Millions overpay for mobile use – Which? survey

      Millions of mobile phone users regularly pay more than they need to for their phone usage, according to the consumer body Which?.
A survey by Which? Mobile, released today, found that an estimated 10 million users pay for extra calls, texts and data usage on top of their monthly line rental.
The consumer group said the findings were "not surprising" as 6 million people either did not know or had only a vague idea of their monthly limit for call minutes. Five million were unsure of their text and data allowances. This is despite seven in 10 people claiming to check their mobile bill at least once a month.

     Which? said consumers could save money by switching to a tariff that better suited their phone usage, but 18 million people had never switched mobile phone provider.
Tom McLennan, head of Which? Mobile, said: "You could be spending hundreds of pounds more than you need to on your mobile every year if you're not on the right tariff.
"If you regularly spend more than your line rental, check your bill to see where you're incurring the extra charges as you may be able to save money by moving to a tariff with more minutes, texts or data.
  
     "If you never go over your agreed line rental, it's because you're not using up your allowance so you may be able to save money by finding a cheaper tariff that reflects your usage."
Mobile phone companies have faced criticism for anti-competitive tactics that effectively lock customers in to long-term rolling contracts. They also generate more complaints than any other industry, leaving 4.1m people unhappy with their service every year.
Official figures showed that last year 3.3m customers had to wait three months or more for their phone or broadband provider to resolve a problem.

      Parents have complained that mobile operators refuse to block calls when their teenage children exceed agreed limits.

     The Office of Fair Trading has attempted to put rules in place that would allow customers to shop around, but according to consumer groups it has been defeated by the main players which offer inducements to maintain their customer base.
A network sharing scheme between the French-owned Orange and German T-Mobile network was referred to the European authorities earlier this year.

     The OFT said it was minded to block the deal but later withdrew its complaint after the two mobile operators agreed to modify their plans. The merger was approved in February and the company adopted the name Everything Everywhere in May.

     The Which? survey questioned 1,271 adults aged 16 or more, but teenagers are even more likely to exceed their agreed monthly usage, according to Ernest Doku, communications expert at uSwitch.com.

     He said: "It's generally difficult and expensive to quit a contract completely before the end of the term – you will usually be made to pay for the remaining months. But there is some wiggle room: most mobile phone companies will allow you to switch to another of their tariffs if you are exceeding the limits set by your existing tariff every month."

     Alternatively he suggested that users opt for a "pay as you go" mobile or a provider that flashes up a warning on the mobile screen if they are about to exceed their inclusive minutes, download amounts and texts.
Tesco takes this idea one step further by cutting off the service once the agreed usage level has been reached.