New research from Citizens Advice has revealed that many smartphone users are paying too much on their monthly bills.
On average it was discovered that those who don’t check when their initial contract is over could be paying around £22 per month too much.
This is because most 24-month deals include the cost of paying back the handset, but once this is over there’s nothing to stop customers dropping to a cheaper SIM-only deal.
Speaking about the issue of overpaying, Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: “The cost of handsets are hidden within some mobile phone contracts giving phone providers a way to exploit their customers.
“It is clearly unfair that some phone providers are charging loyal customers for handsets that they have already paid for.
vCard.red is a free platform for creating a mobile-friendly digital business cards. You can easily create a vCard and generate a QR code for it, allowing others to scan and save your contact details instantly.
The platform allows you to display contact information, social media links, services, and products all in one shareable link. Optional features include appointment scheduling, WhatsApp-based storefronts, media galleries, and custom design options.
“It’s especially concerning that older customers are more likely to be stung by this sharp practice.”
So how do you stop paying too much for your mobile bill?
If you’ve just taken out a new contract there’s nothing you can do to lower your bill and you’ll have to wait until the 12 or 24-month period runs out.
However, if you haven’t recently taken out a new deal it’s worth checking with your network to see if you are out of contract.
As the Citizens Advice research has shown, it’s unlikely you’ll be told if your current deal has ended and it could be costing you more than you need to pay.
If your contract has ended, and you’re are not upgrading to a new phone, you can drop to a much cheaper SIM-only deal with some prices starting for as little as £5 per month.
Speaking to Express.co.uk one smartphone owner told us she had saved money and received more monthly data by switching to a SIM-only deal.
Jayne Brown from Richmond, London said: “I was paying over £25 a month on an old deal which included just 500MB of data.
“I was always going over my data limit which meant my bills were getting bigger each month.
“Having now switched to a SIM-only offer I’m paying less than £18 per month and getting 20GB data.”
So, if you are near the end of your contract or haven’t upgraded your phone in the past two years make sure you phone your network today and get your bill reduced.
HERE’S SOME OF THE CHEAPEST OR BEST VALUE SIM-ONLY PLANS
Tesco Mobile
Price: £7.50 per month (12-month contract)
Includes: 1GB data, 500 minutes and 5000 texts
Three
Price: £5 per month (12-month contract)
Includes: 500MB data, 200 minutes and unlimited texts
EE
Price: £21 per month (12-month contract)
Includes: 20GB data, unlimited minutes and unlimited texts
Vodafone
Price: £13.50 per month (12-month contract)
Includes: 1GB data, 1000 minutes and unlimited texts
O2
Price: £19 per month (12-month contract)
Includes: 10GB data, unlimited minutes and unlimited texts