Mobile phone operators move to prevent 'bill shock'

65% of 535 complaints received by government are billing disputes with bill shocks as key contributor.

Mobile phone operators have implemented measures to prevent "bill shock", the Office of the Telecommunications Authority says.

They include allowing customers to opt-out of individual services, setting a charge ceiling, setting a usage cap for all kinds of usage-based mobile services, and alerting customers through short messages as their pre-determined usage threshold is reached, according to a government report.

Along with the increasing popularity of smart phones and advanced mobile devices, there has been an upsurge in the number of bill shock complaints related to mobile data services.

In the first half of this year it received 535 complaints relating to mobile data services, up from 337 cases for all of 2009. Billing disputes accounted for 65% of the complaints.

Bill shock is expected to be the most significant contributor to the rise in consumer complaints this year.

To enhance consumer knowledge and increase the transparency of mobile market information, the office will start publishing on its website from August measures implemented by each mobile operator to address mobile bill shock.