How can I keep the cost of using the internet on my phone down?

Our mobile expert says...

Thanks for getting in touch, Christa.

Mobile users being hit with unexpectedly high phone bills by unwittingly clocking up charges for voice and internet services is far from uncommon - in the mobile industry this is known as “bill shock”.

It’s also far from uncommon for bill shock to be a worry for those on a pay-monthly mobile contract - research recently published by Ofcom, the communications regulator, found that 1.4 million people on contracts have been hit by bill shock in the last six months.

How am I most likely to rack up an unexpectedly high phone bill?

It can seem like there are many, many ways that you can accidentally build up a phone bill that makes the new Wembley look like value for money, but these all generally stem from one of three main causes. These are:

1. Downloading data - Or accessing the internet on your mobile phone as it’s more commonly known. This often catches people out when using their phone to go online while travelling outside the EU, which is often far more expensive than it is within the more regulated confines of the 27 EU member states. This is not to say data-related bill shock is only likely while you’re on your jollies - it often occurs because people’s smartphones are downloading data without them realising it (for example, via an app that periodically accesses the web) or because they simply have no idea how much data they are using.

2. Mobile voice services - These suckers can see you handing over your life savings to your mobile network even if you take the most obvious precaution of not using them abroad. Exceeding call allowances included with your contract or calling numbers not covered by these allowances can see you racking up bills like Rangers on a bad day.

3. Lost or stolen phones - This results in bill shock when it is some time until you notice that your smartphone has been swiped or your mobile misplaced, giving the miscreant that swiped or found it carte blanche to call everyone in the southern hemisphere while downloading the entire recorded works of Frank Zappa. While the number of people affected by this type of bill shock is relatively small, in the words of Ofcom “the level of financial harm can be substantial”.

Will my mobile network protect me from an unexpectedly high phone bill?

At present you will usually be liable for any costs incurred on your mobile contract regardless of the circumstances. Mobile networks will sometime to step in to help out a customer who has unwittingly landed themselves with a bill that’s thicker than the Bible, but usually they are not obligated to help.

Whatever the circumstances though, it is usually a good idea to get to know the ins and outs of your contract before you start downloading The Lord of the Rings film trilogy in high-definition while you’re holidaying in El Salvador.

However, earlier this month, Ofcom announced plans to clamp down on bill shock by working with mobile networks following an extensive review of the problem.

And the regulator clearly means business - it has said that if the measures produced in partnership with the networks don’t go far enough in reducing the impact of bill shock on customers, it may introduce compulsory rules.

Ofcom has also asked the networks to do more to educate their customers about how to avoid bill shock.

What is the mobile industry’s plan to protect me from racking up an unexpectedly high phone bill?

Extending EU roaming regulation - As mentioned earlier, using your phone abroad is often a catalyst for bill shock. At present, the EU Roaming Regulation requires all mobile networks to cut you off once your mobile internet bill hits around £42 per month while travelling in the EU, while also sending you warnings when you reach 80% and 100% of that limit. Ofcom is backing the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) to extend this to cover European mobile users wherever they are in the world.

Ofcom is also urging mobile networks to introduce their own mobile internet caps and usage alerts in advance of the extension possibly coming into force in June this year. The cost of accessing the mobile internet in the EU is also expected to “fall significantly” by 2014, meaning that users will get a lot more access for their money before reaching the EU bill limit.

Encouraging mobile networks to set financial caps - As well as asking mobile networks to help you avoid roaming costs, Ofcom also wants them to help you control the amount you spend using your mobile in the UK. Networks have been asked to develop contracts that allow you to set your own spending limits and incorporate alerts and tools to monitor usage.

Maximum liability limits for a lost/stolen phone - Ofcom wants mobile networks to look at how they monitor unusual and fraudulent activity on customers contracts and examine the possibility of limiting the amount you’d be liable for if someone ran up a huge bill on your mobile after it was lost or stolen. The networks are also being asked to do more to educate users of how they can help stop this from happening, such as locking their handsets.

Making mobile contracts more transparent - While mobile networks offer a wide range of deals to give you as much choice and flexibility as possible, Ofcom’s bill shock review found some of us are having trouble finding out how much using everything we’re being offered will actually end up costing us, or, when we do find out, are actually being given incorrect information.

As such, Ofcom has reminded the mobile networks that they are obligated to make information on their contracts available to customers, including on their websites, under its rules, and that they should not be indulging in any shifty business. The networks are also required to tell us when they make any changes to our contracts. Ofcom is reviewing the information supplied on the networks’ websites as well as monitoring complaints about mobile data mis-selling.

What can I do to protect myself from racking up an unexpectedly high phone bill?

There are many things you can do that will lead you to being landed with a mobile bill big enough to beat a whale to death with. Luckily for you then that Mobilechoices.co.uk is here to help stop you from getting slapped with an unexpectedly big one .

• Call costs - If you make calls to numbers not included in your mobile contract you could end up with a beefier bill than you’re expecting. Ask your network to clarify what calls are included in your contract and what you’ll be charged for those not included or if you exceed your allowance for a certain type of call.
• Using your mobile abroad - While mobile roaming charges in the EU could fall by two-thirds by 2014, they can cost you a bomb elsewhere in the world, so look into how to avoid data roaming charge on your smartphone when the travel bug bites.
• Lost and stolen mobiles - While it’s unlikely that your handset will be half-inched by the kind of bounder that will bump your bill up to eye-watering levels, it happens. Follow Ofcom’s simple steps to protecting your phone to minimise the chances of it happening to you.
• Voice and data allowances - If you go over your monthly allowance, particularly when it comes to the amount of data you use surfing the web, sending emails, streaming video and so on, you can end up paying a fair whack more when the bill hits your inbox. Keep your bills shockless by working out how much data you use - you can do this by asking your network to give you an average or tracking it yourself. Alternatively, opt for an unlimited mobile data plan from the likes of Three (www.three.co.uk) or T-Mobile (www.t-mobile.co.uk) and do away with the risk altogether.
• Premium rate texts - These nasty tinkers are texts which charge you to receive them. In most cases, these will be text messages you have asked to receive from, say, the football club you support to get the latest news and so on. However, if you’re getting charged for premium rate texts you never signed up for, ask your network for the sender's contact details. If you are not able to resolve the situation with the sender, contact PhonepayPlus, the organisation that regulates such jiggery-pokery.
• Dispute your bill - If you feel you are being charged for services you haven’t used, contact your mobile network, telling them what charges you are disputing and why. If the network doesn’t agree, follow their formal complaints procedure, details of which should be published on their website. If you are still unhappy after this, or the network hasn’t resolved the issue within eight weeks, submit your complaint to one of the two independent bodies approved by Ofcom.