Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with contract

Legitimacy of regular employee forced to become contract employee.

Oireachtac — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:10:50 -0800

Legitimacy of regular employee forced to become contract employee. (please reference my earlier long posting here... http://ask.metafilter.com/139060/Coping-with-a-boss-who-doesnt-care-about-the-business-any-more)

My employer, in a desperate act to save gross receipts taxes as an employer, is forcing me to accept transitioning from being a regular employee to being a contract employee...is this, in fact, legal?

TempToPerm

sophist — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:21:12 -0800

What are your experiences with temp-to-perm contracts? Advice, things to watch out for? I was recently offered a position with a great company in a field I would very much like to move into. While it is technically a 6 month contract, everyone I talked to very much indicated that they were looking for a long term hire. So, if they were happy with my performance and I fit in with the team, I would be offered a salaried position at the end of my contract or before. Should I take them at their word? I have never worked as a contractor before, so I am open to any advice regarding this type of work.

How to handle taxes when you earn money in different ways?

lunalaguna — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:09:06 -0800

Tax advice for a freelancer, contractor, and full-time employee I'm trying to determine how to handle my January 15 quarterly taxes when I've been a freelancer, contractor, and full-time employee in 2009.

I was laid off from a full-time, salaried position at the end of January. In March, I started a job that was technically contract, but I was paid through a recruitment agency (taxes were taken out, and I'll receive a W2). When that contract ended in July, I began a part-time, salaried position, and also registered a DBA for freelance purposes.

Since I didn't have any freelance work in July or August, and honestly didn't have my shit together, I didn't file quarterly taxes on September 15. I did, however, have significant expenses over the summer related to starting a business and working from home (new computer equipment, software, office supplies, designer's fees for my logo).

Now I've had a fair amount of freelance work over this quarter for which I'll need to pay taxes.

My questions are:
1. Do I only need to factor in my freelance income for this quarter when I file? What about the already-taxed income I've earned during my contract earlier this year and the part-time position? Do I just claim that in April, when I've received my W2?

2. Can I deduct my summer business expenses on this quarter's filing? I've been told by other freelancers that you can space your business expense claims out during the year, and that you don't necessarily need to claim them for the quarter in which they happened. I don't know if this is true.

I know I should get an accountant, but with the holidays, I don't have the money to spend on one at all. Also, it'd be nice to learn how to deal with this myself.

What non-monetary things could I ask for in my contract re-negotiations?

Anonymous — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:00:17 -0800

What non-monetary things could I ask for in my contract re-negotiations? Due to some contractual inefficiencies that aren't worth getting into, I have been asked by my boss to suggest some non-raise ways of increasing my employment package. I have a basic idea or two (more vacation time, built in raise at the end of the year of X%), but am looking for some more suggestions.

About my job: Have been on contract for 1.5 years; new contract will be Jan 1 to Dec 31. Work for a large publicly traded communications company in a senior-ish role. Can't get a permanent role until someone leaves, which, for reasons that aren't worth getting into, will almost definitely not happen before Jan 2011 at the earliest.

AT&T Wireless Options

anotherpanacea — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:34:34 -0800

My 2-year cell phone contract with AT&T Wireless is complete, and I'm looking for advice on how to handle the next part. In general, the question is: Should I re-up or just continue without a contract?

Specifically:

1. Does anyone have experience with unlocked phones from Amazon? They appear to be older models, but will I have any trouble getting a quad-band GSM phone up and running to replace my wife's crappy Nokia?

2. I've got a pretty sweet deal with an older 1G iPhone on the EDGE network, and I don't need faster service. But I'm worried: is this thing going to last two more years? If I upgrade, is there a secondary market for 1G iPhones?

3. Kind of random, but I'm thinking of switching to a Kindle for my internet-anywhere needs. Has anyone tried this? (I hear there's a note in the T&Cs that Amazon can start charging for internet if it gets too expensive to support my browsing.) Is it possible to suspend the data part of the plan without getting rid of the iPhone itself?

I've called AT&T and they're supremely unhelpful, but I'm not really read to switch, as any other plan would be much more expensive given our usage rates, the switch to 3G, and general price inflation.

