How To Avoid 'Bill Shock' From Smartphone Use

Americans who've been traveling abroad are all too often stunned by the size of their mobile phone bill. Even if they aren't actively using their phone, they can rack up hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars in charges — resulting in what consumer advocates call "bill shock." Smartphones try to connect to the Internet using Wi-Fi; it's often free, so you don't incur connection charges. But if the device doesn't pick up Wi-Fi, it will use a local cellular network. And what runs up the bill is usually data.