What’s the worst that could happen?

[AnnFamily1]

Sibling wants me to take out a mobile phone contract in my name as their credit rating is bad. WWYD?

I don’t want to, feel unable to say no.

No!!!

She can easily get a second hand phone on back market and a monthly SIM. No contract needed.

What's the worst that could happen?

You end up paying for a phone and associated bills for something you don't have and don't use

Until they miss a payment and then it affects your credit rating, and the bailiffs will come to your door - and you will be liable.
will they still pay if they lose the phone, it gets stolen? Or just ask the next relative?
just say no - toy can’t.

Absolutely no way.

The worst thing that can happen probably is what happened to my friend. Their phone went missing abroad and someone ran up a huge bill phoning another hemisphere in the period it took to realise and cancel it and they had to foot the bill for all of it. They had unlimited calls in the uk but it was abroad phoning abroad and they really went to town with how many calls they made.

There's a few people I'd trust to do something like for, so long as I knew I had enough savings covered it in full. With a phone though, there's no need. There's fantastic pay as you go deals available now. I'd prefer to lend money towards a new phone and then pay back instalments.

100% NO

Also, Must have got into a lot of, recent, debt not to get a phone contract themselves ?

No, no and thrice no.

Just don’t. There’s a reason they can’t get their own.

Just for fun:

• They're in fact drug runners and want to use the phone for deals
• they're being paid by terrorists to pass on coded messages to sleepers
• They plan to watch illegal material online

-They are planning to set up a business selling fake pills online

• They have a secret lover in Japan and don't plan on paying the data cost
• They are having an affair they want to hide from their partner
• They want to use the number for scam calls

Why? Smarty and others do no contract sim only. If they can’t afford an expensive phone outright they shouldn’t get one.

Offer to buy them a £200 phone and get them to pay you back.

My husband has a Samsung A something under £200 perfectly good phone smarty sim £9 a month.

Pay as you go still exists. So it's not as though there is no other choice.

The fact that they're unable to get it in their name tells you why this is a BAD idea, unless you'll enjoy having your credit rating fucked.

I get you don't want to say 'No', but you'll hate the repercussions of saying yes a whole lot more!!

"Oh sorry, I can't afford an other phone contract. But I could lend you £200.- from my savings to buy one so you can use it as a PAYG phone. You can pay me the money back in installments say X amount over X months. How does that sound?"

If this isn't good enough, then tough shit!

Yes, if it’s in your name you’ll be the one investigated for anything illegal on the phone.

Don’t do it.

I wouldn’t do that . I’d give money to a sibling but I wouldn’t do that .

Your credit rating is impacted and you could end up with default. Source : I did this for someone at the time.

The person I helped couldn't get a phone for various reasons (needed a deposit, didn't pass checks, didn't bring ID) we ended up going to the 02 shop where the salesman told my friend the only way they could get accepted was if they knew someone on 02 (cue eye glance towards me)

Daft me agrees under the proviso that although my name was on the account, my bank details wouldn't be used (thought I was being smart) sales assistant reassures me that nothing would happen to me blah blah blah.

3 months later I get two emails, one for my bill, one for friend. Friend had ran up a bill of over £600. Bill was itemised and gone over their minutes allowance and whatnot. Friend was on JSA so I knew they couldn't pay. We had to contact 02 and friend went onto a payment plan. I thought nothing of it as I said earlier, I didn't have to pay, it wasn't my bank account and this was 2011.

Friend didn't stick to payment plan and ultimately debt went to another agency. With fees the £600 went up to £1000. They said if I paid in full I only had to pay around £450. I had the cash but was fuming. I agreed to have it paid with a written letter that it was closed. And I was still unaware of the default. Friend did pay me back in instalments.

Cue 2015, for some reason I decide to check my credit score, I see I've got a fucking default on my record.

So in short. DO NOT DO IT. It's not worth it. There's a reason they have these checks in place. Don't be like me.

Offer to take out a contract on their behalf once they have saved up the money it will cost over the lifetime of the contract. They can pay you monthly for the next 18 months or whatever, you'll keep it safe and when there's enough to cover the contract in full, you'll happily take out a contract on their behalf and will use their money to pay for it.

Or help them to buy a secondhand phone and encourage them to use a PAYG deal like others have suggested.

What’s wrong with Pay as you go for them? I was on PAYG for ages as my usage was very different from one month to another, it’s very convenient. there are a lot of deals out there, I’m sure they can find something suitable.

It would just be in my name and they would pay monthly.

Sure, people can say anything.

There's a reason they're asking. Don't fuck up your future credit rating.

Don't let people walk all over you even if they are family OP.

Absolutely not. PAYG is a thing. As is living within means! How cheeky.

I do feel very guilty and like I should have helped. Just for context this person already has a phone on contract but wants to get the latest phone (which I don’t even have).

Then they can put it in their own name and be responsible for their own bills 🤷‍♀️

Your latest update just makes it even more ridiculous that you should pay for it.