Millions of mobile users overpay on their monthly contracts
20% of UK adults always exceed their usage limits, or incur out-of-tariff costs, on their mobile phone contract, according to a new survey from Which?.
Our survey (which quizzed a total of 1,212 people aged 16+) revealed that 20% of respondents always paid more than the fixed minimum amount on their contract, while 44% said that they usually paid more than their minimum amount.
This suggests that approximately 10 million people regularly exceed their fixed monthly payments each month in the UK.
The survey also found that more than half of respondents never – or only occasionally – checked their mobile phone bill while many people do not know – or only have a vague idea – of what their monthly usage limits are:
- 27% of respondents said they either didn’t know, or had a vague idea, of their voice call limits.
- 24% said they didn’t know/had a vague idea of their text limit.
- 28% had a vague idea/didn’t know their data limit.
If you’re one of the 56% of mobile users that didn’t say they usually paid more than their minimum monthly amount, it could be because you have a plan that includes more minutes and texts than you need. If so, you may be able to save money by finding a cheaper tariff that better reflects your usage.
Monthly usage limits data, click to enlarge.
Switch and save
These figures highlight just how important it is to regularly check your monthly mobile phone bill. If you are regularly paying more than your fixed monthly amount, or using far fewer minutes and texts than your plan allows, why not check if Which?’s deal comparison tool can find you a cheaper mobile deal.
For more info on switching see our ‘Five good reasons why you should switch mobile phone provider‘.
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Zuzana Miller
I have never been a heavy mobile phone user and I use it more while travelling abroad than at home in the UK. Apart from a short PAYG period I’ve only been with two companies on monthly contracts, Orange and Vodafone. But experience taught me that even if you are extremely alert and well informed, these companies will always find a way to trick you. Just look at their discussion boards and the complaints posted there. Their tactics are very similar: difficult to check online bills, websites that don’t work properly with information buried under countless layers, difficult to reach and unresponsive customer services, sometimes providing contradicting or false advice, constantly changing calling plans and charges without you being notified, hidden costs (e.g. a longer text qualifying as multiple texts without you knowing – costly if you text from abroad), a WAP connectivity that is not deactivated or barred as you requested, so you keep paying for accidental connection when you fail to lock up your phone, signing you up for a longer contract than you asked for (happened to me with both companies) etc. Untill and unless organisations like Ofcom take a firmer line, these practices will continue. In this respect the EU is doing the right thing and texting from abroad is now half of what it costs at home. I am an adept internet user and consequently very well informed, but I wonder how many millions these companies make in profit hoodwinking ordinary people who simply don’t have the time or competence to check.