To not give Yr9 an iphone

[Hillbilly71]

My dd is pleading for an iPhone. She says all her friends have them and I have found out that she is right. They have the coloured backs (5c?) but I have looked and the cheapest ones have a smaller memory and are still way more expensive than her nokia lumia. We pay £13/month didn't pay for phone up front. Still have a year to go but I could possibly take it over. I can't find a deal anywhere like that for an iPhone 5. Has the world gone mad? Are parents spending £30 per month per child on phones?!

A lot of the time it is parents fueling the competition by buying more and more expensive stuff.

Not RTFT but my Y7 has an iphone.

My year 7 has a 4s and will get my 5c when I upgrade at the end of the year. All his friends, and yes I do mean all, have smart phones and the vast majority have iPhones ranging from hand me down 4 / 4's to contract 5s's. He's on a £7.50 a month capped contract I wouldn't pay £30 a month

OP possible options:-

Tell her if she can find a phone shop to give her a phone & a contract while she's under 18, she can have one.

Just tell her no, as you can't afford it.

Ask her can she afford to start paying her current contract out of her pocket money, while saving for a phone. If she can't, she goes without a new phone (don't offer to increase pocket money though).

Most of the online shops will give them a contract without being 18.....

My 12 year old does but I would never buy one unless as a birthday present (still 2nd hand) or pay the contract on one. His Dad bought a 5c with a cracked screen, fixed it and that was his Christmas present with a sim only contract.

My yr 7 had his dad's old iPhone but lost it so back to his hated u trendy galaxy for the time being.

Do agree about the peer pressure though. Think it would be better if kids got more basic cheaper phones.

Ds1 got a 4s with a 2 year contract for his 18th birthday costing £23 a month. It will run out in September and the cost will drop to £8 or he can upgrade and pay it himself.

Ds2 (17) doesn't have a phone and doesn't want one. We have an old phone he can take if he urgently needs to.

Ds3 (8) has had an old Samsung for a couple of years. He txt's his dad, if he is away, every month or so and usually has to search for the phone to do it!

However, I had lovely Clarks shoes to go to school when I was 14 and Clarks shoes weren't like they are now 30 something years ago. They were sturdy and waterproof and the other kids took the piss especially as we were "Incomers". I wouldn't want that for any of mine.

I thought that under 18s couldn't sign contracts especially credit agreements?

DS would really like a smart phone for his upcoming 12th birthday. DH is adamant he will not have one. DS currently just has a 10 quid Nokia feature phone. DH's reasons are: It doesn't matter too much if it gets lost, broken or stolen. DS isn't going to get mugged for it. He needs to take it to school in case getting home plans change, and this is sufficient for that. Does nothing else so no distractions by having a smart phone at school that does all manner of other things.

I think it's a bit harsh but DH feels very strongly about it and he's usually very laid back so I'm going with it. DS does have a Kindle Fire. He doesn't ask about having a smart phone any more as we've been consistent with saying no and explaining why and he seems to have accepted it, for now.

I'm amazed there are 7/8 year olds with a better phone than me a full time working own bill paying grown up...

Think I might have to rethink things!!

Credit agreement in a lot of places now is replaced by them taking £1 and putting it back into the account the direct debit will come from.......(!!)