# Mobile phones



## Kaylz (Feb 20, 2018)

Sorry but does anyone else find it utterly ridiculous at what age children are receiving mobile phones at? When I got my first phone I was 11 years old and it was a cheap Vodafone thing 2nd hand from my dad, my mum then bought for my birthday a Nokia 3310 (as you all know all the rage back then haha) but I've just read that someone I know has given their 6 yes 6 year old daughter an IPhone for her birthday, I'm willing to hear others opinions and thoughts but in my mind this is wrong on many levels! x


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## Radders (Feb 20, 2018)

I put down an awful lot of problems to excessive mobile phone use. 
As kids when we got home we were mostly under our parents’ influence until 9 am the next day. Now teens have their uninformed prejudices continuously reinforced by being constantly in contact with their peers.


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## Robin (Feb 20, 2018)

That takes me back, my kids had Nokia 3310s for their birthdays when they were around 11 or 12, and I got one for myself at the same time.( very daring, embracing such a tecchy thing!) The point was, neither child asked for one while they were at Primary school, because it just wasn't a thing, none of their friends had them. It was a bit like a right of passage, to get one when you went to Secondary school, because they were bussed to the next town, and might need to let you know they'd be late ( if for example, the bus broke down, which it did a couple of times)
I can't think why any child would need an expensive iPhone at the age of 6.


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## kentish maid (Feb 20, 2018)

A couple I know have a 6 year old. If you go round to their house they are so busy checking on their phones to catch up on the latest 'news' on social media the little one is often being told off for interrupting them, and in my eyes they are ignoring him, when they should be interacting with him. I see young Mums out with toddlers in push chairs, they are busy on their phones, hardly noticing the child, or where they are in fact going, I used to 'chat' to mine when out, even before they could answer. I guess what I am trying to say is, some parents these days cannot seem to survive without using their mobiles so they automatically think they are enriching their child's life by giving them one. It keeps the child quiet while adult gets on with what they want to do. Like you I think 6 is far too young. At 11, when they go to senior school, is soon enough in my eyes. Thought it was just me being a grumpy old woman and am relieved to see someone of the younger generation feels the same x


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## Mark T (Feb 20, 2018)

I didn't get a mobile phone till I was 22!


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## Kaylz (Feb 20, 2018)

Robin said:


> That takes me back, my kids had Nokia 3310s for their birthdays when they were around 11 or 12, and I got one for myself at the same time.( very daring, embracing such a tecchy thing!) The point was, neither child asked for one while they were at Primary school, because it just wasn't a thing, none of their friends had them. It was a bit like a right of passage, to get one when you went to Secondary school, because they were bussed to the next town, and might need to let you know they'd be late ( if for example, the bus broke down, which it did a couple of times)
> I can't think why any child would need an expensive iPhone at the age of 6.


Precisely, that's the reason I got a phone too, to get in touch with my mum if I were to be late or anything, there is certainly no way I would be buying an IPhone for a 6 year old, thing is they are all able to use them with ease nowadays, I had trouble with the 3310 when I first got it! haha, imagine what they would think if you handed them one of those! xx


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## kentish maid (Feb 20, 2018)

I was even older than Mark when I got my first mobile. I came home one day dreadfully upset as I couldn't find a phone box so that I could ring my teenage son to tell him I was going to be late. He told me phone boxes were passe and we went out next day and got me a mobile, which to this day,30 years later, I hardly ever use


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## Mark T (Feb 20, 2018)

Although to be fair, I did get my first one a couple of decades ago 

But back on topic, yes I do think it's a little silly giving them a phone - especially as they must be a iPhone.  We haven't decided if the little one would get a mobile when he starts secondary school.  Because off the way the schools are arranged around here it could be a journey to get to and from school.  I certainly wouldn't give him one whilst he is in primary and he does get one it will be a budget phone and maybe not even a smart phone.

