Bill for my son’s phone

[BM79]

Hi

is it possible for me to either have 2 separate accounts for mine and my son’s mobiles so that if he pays me late for his only his gets restricted and not mine too or sis there a way for him to pay for his from his bank but it still be in my name until he is 18? 

thank you 

[BandOfBrothers]

Hi @BM79 

Vodafone have a Transfer of Ownership option where a person can let another take over the contract but the other person needs to be 18 and pass a Credit Check. 

You'd have to wait until reaches that criteria.

More here …

Can-I-transfer-my-number-and-contract-to-someone-else. and Transfer-of-ownership/form. 

A person can contact Customer services to have another set of bank details added so that maybe the money comes out of another bank account if two separate amounts are coming out but the contract is still in your name making you still responsible for the contract and it being paid for. 

Have a word with customer services on 191, 0333 3040191,  Live Chat or the Vodafone Social Media Team's via Contact-us-for-account-specific-queries and they'll go through your options officially with you.

May I offer the following advice … If your son is running up high bills resulting in difficulty paying then there are caps in your myvodafone and possibly within the phone too.

Myvodafone and my-account-controls. 

How-do-I-set-up-or-remove-a-data-cap. 

Premium-rate-SMS-FAQ. 

What-should-I-do-if-I-can-t-pay-my-bill. 

Vodafone and financial-difficulties and What-should-I-do-if-I-can-t-pay-my-bill. 

Other extreme options are removing the Pay Monthly sim card and replace it with a Vodafone Payg sim card.

[BM79]

Hi

thank you for your reply, he is only 16 so I can’t do the change of ownership. He has just started an apprenticeship and each week when he gets paid is wasting his money on rubbish, his attitude towards me is also disgusting so I would like to teach him about money and what it is like to work and live in the real world. Maybe if his attitude hadn’t been so bad I wouldn’t be doing this. 
I do have spending caps on his phone so it is literally just the phone bill each month no extras. I have just found some caps where I can turn his calls and texts off so I may use these if he doesn’t start paying up instead. 
Thank you once again 

B 

[BandOfBrothers]

You're very welcome @BM79 

We do see posts similar to yours from time to time but each outcome is probably different depending on how parent and child react.

Having a Pay Monthly Contract and letting an under 18 person use it can bring such troubles I'm afraid, but I submit not in all instances.

Actions such as sitting down and talking hopefully works or then more extreme options such as applying restrictions on the account.

The other aspect of having the account restricted is that is shows as a poorly run account and could hinder what you can do in the future such as Transfer of Ownership and indeed upgrades of phone's.

The very extreme outcome can be Vodafone starting collection avenues and debt collection agencies and defaults and late payment markers on a person's credit file  !

I've known account holders to simply end the contract when the term is up as they've had enough of the family member etc,  or take away the Pay Monthly sim card and supply a Payg sim card insteaf as this needs topping up and can help to show the true meaning of money and responsibility until a person hopefully matures in years and attitude.

I wish you all the best with this. 

[hrym]

I would agree that PAYG is the way forward.   You or he can top the account up as funds allow and there is effectively a spend cap when the money runs out.   Young people have to learn about money management, and sometimes the only thing to do is sit back and watch them make mistakes.

Bear in mind that, if the bill isn't paid, it's your credit score (as the account holder) that will suffer.   However, you could also put call and data bars on his number through My Vodafone, either online or in the app, which would effectively turn the service off until he's paid.

[BM79]

Thank you for taking the time to reply, I do have restrictions on his phone already but I think I have just found some more online where I can switch his calls and texts off myself (I maybe wrong? ) even if I am wrong I am going to tell him I have found this facility and that if he doesn’t pay me monthly in time for me paying the bill that is exactly what is going to happen 

[hrym]

I'd suggest that, generally, talking to him would be the best option.   Actually restricting his phone is a bit of a nuclear option and unlikely to improve relations.

I'm not sure whether a secondary user can install the My Vodafone app and control the account themselves.   As the phone is technically yours, and you might want to, I think it might be possible.   However, when you set the app up, you can specify a lead number, so that may be sufficient.

When bars are set up or removed, the number they apply to will receive a text, so your son would know what's happened.

[donnyguy]

Hey there,

I'd definitely not recommend allowing the account to get to the point where its suspended. Not because of your so but because, even if you did split out the accounts, you would still be the account holder on both. 

Meaning every time the account is paid late, it reflects on your credit file as a late payment.

So whilst he's the one with impacted service, you're the one who looks like you don't pay your bill on time. 

So if you're wanting to restrict service, I would do it from the My Vodafone page. Bar incoming and outgoing calls. That'll impact him. 

Either that or simply put him up for adoption - do you think anyone would take him! 🙂