How much notice do I need to give? (France, fixed term contract)

handee — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:43:10 -0800

How much notice do I have to give at work? I'm in France, and my contract lasts 1 year. I'm employed in France on a fixed term contract (a CDD - Contrat duree determinee). I'm half way through so I've started applying for other jobs. The job application form I'm currently working on wants to know my notice period. I have no idea, and it's not in my contract. (Just in case my boss reads this: I have every intention of staying to the end of the contract, I just need this for the form.) I think the law covering my contract is this one: article 86-83, but my French is not quite up to the job of finding the information in that page...

Good Prepaid Cellphone for Austin, Tx?

Sentus — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:10:58 -0800

Hey there, I hate dealing with credit cards, signing contracts. Need a good simple and reliable Prepaid cell phone. Hope you folks are having a great weekend...

I am thinking about finally getting a prepaid cellphone.
It's going to be mainly for business purposes. Going to use it in moderation.

A few questions:
1. Voice mail. I need it to have a reliable voice mail service. To be able to customize it with my voice.
2. What happens If I brake it, lose it, it gets stolen? Would I be able somehow to get the same number again?
3. Google Voice - Is any body uses that? Could it work for me?
4. Good/Bad experiences with providers in the area?
5. Other ideas?

Thank you in advance and have a great day,

Lease AFTER moving in?

2bucksplus — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:58:23 -0800

New York City apartment question: Is it normal for my broker to tell me I will receive hard copies of my lease a "couple of weeks" after moving in? I found an apartment with a November 1st move in date in New York City. Everything was going well and I received two copies of the lease to review and sign. Initially I was told one copy of the lease would be returned to me within about 48 hours, signed by the management company. Now I am being told I should move in on the 1st and wait for a copy to be mailed to me within a couple of weeks.

Is this normal? It makes me feel very uncomfortable. Both the broker company and the landlord are large well known companies in the NYC area. Is there any law I can quote on this? What else should I do, besides getting everything in writing?

what are the rules regarding hiring foreign contract workers who work at home?

helios — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:08:04 -0800

What are the legal/tax issues involved in an US-based company hiring European individuals to do contract work at home (things like translating documents; the person hired would never need to leave their home country). From the standpoint of the US-based business, it is simply a matter of sending a 1099 like any other contract work? Is there anything else to consider?

What should go in a contract with a roommate?

fogster — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:42:33 -0800

A friend and I are looking to rent an apartment together. We're both a bit cautious and want to draft an informal contract laying everything out. What would you make sure to specify in such a document? How do we split utilities we disagree on? A friend and I are looking to get an apartment together. (We are two males, early 20s, in Massachusetts, if it makes a difference in your answers.) Although we trust each other, we want to draw up a contract laying out exactly how everything will work, since we've both seen roommates end up having furious brawls over issues that really should have been handled before they even moved in together. We don't plan to involve a lawyer or draw up anything ornate, but wanted input from the hive mind on what sort of things you wish you had ironed out and written down beforehand?

The more obvious issues are what will happen if someone backs out of the lease (they'll be responsible for payments), and who owns shared property. (Neither of us own a couch, for example.) These should be straightforward to spell out. But what other things are we overlooking?

How do we handle disagreements? Not feuds, but just things we have different opinions on how to spend money. For example, I want the top-of-the-line FiOS, and he wants the cheapest plan available. I've thought about picking up the difference, but that leaves him getting the benefit, too. Similarly, access to the pool on premises is an additional fee, which I don't find worth paying. But if he pays it himself, I would gain the ability to use the pool and might even end up going. Neither of these are really big deals, and I trust that we'll find an amenable solution. But they're also the type of things I can see turning into feuds, and, with just two of us, it's not like we can vote. Is there a recommended course of action we might put in the contract?

Sorry if this is an open-ended question, but what else do we need to address now, before we move in together? I'm sure there are a lot of things that we're not thinking of right now, and, if we're going to draw up a contract, I want to make sure it's robust.

Verizon wont give me what I orderd or let me quit.

digividal — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:03:17 -0800

How can I make Verizon Wireless treat me better? They changed my plan without my consent. I have actually been pretty happy Verizon Wireless until very recently.

I have one regular cell phone line with Verizon, and one of those nice little usb broadband modems. I have had both since about 2005.
The great thing was that I had the unlimited broadband plan on my modem. They do not offer it anymore so I was proud of being able to keep my unlimited broadband plan.
Earlier this year, my wife and I got divorced. Among the thousands of matters to attend to, was to split our Verizon account into his and hers.
I called up Verizon and explained that I needed to remove her from the account and have the account only in my name.

