Failing to Mobilise Against Waste

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01 July 2016 | Updated 01 January 1970

In the past 12 months, people in the UK have spent a combined £811 million on top of their monthly mobile tariffs according to price comparison and switching service uSwith.com.

More than one in four (42%) British mobile users pay out an extra £39.72 per year on unforeseen mobile charges.

The most common reason for out-of-tariff charges is exceeding mobile data limits (39%), implying many mobile users are on the wrong deals for their browsing, streaming and downloading needs. Premium rate calls and texts catch out 23% of mobile customers, while roaming charges for using handsets abroad hit 20% in the pocket. Other costs to sting mobile users include exceeding call minute allowances (13%) and making calls to overseas numbers (9%).

Unaware of difference

Worryingly, 37% are completely unaware of the difference between SMS and MMS messages, costing 19% of mobile users in additional charges.

While text (SMS) messages are usually included as part of a text bundle, MMS or multi-media messages include photo messages, texts containing emoticons and messages sent to more than one recipient. These are usually charged separately and can cost up to 45p each.

“Smartphones have made us all hungrier to surf, stream and search online and exceeding your data limit is the biggest culprit when it comes to excess charges,” explained Ernest Doku, Telecoms Expert, uSwith.com. “Only 14% of mobile deals sold through uSwitch.com offer unlimited data which suggests people are still underestimating their data usage.”

Mr Doku believes getting the tariff right plays as much a part in keeping bills down as understanding any hidden costs. “If you regularly receive excess charges, it’s worth exploring a pay-as-you-go option such as giffgaff instead. Its out of bundle charges are notably less than those offered on a pay-monthly contract from the big four providers.”

He went on to state that taking some basic changes to the way people use their phones can also help them avoid falling victims to typical out-of-tariff traps. “For example, switching to messaging apps that use data to send photos and texts instead of SMS or MMS, considering Skype for overseas calls and checking out roaming bundles before you travel can all save you money,” he concluded.

Picture:    There are simple steps to avoid the unnecessary charges that UK users are building up on their mobile phones argues uSwith.com

Article written by Robin Snow | Published 01 July 2016

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