Five of UK’s leading mobile operators have agreed to put a cap on bills for stolen or missing mobile phones in a bid to protect consumers from incurring unexpectedly high bills.
UK mobile operators namely EE, O2, Three, Virgin Media and Vodafone have reportedly entered into a voluntary agreement to cap charges at £100 for calls made on stolen or missing smartphones as long as the theft is reported to the network and police within 24 hours.
Futhermore, the telcos have also agreed to other measures which include providing transparent pricing information, alerting subscribers of their data limits, informing them on how to avoid expensive roaming charges, and providing ways of blocking unauthorised or inadvertent calls to premium numbers or in-app purchases.
According to a statement issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Three has already implemented the cap in January and EE plans to introduce the cap in the coming weeks. Virgin will introduce it in July and O2 will have the cap placed from September onwards. Vodafone said it will impose the cap this summer.
Ed Vaizey, minister for the digital economy, said “Protecting hardworking families from shock bills through no fault of their own has been a priority for this government.
“By working with the mobile operators, we have secured an agreement that will provide consumers with real benefits as well as offer peace of mind.”
Dave Dyson, Chief Executive of Three, said “The liability cap is one of a series of measures we’ve pioneered to help ensure Three customers are protected and in control of their spending.”
Kip Meek, Director of Public Policy at EE said “We advise customers to protect their phone as they would their wallet and make full use of the security features, including SIM lock.”
“If a phone is lost or stolen, however, it is crucial customers let us know as soon as possible- we have a 24-hour hotline so customers can report loss or theft at any time.”
Annie Brooks, Director of Virgin Mobile, said “This cross-industry agreement simplifies things for consumers by making the treatment of fraudulent use of lost or stolen phones consistent. It remains vital that people report their phone is lost or stolen as soon as possible.”
Derek McManus, CEO of O2, said “This agreement demonstrates our continued commitment to deliver usage safeguards and advice to our customers. O2 customers can already keep track of their usage though their MyO2 app and also benefit from O2’s overseas data cap. This new cap builds on the safety and security advice we already give to customers and should provide additional peace of mind if their phone goes missing.”