The rep said this was no problem, and it was quick to do. I asked him specifically to ensure there was no changes to account, and if the broadband account would
remain the same. He ensured me that this would be the case, and even commented on how cool it was that I had the Unlimited plan.
He told me I needed to make sure I kept it. Wise words.

I kept getting bills in the expected amount so I did not verify further at that point. This month I did read my bill, and I notice that my broadband plan has changed from Unlimited as expected to their new 5GB plan.
This was clearly an error so I call up VZW to have them correct the error. I spoke at that time to rep number. 322590.
She assured me that she would put in a request to have my account updated back to the grandfathered plan and I would get a call back the next day.

3 days passed and I received no notification so I called VZW back. This time I spoke to rep 319729, who was a supervisor she said.
She looked at my account, and said that VZW had refused to put the unlimited plan back on my account, and there was nothing they could do.
I requested that because they had failed to provide me with what I was contractually entitled to, that they should release me from the termination
charges on the account and allow me to close the account.

Rep 319729 said that it was impossible for VZW to give me the plan and I wanted, and it was impossible for Verizon to release me from my early termination. Now they are charging me $59.99 per/month for a service I did not sign up for, and do not want.

Rep 319729 said that there was a website that listed the terms and conditions that apply when VZW makes a change to the account, and it was my duty to read this mythical piece to understand what they were allowed to do, when they make changes to the account. Rep 319729 did not say what the Url for this document was.

What can I do? They took advantage of me, in a very trying time in my life, and they refuse to fix it, and they even rub my face in it, with this mythical website I am supposed
to have read before calling to change my account.

I know I never agreed to the change, and that I never signed any documents about the change? How can they do this?

Need money now thankyou.

drjimmy11 — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:50:15 -0800

What are some good tech-centric temp agencies in L.A.? Hi! Yet another in my long series of job-trauma questions.

I'm currently between jobs- I'm a web/software developer, specializing in flex/AS3 but with years and years of doing html/js/ajax/php type stuff too. I have a pretty strong resume, I like to think, going back about 10 years.

I'm currently getting contacted by a lot of recruiters and going on a lot of interviews, but it's a very drawn-out process. Basically I need a gig to bring in some money now- cutting up PSDs or whatever is fine, I'm not proud at this point. I'm curious if anyone knows any decently reputable agencies who could get me something like this soon. Specific names of agencies are appreciated, referrals to specific people are even more appreciated. (meMail me if you like).

(I'd also be interested in where I can advertise myself as a flex freelancer, but I'm more inclined towards W2 right now for a few reasons.)

Thanks!

Campaign stiffs campaign workers, won't respond. Solutions?

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:39:54 -0800

Local political campaign reports a large surplus four days after stiffing its workers (I and dozens of other campaign workers are owed back pay, several of us in the $300+ range). Solutions? This was an unsuccessful bid for a NY City Council seat. (I'm not directly naming the candidate or any individuals in this post, just as a courtesy -- trying not to saturate people's google results with this because A) I don't know yet what happened and B) the candidate has done great things for the community and I still really believe in his achievements. But there's an article at nypost.com and several of the campaign workers are blogging about it, so it's not exactly a secret).

The campaign hired all its workers at $15/hr. On Election Day (the 15th of September), we were told to come pick up our checks on the 18th of Sep., with no indication that anything would be wrong with them (and throughout the entire campaign they were still actively asking us to bring new people, friends and relatives, to come work at $15/hr).

At 9pm on the 17th, we got a group email saying the campaign would only pay us $10/hr and we should not come in on the 18th; instead, the $10/hr checks were mailed. According to the article linked above, the campaign reported a significant surplus four days after sending out our partial-payment checks on the 18th.

The sole public statement from the campaign, given at the reporter's request for that article, was "Everyone has been paid or their check has been sent to them in the mail." That is, needless to say, an extremely disingenuous (and bad-faith) non-response.

Several campaign workers got together and wrote a formal group email to the campaign's email address asking for a resolution (there was no answer, and now that address is apparently no longer accepting emails), and started a blog with the basic facts, then filed a formal complaint with the Campaign Finance Board after it was clear that the campaign wouldn't respond (that complaint is now pending). Many workers have attempted to contact the campaign managers (using known-good phone numbers and email addresses), receiving no responses whatsoever. Only the Field Coordinator has been responsive, but she has no relation to the campaign's finances.