I would worry about children on phones because there is nothing to stop them getting access to some of the more dodgy apps (e.g., Roblox) where you can be exposed to unsuitable things.  Depends on how well you teach your children internet safety and how well you can trust them I guess (or how much you care).


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## Sally71 (Feb 20, 2018)

When I was a child they didn't exist, and when they did start appearing it was only yuppy businessmen who had them.  I got my first one when I was 29. We gave our daughter one just before she started secondary school, actually just before the end of year 6 so that she could swap numbers with all her friends.  That's the earliest that I can see a use for them, she's just starting to take her first steps out into the world on her own and it's nice to know that she can keep in touch if she needs to (although of course when I was that age they didn't exist and we had to be home when we said we would or find a phone box if there was a problem!).  We didn't get her a new one though, my husband upgraded his and gave her his old one.  Why any child younger than 10 would possibly need a phone of their own is beyond me, they never go anywhere without a supervising adult.  A lot of my daughter's friends had their first mobiles aged about 9 but we stood our ground because don't see why they need them at that age, although some parents probably let their children out to play on their own earlier than we did.

I know some people who give young children their old smartphone to play with without a SIM card in so that it's just like a mini iPad, I suppose that's not so bad as long as you limit the amount of time they are on it (and I bet a lot of people don't bother).  A lady I used to know did this for her 5 year old, only for him then to prove exactly why that's not a good idea, by chucking it down the stairs and smashing the screen!  When my daughter was 7 we got her a Nintendo 3DS mini games console and she was happy with that for a while, the games came on cartridges that fitted into a slot.  Everyone else her age was giving those up for iPads at the time, we decided that we didn't want her having anything with full internet access (again can't see why a child of that age would need it). She has had my old iPad for the last year or so, but only because I wanted a new one, before that she had an old Android tablet of my husband's until it died.  She seems pretty responsible so far on Internet use and which apps she wants.  She's got WhatsApp now on her phone but that's all in terms of social media and she seems happy as long as she's got some way of keeping in touch with her friends.

My brother's family have an iPad which they all share, the youngest daughter was an absolute whizz at finding her way around the games at age 2!


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## Ralph-YK (Feb 20, 2018)

Mark T said:


> I would worry about children on phones because there is nothing to stop them getting access to some of the more dodgy apps (e.g., Roblox) where you can be exposed to unsuitable things.


I don't know of Roblox.  I do know mobile providers have filtering and blocking on by default (possibly required) that blocks things like porn and unsuitable material.  The BBFC may be involved in rating websites.  However, the blocking can be uneven/implemented differently between providers (or so I've heard).
To get the 18+ block removed you have to provide some form of ID to the provider to show you're over 18.


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## Ralph-YK (Feb 20, 2018)

As for the iPhone, I've never used one.  However, tut, Fanboys  [Edited, bad typing )

Starting at £200, Second Hand


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## Sprogladite (Feb 20, 2018)

Couldn't agree with you more @Kaylz - my son didn't get one until he started secondary school and only then because he walks to and from school unsupervised.  What's even worse though is that for all the sane parents out there, the kids of the crazy iphone givers then make our kids feel hard done by for not getting a flaming phone!


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## Mark T (Feb 20, 2018)

Ralph-YK said:


> I don't know of Roblox.  I do know mobile providers have filtering and blocking on by default (possibly required) that blocks things like porn and unsuitable material.  The BBFC may be involved in rating websites.  However, the blocking can be uneven/implemented differently between providers (or so I've heard).
> To get the 18+ block removed you have to provide some form of ID to the provider to show you're over 18.


Roblox is a game "designed for children" however it allows people to interact and chat to each other (in voice as well).  The website and app is fine, but the chat filters don't catch everything and certainly some of the children at the school have learnt some very interesting words - most of which I'd expect to get either blocked or swiftly deleted if I posted them up (racial and sexual slurs).  Be very afraid!

But grooming can occur in any game that allows interaction.  So the key thing is to teach children to be internet safe.


