Consumers love their mobiles but when it comes to finding the best deal, they face an overwhelming range of tariffs and patchy information. This means they often cannot choose the best match to their needs, an investigation by Consumer Focus reveals today.
Two thirds of respondents to an online survey commissioned by Consumer Focus said there are too many mobile tariffs in the marketplace; three quarters think they should be able to access essential services from a mobile at the same rate as from a landline; and half are unsure whether they would be charged for calling an 0800 number from their mobile.
Audrey Gallacher, telecoms expert at Consumer Focus said: ‘Millions of people now depend on their mobiles to access an ever growing range of services, yet many have no idea if they are getting good value for money.
‘With 1.3 million deals on the market and packages offering different allocations of voice minutes, text messages and data allowances as well as bundled deals, it is no wonder consumers are bewildered. As a result, people often end up signing up for an unsuitable package and overspending.
‘Even when consumers shop around for the best deal, the true picture is muddled by ‘hidden’ costs such as charges for accessing voicemail, for itemised paper bills or for special rate numbers such as 0800 and 0845.’
Consumer Focus has identified complex tariffs, poor price transparency and quality of service as key consumer concerns and will work with Ofcom, mobile operators and other organisations to help tackle them. Gaps in mobile network coverage have also been identified as a further pressing problem for consumers, and Consumer Focus plans to support the Communications Consumer Panel in this area.
Tips: How to get a better deal on your mobile phone
-
Use an Ofcom-accredited price comparison website when comparing mobile tariffs. Billmonitor is the only accredited comparison site at the moment
-
Think about how you use your phone: calls, texting and other services. If you are a pay-as-you-go customer, this could indicate whether you could get a better deal from a contract. If you are a contract user and are left with many unused minutes at the end of every month, you could probably benefit from a better deal
-
If you have a contract, be aware of its end date, and don’t be shy about contacting your mobile operator to negotiate a better deal
-
Look out for additional ‘hidden’ charges when choosing a phone, especially if you opt for pay-as-you-go, where these charges can be more common
-
Don’t pay for services that you won’t use. Think about the functions you want – voice calls, texts, internet browsing, emails, applications – and choose a package that most closely matches your needs
Media enquiries to: 020 7799 8006
Notes to Editors:
-
Consumer Focus launched an eight-week consultation in April 2009 to gather evidence of consumer experience in the GB mobile phone sector. We received responses from individual consumers, mobile operators and advocacy organisations
-
Research was conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Consumer Focus between 24 March and 2 April 2009 in the UK among 2013 adults (aged 16-64). Demographics were weighted and propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online
-
Full report: Consumer Focus priorities in the mobile phone sector:
http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/campaigns/mobile-phones -
BillMonitor currently compares 1.3 million mobile phone deals, based on 83,000 separate mobile tariffs
-
The Helplines Association runs a scheme to zero-rate (ie remove charges for) calls to charities with 080880 numbers, which covers around 175 numbers at present. They can negotiate special concessions with the mobile providers for charities with 0800 numbers. Consumer Focus wants to create a similar scheme for public sector helplines in partnership with The Helpline Association
-
On 6 October 2009 the Communications Consumer Panel published its response to Mostly Mobile, Ofcom’s second consultation on the mobile sector. The Panel’s research into consumers’ and small businesses’ experiences of mobile coverage, can be viewed at: http://www.communicationsconsumerpanel.org.uk/smartweb/research/mobile-coverage
-
Ofcom published in August this year a guide to call costs to help consumers make sense of charges from a landline and mobile phones: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/files/2009/08/numbering.pdf
