Flirgan Elf

Being well equipped with information such as roaming charges while on a trip abroad or the clauses and conditions that are included in your present mobile service contract can actually help you make a serious cut in your phone bills.

In recent times, a number of cases of unaware customers getting bogged down with horrifyingly large telephone bills has prompted Ofcom to come up with important guidelines through a leaflet titled “How to avoid the holiday mobile bill blues“. Ofcom has published this leaflet along with a small video that can make customers aware of the points to be kept in mind while vacationing abroad. The video, shot by a film institute freshman using ready-made holiday costumes, is able to convey the message while tickling your funny bone.

The advice offered in the Ofcom leaflet is pragmatic and just plain commonsense, something that is usually ignored by a lot of travellers. Ofcom also insists that customers should first find out if they can actually use their gadgets while in foreign destinations.

With the beginning of summer, the most popular months for tourist vacations in European countries, the EU has come up with a plan to cap mobile roaming charges. This cap will be applicable while vacationing inside any member state of the EU. This welcome decision is likely to provide some much-needed relief to the travellers.

Pay-as-you-go mobile broadband is also another possible consideration. Many of the top service providers – Vodafone, O2 and T-Mobile – offer this and you can top up PAYG packages with extra data allowance as you need it. Keeping in mind the EU’s decision, and fully prepared with Ofcom’s advice, you can now enjoy your holidays without having to face the nightmare of a huge phone bill.