One thing I have not done is cash the partial-payment check they mailed me on the 18th, on the suspicion that cashing it could be seen as implicitly accepting it as correct payment. (Please share opinions re. whether that's a wrong suspicion, because I seriously need that money.) For me, and for at least a dozen other people who also started towards the beginning of the campaign, these partial checks sent on the 18th were the second or third of the weekly checks we received. Our earlier first checks were all correct, $15/hr, agreeing with our timesheets. I did cash my correct earlier check, as I think all of us did.

My own financial position means the money I'm still owed (several hundred dollars) is clearly worth time and effort in material terms, not just on principle. Are there steps to be taken while we wait for the Campaign Finance Board to review the complaint? And more importantly: would even the best-case result of that review produce money for us, or would it just produce something like censure or fees for the campaign?

Online purchase = implied contract?

kprincehouse — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:33:31 -0800

I buy an item from a major online deal-a-day site. They withdraw the funds from my account. Does this constitute a legally binding contract that they will provide me with the item, or are they able at their discretion to refund the purchase price and walk away? It's not a terribly important problem, really, but I'd like to know where I stand legally and Googling has come up short.

I bought an item online and the site took my money and shipped the item, but it was damaged in transit and returned to them. Weeks went by with no word from them, so I contacted them and asked for an update--was a replacement en route? They said, oh, we're out of that item, we'll refund the purchase price in a few days.

Well... I'm a little miffed at this (the customer service was frustrating so I'm perhaps irrationally confrontational at this point). Do I have any legal ground to insist that they send me the item rather than simply refund my money? I guess I just don't like the idea that they can back out from the deal unilaterally after borrowing my money interest-free for a month.

The amount of money involved is not large, less than $100, but the item is about 60% more elsewhere so I would really like to have them send me one if it's within my rights to insist that happens.

How do lottery retailers make their money?

Grither — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:54:07 -0800

How do lottery retailers make their money? Do they make money on a per ticket sold kind of thing, or do they get paid a certain amount each month that they are selling tickets? Is it different for mega-millions/powerball vs scratch-offs? Or is it the opposite, like they pay the lotto folks for the privilege of selling tickets, as a way of getting people into their shops?

Can John Madden sell me a house?

ian1977 — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 08:20:26 -0800

Does Contract for Deed ever work? I am renting an apartment right now but when my lease is up I want to rent a house. I keep seeing all these 'Contract for Deed' listings. I had no clue what it was so I googled it. Apparently sometimes they can be predatory but not always.

Has anyone had any experience with this type of route to home ownership? Do you have any advice or warnings? What should I look for if I wanted to pursue this farther?

Any advice or help at all would be greatly appreciated.

Scanned contract

yoyo_nyc — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:25:16 -0800

Is a contract valid if I only have a scanned version of it? If the state matters I guess I would be interested in the states of California and Nevada. I have the signed contract but not the original, the scan was emailed to me.

What do you charge to not do any work, but instead sit around and wait, just in case?

CommonSense — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:19:44 -0800

I have no idea what to charge to be "on call" for a year, just in CASE a computer has a problem. I got a call this morning from some guy that works with a company that has a government contract with -- I'm guessing -- the Social Security Administration here in Baltimore. His company does IT for them. Well, they have a couple of Macs that they want someone on call for, and surprise surprise, his company wouldn't know how to spell "Mac" if you spotted them three letters.

I do ONLY Mac support and consulting, on kind of a "boutique" business -- I'm a sole proprietor, and I consider it a strength that small businesses always are dealing with me, the same person, and know they'll get me whenever they call, e-mail, or have me come out to their location. So I guess this guy found my company website on Google and called.

Basically, he wants to know what I'd charge to basically be on call, 24x7x365x4 (I don't know what the x4 is, but I'm assuming four business hour response time), for a one-year contract to cover these two Mac Pro machines their client has. Mind you, they don't need me to come out on a scheduled basis or anything like that; they just want to have someone to call for onsite support/repair in case something goes wrong.

I can do tech support, server work (on OS X Server), networking, and LIGHT hardware (e.g., memory upgrades, hard drive swaps, cloning/imaging). I don't do more hardcore hardware stuff, like logic board replacement, etc., much less do it AT the client site -- but I don't think many companies who DO do that kind of service can do it at the client site, either. (There's just a shitload of tools, workbench, etc. you have to have.)

