Making the smart call on children's mobiles

By JAMES SALMON FOR THE DAILY MAIL
Updated: 03:43 EST, 8 December 2010

Many children across the country will be hoping to find the latest high-tech phone in their stocking this Christmas.

But with hundreds of contracts and phones to pick from, choosing the best one can be a headache for parents.

Youngsters can rack up monstrous bills, and as under 18-year-old aren't legally allowed to sign up to a contract, these will be your responsibility.

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Check the credit limit on your phone (the amount by which you can exceed the contract) and have it cut to the minimum. The most sensible option is a pre-pay deal, where you buy chunks of credit in advance as opposed to having a monthly contract.

Adam Williams, of consumer group Which?, says: 'Smart phones which can access the internet and download applications make it very easy to run up big bills. Even if they run out of credit, they'll still be able to call the emergency services if they have to.' 

A budget option is the Nokia 1661, which costs 90p provided you buy a £10 T-Mobile top up. This simple, hard-wearing phone includes a radio and torch.

A mid-range option is the HTC Wildfire  -  a budget smartphone available on pre-pay with Vodafone for £160.

The best pre-pay package is offered by 3, according to Which?. The phone costs £190, but an initial £10 top up provides 3,000 texts, 100 minutes of calls and 500MB of data.

If you exceed the allowance, then calls cost 25p per minute and texts 10p. But if only the flashiest phone will do, you'll have to pay hundreds of pounds upfront with a pre-pay deal. The alternative is locking into a long-term contract.

Another concern for parents is what their children can access on the phone. Most new phones have security settings which allow parents to restrict content.

You should also block premium rate numbers. Use sites such as www.billmonitor.com, www.which. co.uk/mobile and www. moneysupermarket.com to find deals.

Check whether the phone is covered on your home and contents policy. If not, then look at insuring it separately.

Specialist firms such as www. insurance2go.co.uk tend to offer cheaper insurance than you will get from the networks or retailers. For instance, ­www.moneymaxim. co.uk offers consumers iPhone insurance from just £3.99 a month, or £34.99 a year.

Watch out for Christmas deals, as well. Tesco Phone Shop is offering a Tesco gift card worth up to £250 with every new mobile phone contract bought before December 31.

The gift cards can be used in store or online for gifts or groceries. Provided the contract is set up before December 10, they will be sent out before Christmas.

Deals include a £250 gift card for customers who sign up for a Sony Ericsson Cedar and Samsung S3100, and a £100 gift card with a BlackBerry 8520.