A study has revealed that just 1 in 10 Britons stick within the bounds of their mobile contract each month, with the average overspender paying a whopping £219 per year in excess charges.
Of the 2764 Brits polled only 10% reported sticking within the bounds of the texts, minutes and data allowance permitted by their mobile contract each month. The study, conducted my MobilePhonechecker.co.uk, also revealed that the average user’s contract was supposed to come to £32.50 per month.
When asked what caused them to go over their contracts allowances the most common answers given were;
1) Internet use (59%)
2) Picture/video message (44%)
3) Roaming charges (38%)
4) Overuse of phone minutes (26%)
5) Overuse of text messages (14%)
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the peak time for overspending caused by roaming charges was holiday season, between the months of June and September. The figures also reveal that data usage is increasingly the key factor in finding a good value mobile contract as text messages and even calls become secondary features.
Despite consumers spending over the odds it seems like it’s a problem many people are willing to ignore for the sake of convenience. While 71% said they would like to be able to save money on their bill, over half of these people also admitted they didn’t have the time, or simply couldn’t be bothered, to shop around for a better deal.