so it must be online he took it out.