Use your mobile abroad without burning a hole in your pocket
Wednesday, 11 August 2010 12:00
By Kate Saines
There's nothing that can burst the bubble of a wonderful holiday so cruelly than returning home to a whopper of a mobile phone bill.
It's an all-too-common story: you took a sneaky peak at your phone to check your emails or to see the football results during your overseas trip. Then you, perhaps, posted a couple of tweets to let your mates know the temperature in Benidorm was hitting the 80s, and suddenly you have to remortgage your house just to cover the charges.
So, it is not hard to understand why new regulations which have capped the cost of using a mobile phone in Europe will come as very welcome news to travellers this summer.
The European Commission rules, which came into effect on July 1st, mean phone users will benefit from a monthly cap of EUR 50, which is around £41.50, on automatic data roaming. This includes using the internet and emails on phones.
The cost of making a call in the EU has been cut to 32p a minute, the price of receiving a call has been slashed to 12.5p per minute and receiving a voice mail message while roaming has now become free.
The move has been hailed by many as breakthrough for travellers.
Mike Wilson, mobiles manager at Moneysupermarket.com, said the regulations would go a long way to reducing confusion over roaming charges and make a big difference to how people use their phones abroad.
And Ed Vaizey, minister for communications, said the cap would put an end to unsuspecting tourists and business travellers being stung by an extortionate bill on their return home.
"As people set off on holiday abroad," he added, "it is great to know that the cost of mobile calls home from Spain, France and other European countries will be cheaper than ever."
But while this development will make for fewer surprises, travellers are being warned they must not become complacent and assume they are safe from all unexpected costs.
And uSwitch.com said the new legislation will not fully protect consumers.
It fears that too few holidaymakers are aware that simply by turning on their mobile phones whilst abroad they are putting themselves at risk of paying higher charges and therefore receiving a huge bill.
This is because, said uSwitch, the minute you switch on your mobile when abroad, the phone registers with a local network and means you will be billed at overseas rates.
If you receive a call or pick up a voicemail message, you will be charged at this rate.
Worryingly, uSwitch reckons many people are blissfully unaware of this. Its research found 27 per cent of holidaymakers keep their phone switched on even if they don't intend to use it.
And 15 million holidaymakers taking their phones abroad with them this year won't check the cost of using it beforehand, its research found.
Additionally, uSwitch said the new caps which have come into force could cause problems for people with higher usage requirements, unless they got in touch with their network before they travelled.
This is because the EUR 50 cap is automatic, so mobile phone users who think they might use more must call their network to arrange a higher limit before their holiday or trip.
To ensure users remain within the limit a warning is sent to them when the charges have reached 80 per cent of the cap. Once the allowance has been used, the services will be cut.
Matthew Wheeler, the website's communications expert, said: "The new legislation is a step in the right direction but ?50 could still be a nasty sting in the tail of an already large phone bill.
"And as it's only effective in EU countries, the increasing numbers escaping the strong Euro and holidaying further afield still need to be wary."
However, Mike Wilson of Moneysupermarket , was more positive. He said: "?50 is generally enough to handle emails with attachments, keep up with Twitter and do some browsing. Depending on your provider it may stretch to some light downloading as well."
Still, advice has now been issued to travellers to prevent them getting any nasty bill surprises this summer - whether their phones have roaming facilities or not.
1. Switch off expensive services
To prevent getting stung with overseas charges, turn off your voicemail service when you leave, then switch it back on when you return. uSwitch said you should call your provider to this.
Data roaming settings should also be switched off if you do not intend to use them.
Mr Wheeler said: "Mobile internet users must check that the data roaming is turned off when not in use to prevent online services such as email updating automatically.
"They could also try to avoid visiting sites that are heavy on the visuals, as data is charged per megabyte downloaded."
2. Prepare before you go
Check with your network that you are on its roaming service, says Moneysupermarket, as this could save a significant amount of money on your bill.
It also advises you check the price per MB of using the internet before your trip.
uSwitch said why not speak to your provider about overseas charges before jetting off as you may be able to switch to a cheaper roaming package?
Pay as you go customers should also ensure they are topped up with enough credit before setting off.
3. Change Sims or packages
uSwitch suggests that if you have an unlocked phone you could try buying a local SIM card when you arrive at your destination - this will mean you will only pay local rates.
Moneysupermarket said this is particularly cost efficient if you regularly visit the same place.
Likewise, if you know you will call home while away, it might be worth buying an international 'pay as you go' SIM such as Truphone.
4. Try texting
uSwitch said it is cheaper to text rather than call if you are determined to keep in touch with people at home. But Moneysupmarket warned that on some networks it's cheaper to make a quick phone call rather than a long sequence of texts.
So if you need to send a quick greeting, send a text. But if you need to explain something, making a call might well be cheaper.
5. Share phones
If you are travelling with one or more people, consider sharing one phone says uSwitch. By taking just one mobile phone you can split the cost.
6. Turn it off completely
Finally, if you don't intend you use your phone except for emergencies, uSwitch suggests turning it off for the duration of your holiday.
You will be charged every time you turn the phone on, so only press the power button in case of the emergency.
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