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## mikeyB (Feb 20, 2018)

Mind you, this forum would be less populous if mobile phones didn’t exist. I think it’s wrong giving young kids phones, because they have an undeveloped sense of danger if they get messages from dubious sources. I know that’s paranoid, but you are with kids.


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## Ralph-YK (Feb 20, 2018)

When I was young, only houses had phones, just the one, fixed to the wall with a wire.
I was in my 40s when I got my first phone.


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## mikeyB (Feb 20, 2018)

Me too Ralph, but even then it was only because Mrs B was seriously ill and in hospital. I’d never seen the need before. It was a 3310.


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## Davein (Feb 20, 2018)

Ralph-YK said:


> When I was young, only houses had phones, just the one, fixed to the wall with a wire.
> I was in my 40s when I got my first phone.


Those were the days Ralph. I often catch programs on TV like The Sweeney and Minder, no mobiles on them. When  I started my business there were no mobiles, computers or internet around (or in common use).
then. A godsend for everyone nowadays.


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## Ralph-YK (Feb 20, 2018)

I don't remember if it was an A55, A60 or A65 off hand.  However, it did look exactly like this, and was on O2:


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## trophywench (Feb 20, 2018)

Pete had one the size of a housebrick with an aerial thingy sticking out the top which he bought when his grandma was ill and he used to go away caravan rallying with the Caravan Club every weekend and holiday, or on fishing trips some weekends in case his mother needed him at home as she was a widow without personal transport and his brother was ill also so although he was usually nearer, not fair to rely on him.

I never bothered getting one till I was about 50 odd, and frankly still hardly ever use the thing now cos you have to be so careful how you hold these so as not to press something accidentally and cut yourself off it's more trouble than it's worth usually.  Never can manage the internet, I enabled Google but so long ago I've no idea what on earth my password is though I've tried all the possibilities I can imagine I've used!


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## Lucy Honeychurch (Feb 20, 2018)

I agree that giving a child of 6 an IPhone, or even an old style mobile is bonkers.


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## grainger (Feb 20, 2018)

kentish maid said:


> A couple I know have a 6 year old. If you go round to their house they are so busy checking on their phones to catch up on the latest 'news' on social media the little one is often being told off for interrupting them, and in my eyes they are ignoring him, when they should be interacting with him. I see young Mums out with toddlers in push chairs, they are busy on their phones, hardly noticing the child, or where they are in fact going, I used to 'chat' to mine when out, even before they could answer. I guess what I am trying to say is, some parents these days cannot seem to survive without using their mobiles so they automatically think they are enriching their child's life by giving them one. It keeps the child quiet while adult gets on with what they want to do. Like you I think 6 is far too young. At 11, when they go to senior school, is soon enough in my eyes. Thought it was just me being a grumpy old woman and am relieved to see someone of the younger generation feels the same x



Whilst I agree with the premise of what you are saying and I don’t think kids should have mobiles before secondary school I think it’s really wrong to judge a young Mum who is looking at her phone while her toddler is in her pushchair. You have no idea why she’s on her phone or what’s going on. 

Whilst I’m sure you were 100% attentive to your child all the time Mums get shamed for pretty much everything these days and I don’t think judging them is helpful. 

I spent a lot of my time on my phone yesterday whilst I had my 3 year old son with me and I’m sure people judged me. I think I even heard a tut at one point. But - simple fact - my mum was in A&E after a fall and I was trying to find out what was going on. But to be honest even if that wasn’t the reason, it’s no-one elses place to judge me. I do the best I can and that’s all we can ask mums to do.

Sorry I’m pregnant and hormonal and seriously tired but the judgement of mums made on a snap moment in time really drives me nuts.


