How in the living fuck can I buy a phone for my kid?

[SphincterSaysWhat]

I would like to buy an iPhone 14 (or whatever) for my child (Vodafone). I don't mind paying something up front and then a contract.

This is something usually left to DH but he's being a prick and so are Vodafone, apparently. So now it's my turn. Not only am I all other department, now I'm tech - which is a shame, as I'm a total luddite.

DH looked into affordablephones.co.uk and some other website but their reviews are terrible.

Can I not just call someone and pay for, and order, a fucking phone?

How is this so hard? What does everyone else do?

I didn't try to do it, it was the husband. But the gist of it is that he was on hold "forever" and had to refresh the webpage (for some reason) or it'd go back to the beginning etc. I do remember last time when he was sorting something similar with Vodafone (may ever have been mine) there was MUCH effing and jeffing.

Anyway, I used a link above and have ordered one - ran it by himself and he said it all looked good. I don't get the storage etc but it is insured to fuck.

I got a box fresh 'dusty' one from there. It was an unused phone, probably unwanted gift.
The employees test them before they sell.
I was very happy.

Hi Sugar, no - it's the whole package and the logistics of dealing with Vodafone.

I think it's ok now, I've ordered something that passed DH's requirements so fingers crossed it's kosher and will arrive and I've not been scammed... 😂

Glad you have got it sorted. Recently Ive been finding it cheaper to buy phones outright and have a BT sim package we get 3 sims for £22 a month all with 12gb data, unlimited calls & text.

I just bought from Apple - they offer 0% finance, subject to your credit check of course. And got the SIM separately. I suggest a PAYG SIM for a child - prevents them accidentally running up big charges.

iPhone 14 is luxury too. I got the SE because I'm not made of money. It's a phone enough for me.

That's useful to know Sugar, thank you.

If I'm being honest, I actually don't know what's good and what isn't with phones. I don't know if the 14 is the latest, but think it is as someone here said the 15 is coming out in Sep.

I don't care about them, about having the newest one etc and to be fair to the kids, they don't really either. They just like that they work and they have good battery.

I'm guessing DS and husband had a chat and this is what was decided (as a reward). I don't know how much these things cost - it's not my area - but DH is not as spendy as me so I suppose, if I were to interrogate my thoughts on this (as I am now), I'd assume the reward commensurate with the achievement and within our budget.

Having now looked at the figures - having taken over as consultant in the Tech Dept temporarily - I see it is expensive, but for us, it's fine. I'm happy with it.

Now, tomorrow instead of DH finishing this job off, I shall instead put him to work against his mighty nemesis (Sky) so that we can get Sky Glass working in the spare room.

Tough day for DH coming up...I'll spy on him from a distance to see exactly how much of a drama Queen he's being. I'll let ye know.

I think we're ok now, but thanks for replying. Here's hoping both our babies look after their tech.

Most companies can put a cap on a contract sim to top big bills being run up.

My DS cannot do anything that will cost extra, ie he cannot get more data, or call premium rate numbers.

When I was looking I couldn't find a straightforward PAYG deal all the ones I could find were about £10 a month for data.
I think DH & I were £17 for two sims, £22 for three, made much more sense to just add him to the same contract

What is exercising me is how anyone can even vaguely contemplate spending nearly a grand on a phone because of a teen's whim. Have we all gone mad? is there a generation of spoilt little sods coming along?

@LaBefana what does it matter what someone else spends?

The Op could be a multi millionaire for all we know, or someone who never holidays, we all make different choices in life, holidays, cars, houses, phones. etc

Do you read the Daily Mail by any chance?

That is quite the extrapolation.
Good job, buddy.

You're right - just one more spoiled brat on the spoiled brat treadmill en route to a Wagamama near you soon...

And to think I've just dropped a grand on him! Wow. Not quite sure where that came from, but go ahead - pluck those numbers from the sky and crack on. Whatever makes you feel better about what a stranger does (or does not do, in this case) on the internet.

You've come up with a complete fabrication in your head and then for some reason attacked me for it.

Are you ok?

To counter the bad reviews I got my iPhone from affordable mobiles and it was fine. iPhone 11 for 99 quid and a £20 unlimited everything 2 year contract. No idea why a child needs an iPhone 14.

I suppose he just wants it then? I don't think I really 'need' the silver St Christopher necklace I wear every day - it serves no real functional purpose. But I like it. I want it 🤷‍♀️

I don't really need to justify my life choices to anyone really, but when I do, it's super comforting to know there's a place for me to do that here - even when a thread doesn't ask for an opinion on this or that, just some help.

