Legal Age for Cell Phone Contract

We threw smartphones into the hands of children and asked them to do the impossible. Giving an untrained 12-year-old a phone contract and asking them to sign it is like giving them the car keys and making them sign a contract promising not to run over the car. I asked Tyler what he thought about cell phone contracts and said that many parents use them but want his opinion. As a mechanical and software engineer, he understands what technology is. His opinion mirrored mine, but he raised other important points: If a 16-year-old somehow signs a cell phone contract with a provider, the penalties vary by state. While the contract would become legally void, the minor would be charged with misrepresentation. As a result, anyone under the age of 18 or who does not meet the credit score requirements cannot sign a contract or must first make a large down payment. Some of the big companies need to stop this contractual nonsense and find good prices that include data and text. I don`t write much, but I know people who do. I use my phone more to access the internet and email.

Once the minor is of legal age – 18 years old – the mobile phone contract concluded by his legal guardian or the adult who signed it for him can be transferred to his name. This can be achieved by contacting the service provider and asking the company to place the contract in the 18-year-old`s name. Most contracts have a duration of at least two years. If the minor is 16 years old when he receives the telephone, the contract will be concluded – or shortly before its completion – when he reaches the age of 18. At that time, the minor can either continue the service plan under his or her own name or terminate it without penalty. I started calling old friends, browsing the internet, and reading books like Glow Kids, Reset Your Child`s Brain, and The Tech-Wise Family. How could we delay the introduction of phones in the future and be intentional? If you agree, you represent that you are at least 18 years old and that you are legally capable of accepting an agreement. If you agree for an organization, you represent that you have the right to bind that organization, and where the context . Instead of using Google and printing a ready-made mobile phone contract, we recommend a personalized approach: I seriously need a contract-free phone. I`m tired of being tied to a contract and not being able to look for the best prices when I want. Mobile phone contracts also give parents a false sense of security.

“Phew! The document is signed. Our teenager knows what he can and cannot do. Now we can go on with our lives. FALSE. We cannot rely on a piece of paper to protect our children from digital dangers. In 2017, during a crazy move across the country, my husband Tyler and I handed our middle school student an abandoned smartphone. We wanted her to be able to stay in touch with old friends and make sure she knew where to get off the bus for our temporary accommodation in a new city buried under six feet of snow. Tyler and I struggled with that decision and how to proceed. There are certain limits that all family members must commit to – things like all phones are connected to the charging station before 9pm. Or dinner is conversation time (no appliances at the table). Your family can decide what those limits should be. When mobile phones proved to be a viable option for the average consumer, they were offered under contracts that required the buyer to commit to a one- or two-year plan.

Finally, providers of mobile phones or prepaid mobile phones without contracts emerged to attract a growing market of potential consumers who did not qualify for a mobile service contract or who had not chosen to do so. Providers offering non-contractual mobile phones allow consumers to purchase minutes in small to large quantities, which are then “charged” onto the mobile phone and can be used when needed. Other non-contractual mobile providers allow users to pay for an unlimited month of service in advance at a predefined price. Usage is therefore paid in advance and not at the end of a billing cycle, as is the case with traditional mobile plans. When I was talking to parents and looking for solutions on how to manage cell phones with a teenager, I kept coming across cell phone contracts. They often contained pages and pages of do`s and don`ts asking a child or teen to sign up for a phone. One of the disadvantages of non-contractual mobile phones is that the consumer usually has less choice when choosing a phone and has to pay the full retail price of the phone. With traditional cellular plans, the provider often offers the phones at a significantly discounted price, as they expect to earn money from the consumer himself during the term of the contract. Coverage can also be an issue with prepaid phones, as many prepaid phone providers are smaller providers that are not able to provide the coverage provided by a large company.

I`m also very annoyed that I have to pay an “upgrade fee” for a “free” phone. It annoys my stew. If I pay an upgrade fee, the phone is *not* free! It`s a $36 phone! When I get out of this contract, I look for the best prices I can get without having to cheat with a contract. It`s time for a new approach – a slower, more proactive approach – for smartphones and our children. Then, when it comes time to introduce a phone, we need to do more than just let our teens sign on a dotted line. Today`s teens need much more than a signed contract to combat cyberbullying, sexting, sextortion, dangerous online challenges, pornography, online predators, social media harms, and endless games and videos. It didn`t take us long to realize we had made a mistake. It wasn`t just a phone – it was a portal to the world, a world we hadn`t prepared our daughter for.