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## kentish maid (Feb 20, 2018)

grainger said:


> Whilst I agree with the premise of what you are saying and I don’t think kids should have mobiles before secondary school I think it’s really wrong to judge a young Mum who is looking at her phone while her toddler is in her pushchair. You have no idea why she’s on her phone or what’s going on.
> 
> Whilst I’m sure you were 100% attentive to your child all the time Mums get shamed for pretty much everything these days and I don’t think judging them is helpful.
> 
> ...


Unfortunately the young Mums I referred to were people I know and see regularly. I tend not to judge people whose circumstances I don't know, after all there but for the grace of God go I. I wasn't always an attentive mother, did in fact leave my baby in his pram outside a shop one day as I was worried about my Dad who was in hospital, only missed him when I got home . I hope your Mum is OK, and that your little one has recovered from his bug x


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## Northerner (Feb 20, 2018)

Lucy Honeychurch said:


> I agree that giving a child of 6 an IPhone, or even an old style mobile is bonkers.


Where I used to work there was a chap who bought an Apple Macintosh computer for his 4 year old grandson in about 1990 - we all thought that it was far too young! I still think that kids shouldn't get computers/tablets/phones until they are at least 10, but I don't have kids so might think differently if I had some pestering me all the time  I was 44 when I got my first mobile, although I did once use one of the company's two phones in the early 1990s when I had to provide Christmas cover - it was like a brick, had very poor reception and a huge aerial. Still painfully slow at texting  Bought my first smartphone a few months ago as it saved me lots of money on internet and calls - starting to get more familiar with now!


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## Davein (Feb 20, 2018)

grainger said:


> Whilst I agree with the premise of what you are saying and I don’t think kids should have mobiles before secondary school I think it’s really wrong to judge a young Mum who is looking at her phone while her toddler is in her pushchair. You have no idea why she’s on her phone or what’s going on.
> 
> Whilst I’m sure you were 100% attentive to your child all the time Mums get shamed for pretty much everything these days and I don’t think judging them is helpful.
> 
> ...


Almost opposite my property in Bedfordshire is a preschool. The house is on the high street of a small town and is the A road feeder to the M!. The preschool has been there 40+ years, in fact my kids attended 30 years ago. The road rises to quite a sharp gradient. Many, many times I've watched young mothers pull up in their vehicles, start using their mobiles whilst getting their young offspring out of their car seats often directly in the centre of the road appearing to be completely oblivious to the oncoming traffic .Frighteningly they sometimes have two youngsters and allow them to run downhill to the school entrance. I know everyone's life  now is hectic but putting your children's lives at risk for the sake of waiting a few minutes to get on the mobile is just plain crazy.


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## Ljc (Feb 20, 2018)

I agree with you  6 yrs old is far too young even for a very basic one .

My first experience of mobile phones was the horrid brick that Alan mentioned,  my work thought they were brill and supplied each team with one.
I was in my 30s/40s when I got my first one, it was a much hated Motorola, I was so glad when I replaced it with a Nokia 7310 ?

It was a very clever phone. It managed to make a couple of 999 calls whilst in my pocket . I was very sad when it died of old age several years later


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## Vince_UK (Feb 21, 2018)

The first phone I had was a Motorola Fip back in 1990. Absolute brick and spare batteries but at the time is was ultra cool. I still use the same mobile number I used back then. Had many over the years and I have used iPhones since the 3G. All my Grandkids have iPhones and they MUST be the latest models. Never for making phone calls by the way .
If you want to see excesses in mobile phone and tablet usage come here. Everyone, and I mean everyone all ages and social group has one and they are all smart phones. That is why Apple do so well here. I have seen kids as young as 2 sitting in pushchairs heads stuck in a mobile and actually taking photos. Kids at 4 and 5 with iPads is a common sight.
What do they get used for?
Not for phone calls that is for sure.
Games, watching videos, video calling infact everything except making a phone call.
Sun, Snow, Rain, Wind, Driving, Subway, Bus, Planes you name it, head stuck in mobiles including under an umbrella in the driving rain while walking across the street or road and never looking where they are going.
It is at epidemic proportions here and positively dangerous not only for them but also for anyone within 5 meters of them.
The Chinese have a limited concept of spacial awareness and privacy so you cannot even begin to imagine they absolute havoc they cause.
They will quite unashamedly look over your shoulder and try to see your screen if you are sitting on a subway checking emails and they get quite upset if to tell then where to go.
Driving a truck, car or bus on the freeway at 120kms an hour is definitley not to be tried but  see it every day.


