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?

iPhones are shite. Far better deals out there. Had to suffer several. Love iPads and Mac but iPhones are overpriced.

Android is far more user friendly, cheaper and more powerful per £.

What depends on the age?

The query was (paraphrasing) "how in the living fuck can I buy a phone for one of my consequences".

I don't want, or need, advice about phones and types of phones (ok, maybe I do need help with that - see earlier comments re: Luddite) or the age of Vodafone (DS) or what he might need or even why. That info isn't needed for the original question.

I just needed a nod in the right direction on how to buy a phone because it is my first time in undertaking this task. Not because I'm lazy, but because my job is All The Other Stuff and my Head of Tech (DH) was overwhelmed, tired after working like a dog for these last few months - a house fire, his sister divorcing whilst battling cancer at 42, and having my poorly mother (potentially Parkinson's) come to live with us - which he's totally on board with, because he's a good man. But Vodafone's (the company, not the kid) website absolutely pushed him over the edge that day. I've heard from others that it is painful to deal with.

That's all I wanted - a nod to a non-dodgy website and I hopefully got it. So very grateful.

I'll take a pic when it arrives and try to get Vodafone's new Porsche in the background.

Ah, fun times.

I just can't get on with anything else now. I'm stuck in my ways. We'll stick with iPhones but glad other phones are working for you. Maybe one day I'll branch out and will ask eleventh million queries on here again...then there will a new thread and it'll be thrilling to read more about the entitled cunts I'm raising.

Back atcha 😘

That last line made me laugh, sorry. I know the feeling. Bloody kids.

Well, what this "indulged teen" (wrong and wrong, if you're interested in facts, but I'm thinking perhaps you're not) has pulled off in recent months, whilst upping sticks after a particularly traumatic house fire, has been pretty impressive.

But go ahead and presume and assume away - it's interesting to watch from my hover-laptop...(that was a joke, ref: Back To The Future, to really drive home how outrageous and ostentatious we are).

I think I tried to ask about this quote earlier, but it didn't post.

But, what?

Are you doing ok?

Thanks @Panjandrum123 thanks good intel, thank you.

I seem to recall when we moved here that in this village (in the arse-end of nowhere) Vodafone was the only bloody provider that gave any coverage.

Perhaps this has changed?

I might ask on the local Facebook group. Can't wait to see what answers they come up to questions they ask themselves... 😆 FUN!

@BarbaraofSeville now that sounds like a good idea! But time is my enemy. I am time-poor. But if I ever do make it to an actual shop
iRL this year, then this is defo an approach that's on the cards.

Apparently my mega-coverage two-piece is on its way. God, I hope it's ok.
😬

Op I'm glad you are able to keep your sense of humour.

Cancer is cruel evil arrr....any word I choose to use is an insult to female dogs and / or fatherless children.

Hope you have the phone sorted.

It is all of those things. She has her humour too - she's a GP so a pragmatic sort and the outlook is good - I've spent the week (with the help of MN threads old and new - this really is an excellent resource) putting together a 'care package' for chemo stuff (cashmere socks, dry mouth stuff, gloves she can wear whilst using phone when waiting around, sucky-sweets for energy, blankies, art stuff as she's a fan artist etc) so that arrived and she was made up (she'll use all the warm stuff post-treatment as she's naturally nesh) and I'm hoping she'll let us have the kids (she has two) for a week in the summer so she can do whatever the fuck she wants whilst not worrying about them. But she's the world's best mum and actually likes to spend time with them, so we might not get the chance.
What's cool about all of this though, is family law is my bag, baby, so the divorce crap I can soften. It's rare to be able to actually be in a position to genuinely assist someone you love in a meaningful way, so I'm happy about that.

Isn't it a good job I didn't post a new thread asking about what to put in her box? Imagine the vitriol I'd have received for trying to buy cashmere socks - the fucking nerve of me. I'm just the absolute pits. 🙄😬🤣

Do not get a child a phone without insurance, speaking from a very sad experience and do not get a child an iPhone 14 speaking from an even sadder experience

Now you make me feel guilty I didn't think to get my sis cashmere socks when she had cancer.
She did, thank God 😊 🙏, and thanks to the Docs and modern medicine, survive even without such luxurious socks.

Insurance might as well be my middle name, I insure anything that moves as well as the shit that doesn't. This has proven handy this year, trust me.

Phone is on order, hopefully it arrives in the week and I'll book out The Ivy (the original one, obvs 🙄) to present it to my little prince.

But thank you for your opinion and advice about insurance, the latter really is so important. I hope your insurance 'mishap' turned out ok in the end 😬

My SIL is storming it too, thanks not to sock (obviously) but to modern medicine and scientific breakthroughs, the kind of which the husband works in the sphere of (as a coincidental aside).

The cashmere socks were mostly to cater for her neshness and how terribly sensitive and scratchy (she said) the treatment had made her skin. The threads on here mentioned cashmere socks multiple times (as I recall, in almost every thread about "what to put in a care package for my friend/relative who has cancer and is having chemo/radiation") and I thought it was such a perfect idea for her - even without the chemo affects! I'd never have though of it myself.

It was the perfect gift for her. She was thrilled with them and the dry mouth stuff. That really drove her mad (but not as mad as cold feet did) 😂

So pleased your sis is doing well. It's quite the shock having people not only who you obviously love but are almost in your cohort get so ill.

I hope her scans/tests/whatnot continue to return clear. ❤️ (we're doing ok thus far 😬).

@Sugarfree23 ps the socks were from John Lewis, nothing too dramatic to see here, sorry. The dry mouth stuff was expensive though -
I thought that was a a shame, because it affects a lot of people and not everyone would have access.

Iphone 14 is about £850

Im weighing up getting one myself and im an adult with a job

Wtf are you thinking?

Get them a cheaper model

It doesn't matter what the fuck I'm thinking, does it? The question wasn't "aibu?" it was "how do people buy phones?".

So why does it matter to you?

We are getting it for the little scamp because we want to, and we can. 🤷‍♀️

Where are you getting your 14 phone from? In a few days I'll let you know if Fonehouse works out for me!

Why are you buying such an expensive phone for a child? I’m comparatively well off and will make do with my iPhone 12 until it goes wrong. My kids only have a phone once at senior school, and then the cheapest available until they learn they have to earn for better ones.

Surely the only answer here is ‘because she wants to’?

I know, I know. You've all been waiting with baited breath to hear how we got on...

So Fonehouse (thank you to whoever reccie'd them) worked out.

Much-too-expensive, privilege-signalling phone arrived right on time but the kid's been a bit of a prick for the majority of the time so it's been on ban.

DH did all the setting up etc and DS was thrilled. His older bro not happy, but perhaps if he'd have tried a little harder in his lessons/assessments he'd not have the inferior telephone...

Anyway, said older (stinky) bro just arrived at my office so time to (genuinely) go to KFC for some hunter gathering exercises with him and our middle (and DDog, sorry Doge).

Thanks for all your help, all.
SSW.

*bated