Now, these are pretty new, high-end machines, and the odds of them having serious hardware problems inside of a year are pretty damn low. Still, say something comes up. Would I be OK by explaining to them that it's a high-level repair that HAS to be sent out, and then coordinating everything (pickup, drop-off at a repair facility, being sole point of contact with said repair facility, picking it up when it's done, and delivering it back to the client site)? All the while, I could give them a loaner machine (not necessarily as high spec, but functional) in the meantime.

I've never been asked for something like this, and I don't really know how these government deals work. Also, I'm really not sure HOW the hell to charge to a company that wants me on "retainer," though doesn't actually need me to even show up unless something goes wrong. Yet, the guy who asked me was looking for a quote, something along the lines of a monthly fee or whatever, even (apparently) if I go months without so much as a phone call or e-mail with these people.

But say something big happens and I have to coordinate repair, etc. Do I have to eat the cost, in light of the fact that I'm charging them a retainer? In other words, are we looking at more of an "insurance policy" model rather than a "service contract" model (wherein the latter actually entails regular onsite visits, etc. -- you know, something that's actually DONE, regularly)?

It kinda sounds too good to be true, but hey, it's the government. Working logically isn't their strong suit.

For anyone who's done this before, I'd love to hear whatever input you can offer. Better yet, some suggestions on what a good ballpark range is, too. These are two high-end Mac Pro machines, probably no more than a year old, pretty nicely souped up. FYI, I normally charge businesses $135 an hour for onsite support.

Sample Product Design Contract Anywhere?

gonzo_ID — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:49:07 -0800

Am looking for a sample product design contract. Know where there is a (hopefully free) one i can take apart and re-write before taking to a lawyer? starting a design collective and first project involves design and development of a business plan and some sketches of a product idea through to manufacture. i'd like both parties to be covered by and agreement / contract. there's lots of web design and graphic design agreements. whats in a product design one that the other two might miss?

Can I get out of my apartment lease?

speedoavenger — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 07:41:53 -0800

Is my Rental Agreement legally binding if the landlord did not sign the contract? The rental agreement was signed by me and another person who may or may not be the landlord's husband. His name is not listed anywhere on the Rental agreement as being a landlord.

Would it be a breach of contract if I moved out early? Since the landlord listed in the Rental agreeement never signed the agreement, I'm thinking it would not be a breach of contract. Am I correct?

Thank you for your assistance!

Union How-To

Jon-o — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 21:02:06 -0800

When is the right time to get Labor Union representation? Has anyone gone through the process of unionizing their workplace? What factors motivated you? What was the main indicator that your issues could only be resolved through a union contract?
Once you decide on representation, how do you find the union that represents your field of work? I've found unions that represent transportation workers, shipping, airplane, auto manufacturing, and all manner of transportation related labor, but none that represent automotive repair technicians or mechanics.

How does one get into the business of writing stories for video games?

metalheart — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:26:19 -0800

Tell me what I need to do, or which bums I need to kiss, to write a storyline for a video game. I love to write, and I am actually pretty good at it. (Yes, more than just my mother, friends and pets have given me reason to believe this, so no worries there.) I also happen to be interested in usability issues and video games, and so I find video game writing fun. The challenge of making an interactive tale somehow sensibly structured and usable for the player is enjoyable to me. I like having to think about what players might do that isn't intended (i.e., them trying to "cheat" the game or find holes in the story). It would be great to write somehow in the gaming industry, even though I know most things are highly competitive and may have poor payment for the amount of work one does. I don't care, honestly.

The thing is, I don't really see a clash for good writing in this field, not always, so I'm unsure of how to get into it. I play a lot of games, and I'll go out on a limb here and say that it seems like only a handful of companies and titles really give much thought to stories and plot lines (e.g., Portal, Bioshock, Braid). There's such a focus on gameplay and visuals at the moment that the writing is unfortunately overlooked sometimes; I think what often happens is the developers write the stories. (It shows.) So, is there even a way to get into this?