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## Wirrallass (Feb 21, 2018)

Mark T said:


> I didn't get a mobile phone till I was 22!


I was 55yrs and it was a gift so I could keep in touch with my family when my dad was in hospital having suffered a stroke. It was a Motorola ~ a tad on the large size I might add!!!


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## Vince_UK (Feb 21, 2018)

wirralass said:


> I was 55yrs and it was a gift so I could keep in touch with my family when my dad was in hospital having suffered a stroke. It was a Motorola ~ a tad on the large size I might add!!!


So you have only had it a few days?


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## Wirrallass (Feb 21, 2018)

Vince_UK said:


> So you have only had it a few days?


Haha!That made me laugh V ~ and I wish!!!  It took me ages to familiarise myself with the Motorola ~ "twaz a bit too high tech for me at that time but nailed it eventually. My Moby after that was a Siemens, much smaller ~ by that time I knew how to send and receive text messages I've always been a little slow at picking things up but once I know theres no stopping me!


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## Davein (Feb 21, 2018)

Vince_UK said:


> So you have only had it a few days?


You old charmer  Don't you ever sleep?


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## Vince_UK (Feb 21, 2018)

Davein said:


> You old charmer  Don't you ever sleep?


I am 8 hours ahead Davein Shanghai


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## Davein (Feb 21, 2018)

Vince_UK said:


> I am 8 hours ahead Davein Shanghai


Mystery solved


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## Vince_UK (Feb 21, 2018)

Davein said:


> Mystery solved


Here  until the end of May.


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## Davein (Feb 21, 2018)

Vince can I ask you how you deal with having to have a continuous supply of medication when abroad for a long period? Do you take a large supply over with you or are you somehow able to obtain supplies over there?  Excuse my ignorance (I don't get out much)


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## Vince_UK (Feb 21, 2018)

Davein said:


> Vince can I ask you how you deal with having to have a continuous supply of medication when abroad for a long period? Do you take a large supply over with you or are you somehow able to obtain supplies over there?  Excuse my ignorance (I don't get out much)


@Davein 
No probelm at all in asking Dave, I usually carry the stuff with me. My GP gives me 3 or 6 months supply and as long as they are in the original packing with the label on and are prescription drugs that is fine. I am not on Metformin now so that is 1 less. The statins, Perindopril for BP and Asprin I can actually buy over the counter here should I need to but expensive. The main one for me is the the eye drops for my glaucoma and I cannot get that here so I do have to carry that.


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## Kaylz (Feb 21, 2018)

This was my first mobile phone, imagine what the children of today would think about it! haha xx


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## Vince_UK (Feb 21, 2018)

Kaylz said:


> This was my first mobile phone, imagine what the children of today would think about it! haha xx
> View attachment 6870


They wouldn't even look at it lol


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## Davein (Feb 21, 2018)

Kaylz said:


> This was my first mobile phone, imagine what the children of today would think about it! haha xx
> View attachment 6870


A museum piece for sure


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## Mark T (Feb 21, 2018)

When he changed to a job as a salesman my father had one of the big analogue Motorola bricks.  My first phone I think was a Nokia 3110 after I left university.  It’s possibly the only time that I’ve actually been on a contract phone.  I recall that myself and my wife had matching Siemens A65’s at one point.  Right now I run a Moto G5 which is fairly potent for the cost.

Giving kids phones is that it can be a source of bullying (mine is better than yours, my parents are richer, etc.), but there is always going to be some aspect of that.  It’s a bit like the kid at my school who would turn up with brand new expensive trainers and promptly the school bullies would get them off him and throw them around.

