Consumers in the United Kingdom will have New Protection Against Mobile Phone User Rip-offs

The British Government will finally be putting an end to some of the many mobile phone user rip-offs, which have become the standard practice employed by mobile telephone service providers.

Starting next spring, consumers in the United Kingdom will have new protection against mobile phone user rip-offs. If firms try to impose unexpected price increases, consumers will be able to terminate the contract without charge. There will also be a cap imposed on bills for lost or stolen phones and by 2016, ministers will do away with roaming charges.

As families continue to experience a drastic rise in the cost of living, political parties are jockeying for position to provide legislation that will reduce these costs. A new ‘liability cap’ on mobiles that are stolen or lost will begin in the spring, said Culture Secretary Maria Miller, author of the plans. It will work in a similar fashion to the limit of £50 imposed on stolen or lost credit and debit cards, although the amount of the cap has yet to be determined.

Mid-contract price rises will give the consumer the choice of accepting the charge or terminating the contract without penalty. Eighteen or 24-month agreements, as of late, have seen increases on monthly bills by mobile phone firms, which has angered customers. For example, Virgin Mobile increased prices for consumers locked into a supposedly ‘fixed price’ contract this summer, by 2.9 percent. A call to action was issued by Which?, a consumer watch group, entitled ‘Fixed Means Fixed.’ The petition has already gained 60,000 signatures.

Similarly, an end EU roaming charges has been proposed by the Government, which significantly adds to the cost of using a mobile outside of the United Kingdom. The proposal comes in response to a recent EU announcement that it plans on a crackdown. Miller says that four mobile companies; Vodafone, EE, Virgin Media and Three have agreed to the measures.

Erroneous charges for stolen or lost phones are also on the politicians’ pallets. “We are ensuring hardworking families are not hit with shock bills through no fault of their own. Families can be left struggling if carefully planned budgets are blown away by unexpected bills from a stolen mobile or a mid-contract price rise,” said Miller.

“The last thing you need after the hassle of a stolen mobile is to find that someone has used it and landed you with a sky-high bill too. Phone companies have listened to government and to their customers and I welcome their agreement to protect them from unexpected costs and mid-contract price rises,” said Consumer Affairs Minister Jo Swinson.

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