Bill Shock Without Leaving Home

Most mobile operators no longer sell unlimited wireless Internet to consumers, instead marketing plans that link download limits and surfing speeds to price. But while operators have abandoned unlimited offers, which were costing them money, many are still using the marketing language of “all you can eat” and “flat rate.” The result has been an increase in consumer bill shock in Europe and the United States, according to industry experts, as consumers conditioned to unlimited calling, texting and Internet adjust to the new reality.

Bill shock has plagued the mobile industry since its inception, mostly because the terms for services like roaming were opaque and poorly understood. But now, some consumers are getting big bills even when they don’t leave the country, by exceeding limits on voice, texting or Internet data on their new plans. “Operators are moving from all-you-can-eat tariff plans, and subscribers don’t understand this,” said Doug Suriano, the chief technology officer at Tekelec, a company in Morrisville, North Carolina, that makes billing software used by 300 operators. “They have not been used to paying attention to limits.” Bill shock has returned with a vengeance in America and Britain, where a spate of complaints has raised the call for operators to better warn consumers about the limits of new plans.