@grainger has a good point, phones are useful to parents.  If I’m in London with mine I’m often using mine to check the bus and tube times or texting whoever I’m meeting.

Although I take exception to those parents who spend the entire time at the playpark on the phone, texting or doing something and don’t even glance at their children once (I know a couple of those, I swear aliens could land and they wouldn’t notice).  The one that annoyed me recently was the mum who spent half the BJJ class playing videos (facebook?) with the sound turned up and distracting everyone.

I still haven’t decided if the little one will get a plain phone or something a little more advanced when he gets to secondary.


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## silentsquirrel (Feb 21, 2018)

Ralph-YK said:


> I don't remember if it was an A55, A60 or A65 off hand.  However, it did look exactly like this, and was on O2:
> View attachment 6846 View attachment 6847





Ralph-YK said:


> I don't remember if it was an A55, A60 or A65 off hand.  However, it did look exactly like this, and was on O2:
> View attachment 6846 View attachment 6847



Ralph, this is a picture of my first (and current!) mobile phone.  Still just about works, costs about £10 per year on PAYG.  It does annoy me that so many people assume everyone has a smartphone.


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## Mark T (Feb 21, 2018)

silentsquirrel said:


> Ralph, this is a picture of my first (and current!) mobile phone.  Still just about works, costs about £10 per year on PAYG.  It does annoy me that so many people assume everyone has a smartphone.


Yay, someone lower then me!  Most people look at me is disbelief when I tell them that I use about £40/year.  I think my wife is a bit lower then me.


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## Ralph-YK (Feb 21, 2018)

silentsquirrel said:


> costs about £10 per year on PAYG.





Mark T said:


> Yay, someone lower then me!  Most people look at me is disbelief when I tell them that I use about £40/year.  I think my wife is a bit lower then me.


My usage for phone calls might max out at £40 a year.  (I sold my smartphone in December so can't check time of outgoing calls.) The bulk of my data when on data.
It has varied. Some periods I've had hour long phonecalls. A lot of places I was dealing with (inc hospitals & DWP) have non standard (actually now standard) phone numbers which cost more.


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## Amigo (Feb 21, 2018)

I saw a guy on the karaoke last week texting whilst he sang. His ability to multi-task both amused and appalled me but he never dropped a note!


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## mikeyB (Feb 21, 2018)

Ralph-YK said:


> My usage for phone calls might max out at £40 a year.  (I sold my smartphone in December so can't check time of outgoing calls.) The bulk of my data when on data.
> It has varied. Some periods I've had hour long phonecalls. A lot of places I was dealing with (inc hospitals & DWP) have non standard (actually now standard) phone numbers which cost more.


Aye, Ralph. To make a claim the DWP is a free phone number. To make an enquiry or complain it’s an 0845 number.


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## Ralph-YK (Feb 22, 2018)

mikeyB said:


> Aye, Ralph. To make a claim the DWP is a free phone number. To make an enquiry or complain it’s an 0845 number.


I had a lot of dealings with DWP when I was diagnosed & for the first year after (I was on JSA and sick during that period, and in and out of hospital, first stay being three weeks) having a 0845 number. (And at some point finding one starting 0345. These were brought in posibly cause they're cheaper & cost of 0845 if I recall right.,)
I've also had to use 0845 numbers to call other organisations.
And they were never free I've had to pay for every single call.

[Edited]


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## mikeyB (Feb 22, 2018)

Aye, the company I buy my invalidity kit from is an 0800 sakes number, and an 0845 complaints and customer service line. I never ring these numbers on the mobile, always the landline.


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## Mark T (Feb 22, 2018)

When I left Orange for Three they charged me for getting my code!  Technically they are not allowed to do that.

Pretty much anytime you called there customer service you ended up getting charged.  Although I think before EE brought them out (and BT after that)  it wasn't quite so bad.


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