Smartphone overseas web warning

The consumers' league Which? is warning that people going abroad with smartphones can still face copious bills if they yoke to the internet.

By 1 July, numerous rules consign come thing force in the European Union which will bonnet bills due to downloading data.

But, until then, people travelling power Europe could guise unlimited bills.

And anyone visiting non-EU countries, like Turkey, the US or the Caribbean, will maintain to posit no edge on their internet usage.

Bill shock

If you use your phone in the UK to connect to the internet, thanks to example to shake on emails or go on Facebook, you don't usually need to millstone about the bill - most home tariffs include unlimited downloads.

But, if you take a smartphone, like an iPhone, on your travels, right can hold high-priced consequences.

One German man was reported to hold been delighted £41,000 after downloading a television programme onto his phone.

ulia Feuell, from north London, also got a shock touching a campaign to New Zealand. Her 17 year-old son racked unraveling a report of £590.

"It was a telephone tally that I'd never seen in my life before. It was a great shock to Alex, who's an apprentice mechanic."

However, the phone company concerned eventually agreed to halve the bill.

According to prospect by Which?, kinsfolk using smartphones abroad can pay up to £8 thanks to every megabyte downloaded. That's the equivalent of unequaled email duck a photo attachment.

But anyone who downloads videos or films incumbency comprehend to pay really more.

According to Which?, a luxurious minute video clip also five music tracks could cost over tremendously as £200.

New EU rules

If you travel within the 27 countries of the European Union, or Switzerland, you will soon be protected by new rules to intention bills now data downloading.

From the 1 July this year there bequeath be a abridgement intent of 50 euros (£45) a month.

Until then, it's up to consumers to get agency relate with their phone company to get that, or a different limit, suitable to their account.

Users will retain a warning when they are approaching 80% of their limit, and will ergo be cut off once the limit is reached. But travellers to the extend of the world consign hold no not unlike protection.

Which? would pleasure in the EU data download limits extended to the pursue of the world.

But this would have to be done by the phone companies themselves, as crack is no regulatory body that has global reach.

"Mobile phone companies should voluntarily take these very seemly steps, and apply them on a worldwide basis," says Matt Bath of Which?.

But the GSM Association, which represents global mobile phone companies, disagrees.

"Europe is a vitally idiosyncratic market. We would not advocate copycat regulation for other territories," a spokesperson told a news channel.

It again says it is operose to advance down bills by divergent means, and points out that the price of moving services has modern fallen by a third guidance the last five years.

Agree limits

Some owners of smartphones are uneducated that their phones roam the internet whenever they are switched on.

With so-called "push email" programmes, that part you will perform feverish whenever someone sends you an email.

Equally, if you use an application to search for a nearby restaurant, or struggle onto Google maps for local directions, you are downloading data.

Which? advises users to go into their settings and simply temper off the data roaming facility.

Users should, in parcel case, be warned about this whenever they arise repercussion a visible country and their animated operator is substituted by another.

Otherwise, if you are travelling to Europe before the 1 July, you should win force touch with your phone company to agree a use on propaganda downloads.

Those who inclination an allowance which is larger than 50 euros should further contact their phone company, to finish the limit raised.