News

20/07/2012 09:07:30

Which? urges more transparency on data costs

Consumer group Which? has urged mobile phone companies to be more transparent about the costs associated with using a handset abroad.

Although the EU will this month impose a cap on charges of 68p/MB of data used, customers could still end up wasting their savings while on holiday, especially as many smartphones have applications running in the background unnoticed.

For example, apps like emails may have an hourly update setting to ensure you aren't missing out on a message.

"We want to see phone companies doing everything they can to make consumers aware of exactly how much data they're using and the costs," said Which? executive director Richard Lloyd.

"Using your mobile overseas can be hugely expensive but there are things consumers can do to keep costs down."

Top tips include turning off data-roaming, buying a local pay-as-you-go Sim card, using Wi-Fi hotspots to take advantage of free internet, understanding your tariff and querying charges.