first mobile phone, what's best payment options?

[FrameyMcFrame]

Hi, just need educating on the best way to go about getting DD a mobile phone.

Is there a way you can get a joint parent and child contract so I pay her bill and mine? Like a deal where it's cheaper?

Or is pay as you go the best way forward? Or will there be constant arguments about top ups?

If she gets a contract phone how do I stop her from going over the allocated amount of minutes/ texts?

She wants an iphone or android internet type phone obviously... I don't want to pay more than £20 to £30 per month though..

How do others go about it?

DD1 (13) had a Nokia 'brick' at 9 on Tesco PAYG. Topped up £10 every 6 weeks or so.
As she never lost it and was really good with the top-ups, got an unlocked Samsung Toccco Lite when she was 12. Stayed on Tesco PAYG, which by then was giving the triple credit. So although she was using it more at that age, was still only topping up £10 every 4 to 6 weeks.

She wanted (and still wants) a Blackberry, but I have resisted so far.

But as she is out and about on her own or with friends much more, I did recently move her onto a monthly contract to avoid running out of credit unexpectedly. Still Tesco, £15 for 500 mins, unlimited texts and 1mb of internet. It's a rolling month, so she has been warned that if she abuses it she will go back on PAYG.

Also good that it can be checked on-line.

So far she has only gone over contract once - and that was just the amount of a couple of texts abroad.

Tesco PAYG sounds like a fab deal to me :)

PAYG top up as nec. My DS uses FB, MSN, etc on his ipad so £10 seems to last weeks. We have plenty of friends who've been caught in the 'unlimited texts' trap, one friend's son sent 4000 in a month ( how?) and he is paying them back the £200 this cost them.
Agree ref children losing phones and I even managed to wash one of his when we all failed to empty his pockets(it died instantly) so go for a cheapy at first, he's had the current ( not cheap) nokia for a record 18 months. Our rule has been on gadgets, if you want them you save up, and he has bought xbox then i pad.

pot39 - The 'unlimited' texts on Tesco shows as 5000 per month on current tarriffs.

I started wiht PAYG for my daughter, then when she started getting a monthly allowance we switched to contraact, the cost of which I deducted form her allownace - Orange have one with unlimited texts for about £16 I think. THis was cheaper for her (though it is in my name) If it goes over contract she pays me the difference.
If the phone were to get losrt, she would have to buy a chepa one to tide her over until a birthday or CHristmas.

This is all such a minefield, trying to find best deal!
Have you checked network coverage in your area, OP? It's an issue where we are (semi rural)
Friend has her whole family on some scheme where friend pays 5 quid a month and the texts/calls to others on the scheme are always free; it means that her teens can always phone or text her if no one else.

Good point lljkk, O2 is definitely rubbish here.

I have used a Tesco pay monthly plan of £10 per month (very cheap Nokia phone) which actually gives the equivalent of £40 worth of texts and calls. You can set limits for its use e.g. no premium rate numbers, no international calls unless extra money is put on (which your DD could choose to do if she wanted/had the money). You can also block numbers to the phone too. So far we haven't had a single month of over the limit.

I noticed 3 have a great offer for 15/mth....something like 500min,3000texts plus internet capped so.they can't go over. Worth a look?

I boughy my dd 3 age 12,a blackberry curve for her birthday, from carphone warehouse when they were on offer at just over £100 pounds, she has unlimited text from o2 payg for £7.50 a month.

Just to go back to your original question about parent and child, my DH is with Orange and he asked for a second contract with them for his DS. As it was a second phone, they gave him a fantastic deal.

Whilst I can see the issue with going over on your calls with a monthly contract , you do get the phone thrown in and things like magic numbers, so calls to friends on the same network are free. Also, if they need to be able to use their phone to call home in an emergency, there is never the worry of having no credit.

My DD has a £20 monthly contract. We pay £5 towards her calls home to tell us where she is etc and she pays the rest. If she goes over her limit (it has happened but its only been about once a year) then it comes out of her allowance. Its a good lesson in credit control for them.

thanks follyfoot, will look into that :)

Vodafone 'FREEBIES' also has some good deals on PAYG phones. £10 top up and can get 100 minutes, 300 texts and 50MB web access (don't know how much 50MB means though) But obviously if your DD runs out of credit and can't call you in an emergency then that's not good! so either teach your DD to manage her credit or you can subscribe to '68700' where they'll have 10minutes free calls to you when they have no credit! think that?s quite good for peace of mind.

I would definitely advise a pay as you go phone. There are lots of comparison sites to get a good deal for contract phones (which is way too confusing for me!) i found a good pay as you go comparison site recently but cant remember the name of it, but I bought my son a samsung mini on 3 Pay as you go.

ZOMBIE THREAD.
We've got DS on Giffgaff now, btw, no regrets.

I know this is a zombie thread but had to reply to angelarobinson - vodaphone freebies are really crap. The 50MB is gone in a flash.

It was after reading this back in the day that I got my DD2 (11) a giffgaff sim card as for £10 you get so much.

My teens have giffgaff £5/ month unlimited txt goody bags and rarely use credit add they have free calls to me as well add I'm on giffgaff.

Please please don't get a Young teen a contact-if you want to know why just look at the money saving expert forum on mobiles about adults who have had awfultrouble-ok mainly by nit understanding what a contract really means, but a kid won't either, and it's your money and credit rating at the end if the day.

Yes to basic phone too-they will loose it, and I've been around on mumsnet long enough to hear all the cyber/txt bullying that can happen if they have un fettered
internet access (not to mention access to porn etc etc). Even my 16 yr old doesn't have phone internet, even though we don't police him heavily on his laptop (though out has some parental controls).

Having the latest phone make a kid a mugger magnet, and just plays to peer pressure in a way they don't need.

PAYG DD 14 has O2 15 a month with unlimited texts and some data she uses the wifi at home , I heard horror stories of huge BILLS from other parents, dd1 has a contract she pays for it herself though ,

DD2 not 14 is her age i do not have a brood of daughters

I know this is an old thread but just wanted to add. Dont get a teen a contract phone ok they will get a flashier phone and you think you are saving money but no network will put a limit on their calls so they can run huge bills up.

I made the mistake of letting ds1 go onto a contract phone he was really good for 18 months but then kept running up bills first 10-20 over contract then 50 then good for a while and then hundreds of pounds! He now is on giffgaff £ 10 a month for 250 minutes unlimited texts and internet. I'm saving an extra 10 a month for new phones as needed and still saving myself a minimum of 15 a month.

Plenty of time for contract when they are old enough for their own.

DD1 (13) has got a contract phone at £15/m from Tesco mobile and you can cap it so she can't go over the monthly allowance. Free BB curve with it.

Networks won't guarantee
They. Will stop extra mins and texts being used

Yes they do. MY DCS have been with 3 for 3 year now with zero credit contracts. One of the other reasons was 3 do free to 3 minutes so that when they go over their contract they can still contact us.
DS has a galaxy ace for £15 a month

My DCs all have entry level Blackberry phones. They are all in my name and the contracts range from £7 -10 per month for a two year contract with free handset. They have never exceeded call, text or data limits.