I'm specifically interested in stories in first person shooter games, as well as in adventure puzzle games, like the Myst or The Longest Journey series. RPGs can be nice, but the big titles are fairly formulaic ("Our town needs you! Please go collect these items to save the day and go on to the next quest!"), so I'm not sure how much real, creative work would be in that. I love the creativity found in many indie games, so that's a possible outlet, but I'm concerned about just jumping into that culture, as indie games sometimes have a tendency to never be finished. I think I'd rather be involved with an established company, but I can be talked out of that if given enough reason.

So yes, just out of personal interest, I'm curious what the hive mind knows about professional game writing and how one might go about getting involved, particularly on a freelance or contractual basis. I'll take a guess that ass kissing and elbow rubbing comes in somewhere and that it would help to have previous experience of varying kinds. Any information would be greatly appreciated!

How does a land contract work?

howrobotsaremade — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:53:38 -0800

Is buying a home on land contract or as a lease option ever a good idea? For the last couple years I have been working diligently to clear up my formerly terrible credit. However, it will probably be a year or possibly two before it's in good enough shape to qualify for a mortgage, even with a cosigner.

The problem is, I have recently found out that I will probably need to move out of the house I'm renting in the next 6 months. I live in a very tight rental market. I am not finding any suitable rentals within my price range that are kid/pet friendly in this school district.

As I've been looking, I keep seeing listings for companies who are offering homes as a lease with option to buy, or on land contract. On the surface, this sounds like a good idea for someone like me. But if it was that easy, why don't most people buy homes this way instead of going through a regular bank?

Is this fundamentally a bad idea? Will I end up paying much more for the home, even if I buy it out with a bank mortgage in a couple years' time when my credit has recovered? Does buying a home this way remove any of the legal protections that one would normally get in a conventional home purchase? From what I understand, the biggest concern is that often the contract is written in a way that makes it very easy to lose the home and any money invested into it, for a multitude of reasons. But does this work well for people if the payments are always made on time?

I have not had much luck finding straight answers on the pitfalls of doing one of these deals. Google turns up a lot of real estate seminars and make money schemes, which makes me believe that maybe this isn't the greatest idea after all.

I know the answer to this question is probably "lawyer up beforehand", which is a stellar idea no matter what. But first, I'd like to know is if it's a waste of time to pursue looking for one of these homes in the first place. If it's feasible, I really need some good, legitimate resources to understand how a land contract (or lease with option to buy) should be structured and how it works and what I should be asking if I decide to go this route.

Any good or bad personal experiences are welcome, too. Also, if it matters, the state is Indiana.

What was the name of this graphic design website?

Black Spring — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:51:29 -0800

What was the name of the website on which freelance graphic designers could publically upload their logos and banners to match a contractor's brief, on the condition that one of their designs must be purchased after an allotted time? I saw this three or four months back and can't seem to find it now. I'm pretty sure the bidding currency was dollars. The site itself was pretty slick / 'web 2.0' as I remember.

What's the UK's best combination of iPhone 3G S tariff and phone capacity?

jaffacakerhubarb — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:39:59 -0800

What's a better deal for a contract iPhone — pay more per month and get the phone cheaper, or get a cheaper phone? I'm in the UK, and I want to get an iPhone 3G S. I already have a first-generation iPhone, and all the things the matter with it — a bit slow operationally, very slow internet, not-so-great camera, lack of video and MMS — are all fixed in this one, so it's time to make the jump. I'm not on contract now, so I'm free to choose whichever and I'll be subsidised whatever way. The difficulty lies in picking a plan and, subsequently, the phone capacity.

I'm looking at the 24 months, partly because someone said I'd then come right up on the iPhone to be released two years from now, and partly because it's only another six months but the upfront cost of the handset drops considerably.

£34.26 a month, then, means the iPhone 3G S 16GB and 32GB will cost £87.11 and £175.19 respectively. If I go on £45, the 16GB is free and the 32GB costs £96.89. What I'm not sure about is whether it's smarter to go onto a higher tariff in return for a significantly cheaper handset, or pay more upfront and go on a lower one. At the moment, I'm looking at the 16GB on £34.26 a month; I'd like the 32GB, but I've survived for a while with 8GB and I'm not sure if paying £175 for the phone is particularly financially sensible. There's an element of judgement here, to be sure, but am I missing a particularly compelling combination of tariff and phone size that's a much better deal than the others?

P.S. I'm fully aware I may be overthinking this, and it should be more a case of 'If you can afford it, go for it' but two years is a long time and I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing a trick.