Gadget Girl

Of shocking bills and fineprints

Oct 5, 2009 09:37

Ever heard of the person who allegedly got a A$23,000 bill for having used roaming services overseas for a period of three months? Now you have. Mostly due to satellite bills and roaming charges, the fact boils down to the misconceptions that telecommunications providers may be giving to their users. Especially those who do not read the fine lines.

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman's office is trying at least to regulate this. A quick surf around the Web to the likes of Optus World, Virgin Mobile and even Vodafone would show how these providers are now re-expressing their caps in more practical and "uncomplicated terms". With 50MB how many emails/YouTube uploads and Internet minutes you might be able to accumulate. They even have an effective measure that involves a message/email being sent out to the consumer whenever he or she exceeds the cap.

And there comes the question of what is the most desirable data plan that would work if you use MSN all day long, or simply log onto Facebook to check on your friends' status. Perhaps a research should be put in place in terms of transparency, where all providers should inform their consumers about those "hidden" charges before signing up for a contract.

Photo Source: wikivisuals.com

Who really needs a bill that runs into the thousands, especially when a cap was put in place to prevent this from occuring in the first place? Perhaps prepaid cards are the way to go, especially in Australia where it seems more delectable to have a prepaid plan at promotions which can give up to a whopping A$300 worth of calls/text on a single A$50 topup, on top of 50MB data usage and free text to anyone on the same service provider. 

Besides a free phone, what is the allure of a post-paid plan? It's no doubt convenient for forgetful individuals who often end up stranded with a lack of mobile credits, but what sweetens the deal to take up a contract? Nothing at the moment for me. 

For more info: Bill surprise

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