Mobile Phones - Financing for your Phone

You can also buy a mobile phone by setting up a payment plan. This means you will have to sign a contract. Signing a contract means you a legally bound to its conditions, so read the contract very carefully, especially the small print, before you sign up for anything!

When you sign a contract for a mobile phone, it is important to know that you are not just signing up for a mobile phone, you are also signing up to:

--> A provider for your phone connection
--> A form of credit to use the phone, usually a 'payment plan'

If you have a mobile phone, or are thinking about getting one, ask yourself:

--> Can I afford to have a mobile phone?
--> Can I afford the payments on the plan I am signing up for?
--> Do I understand what the contract says?
--> Is this a good phone to buy?

If you are not sure if you can afford to sign up for a mobile phone contract, ICAN suggests doing your Budget Plan first, to see what money you have coming in, what expenses you have and if there is money left over for your phone plan. You should also bear in mind if you think your means of living or job (circumstances) will change between now and when your phone plan contract ends.

How do you choose a phone plan?

Everybody has different needs or wants, so the phone plan that is best for your Auntie or cousin may not be the best one for you. You can shop around to mobile phone shops and providers to find out the differences in phone plans.

Be wary of special offers or no-or-low fees if you 'sign up TODAY!' - these may seem good today, but you are signing up for a long term phone plan. Read the contract very carefully to find out what the fees really are for the types of phone calls you plan to make from your mobile phone.

Ever been a "Referee" or "Guarantor"?