Customers will be able to cap their monthly mobile phone bill to prevent "bill shock"

Former_MSE_Megan_F

Customers will be able to cap their monthly mobile phone bill to prevent "bill shock"...

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'Customers will able to cap monthly bills'

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unforeseen

Not a lot in that article really. More a sound bite

Never having had a capped phone package what happens when you hit the limit? Does your phone stop working for calls, text and network day?

ballyblack

Tesco Mobile offers that already and suggests to new customers to avail of it

[Deleted User]

unforeseen wrote: »

Not a lot in that article really. More a sound bite

Never having had a capped phone package what happens when you hit the limit? Does your phone stop working for calls, text and network day?

If you exceed your data allowance for instance it will first use your credit up to the cap and only then stop any data access until your next billing date, you'll still have phone and text access.

Frozen_up_north

On Three, they have an "all or nothing" overspend switch in their My3 app.
If it's turned on and you try to make a chargeable call outside your bundle (an overseas number, for example), it comes back as number unobtainable as I recall. Every month you also receive strange text messages stating you are near your limit.

It's well overdue that mobile networks were held to account over allowing excessive charges to be added to bills. They are going to have a few headaches over this and the scrapping of EU roaming charges in mid June!

d123

Colin_Maybe wrote: »

If you exceed your data allowance for instance it will first use your credit up to the cap and only then stop any data access until your next billing date, you'll still have phone and text access.

If you've reached your allowance limits I doubt the BiB is true.

[Deleted User]

BT already do this. I've just switched to them and found I have a £40 spend limit on my mobile which I'm happy with. Don't want any nasty surprises.

pmduk

If it's a hard cap that forbids further use once that limit has been reached I predict lots of complaints on here that mobile networks have left customers stranded in emergencies unable to make calls because of the cap.
I worked for a network with such a cap and regularly took calls from unhappy customers who has set a cap for a teenager and were then unhappy that said teenager were unable to call Mum/Dad. Obviously they blamed the network.

Frozen_up_north

pmduk wrote: »

If it's a hard cap that forbids further use once that limit has been reached I predict lots of complaints on here that mobile networks have left customers stranded in emergencies unable to make calls because of the cap

Those with common sense will get contracts with more than enough minutes to cover their needs, the cap will stop too much bill shock from accidental calls to overseas and premium rate numbers.

The networks will hate it, as they get extra revenue from ripping off customers who spend outside their allowance. Typically charging 35 to 55p per minute on ordinary calls that cost 3 to 5p per min on their PAYG.

One network told me they couldn't cap calls made while roaming as the call charge was delayed when the caller was overseas... I said in that case I'd use their PAYG for free calls while roaming.

Having a £5 or £10 cap set by the user sounds ideal.

[Deleted User]

d123 wrote: »

If you've reached your allowance limits I doubt the BiB is true.

I'm on Plusnet and having just checked their T&C's am afraid you may be correct, I've asked on their forum and am just waiting for a reply.

Edit: nope, I was correct originally. With Plusnet at least, if you go over your data allowance for instance it will initially charge you up to your smart cap (at ruinous rates) and then turn off data unless you get a bolt on or your billing date rolls around. Your minutes and texts aren't affected (unless you hit their limits too).

[Deleted User]

_shel wrote: »

BT already do this. I've just switched to them and found I have a £40 spend limit on my mobile which I'm happy with. Don't want any nasty surprises.

Sorry but I had to laugh at that as I for one would find the potentially £40 extra cost a bit of a nasty surprise.

I've set my Plusnet at the minimum £2, if they'd allow it I'd set it to zero.