Needs and wants. The haves and the have nots. The subjective values placed on different, tangible and intangible items. Different families' differing values. All fascinating stuff, innit?

Makes the world go around, all this difference between us.

One more episode of The Good Doctor to wind down then sleep for me - long week. I look forward to the dissection of my viewing choices and time of night.

Our DC just have our old phones as we upgrade with a sim only contract

Looks like the 'automatically keep the same username in thread to avoid accidentally outing oneself or prevent unintentionally sock-puppetting' feature is no more then

OP for this sort of thing I always check Moneysavingexpert because as well as advising on the best price they also give a few ideas of places who won't rip you off and are reasonably reliable.

I've never had any problems with Curry's or Carphone Warehouse so wouldn't bother Trust Piloting them, in fact, Curry's have served us well for household appliances over the years, and the personal experience for us and a friend has been a notable improvement on that given by MN favourite John Lewis.

But I have learned to use them for all that lovely looking swimwear that follows me around my internet travels. It looks like it's good stuff sold by a good UK supplier but TP tells me it comes from China so takes an age to get here, will look nothing like the picture, be sized either for a toddler or a hippo and will be impossible to return. So a complete waste of time and money.

I gave my 15 year old £15 to go to Wagamamas with his mates today as an after-exam treat, as that's how they roll, if that makes you feel any better about your shocking teen extravagance OP. He only has an iPhone 11 and a PS4 though so we are clearly only aspirational in comparison to youse.

@BarbaraofSeville and Ive just bought my first two piece after 6 pregnancies in the hope the large, high-waisted bikini briefs and floaty top will help me look ok on the beach later this year. Pray for me! Or specifically, my delivery...

Next on the list, tummy tuck, lipo and some better tits. That's gonna thrill a lot of people on this thread. Although I'll have to lose some weight first.

Are you not worried about SS getting involved...(insert concerned head tilt here).

I don't know what device(s) they use to play fifa on, I don't have the headspace/bandwidth to deal with this info because I don't want to so fully delegate to DH.

I have, however, played on their VR machine thing and it is a lot of fun! I just have no time for it, really. Family games are old-school; Risk, charades and cluedo and chess (which they started playing online). I don't get Risk and always lose as DH is an absolute fucking savant when it comes to this stuff.

Except - clearly - he can't order a bloody mobile phone...we still love him though (great earner, well-insured, good pension).

Right, better go. Chemical peel, 'tox and a lip-flip this morning at 10 and then cleaning the house whilst DH wonders what to do with his new-found freedom today. I foresee a trip to the driving range.

Have a great weekend all, and thanks again for all the suggestions for this absolute moron.

If I could ever help YOU with something I'M good at (erm, colour and occasion coding your wardrobe, for example) just gimme a shout!

Anything techy, I'm not your guy. I think we've established that.

Yours,
SSW/NDP

Why don't you buy a second hand phone, as they might loose it at school or break it. I brought my son a cheap phone from Tesco £, 60 you could still access the Internet, but didn't cost a small fortune, he has it for a while, then wrecked it, so he got my old one, similar to his, but the older version. I only got him one on contract, when he showed me, he could take better care of his phone.
Tesco were helpful, but for a second hand one, CEX could be good and they wouldn't mind cutting through the jargon and explain in none nerd talk. (human)

Weird that people who can afford an expensive phone dont know how to go to the shop and buy one. No one's really that hopeless are they? You literally walk in and say please may I buy the latest iphone?

Let's hope the indulged teen has a bit more about him 😂

Get yourself a new phone. Give your child your old one! Keep in charge of it. Monitor their activities and don’t let them use it late at night

You are in my prayers OP. Although I do suggest you apply your 'throw money at it' approach to the sourcing of beachwear and take yourself off to a naice swimwear boutique, or John Lewis or similar where you can sit in the changing room in a dressing gown while the fitters bring you piles of swimwear in an aim to find something that fits.

Exactly what I do, just buy a phone and have a sim only deal, haven't had a contract phone for at least 10 years (or however long it's been that you have to take out a 24 month contract for the deal)

I used to work for Apple and I can tell you that an iPhone 11 won’t last you long. Each time a new iOS (& subsequent updates) are released, your phone will struggle more & more and will slow down immensely. Until eventually in 2024, it will stop receiving any updates and will begin to cease working correctly.

I wouldn’t advise anyone buy any iPhones older than iPhone 13 now.