If you get your mobile phone stolen you’d expect a bit of passion from your provider right? I mean they already rake in more than enough money from your bill alone.
If you get your mobile phone stolen you’d expect a bit of passion from your provider right? I mean they already rake in more than enough money from your bill alone.
Well sadly in the past you’d be wrong. However the Government has now struck up a deal with four of the larger companies to protect people who have had their phones stolen. During what is already a fairly stressful time in the modern day this new protection will stop people racking up huge deals whilst their phone isn’t in their possession.
In the past however most of the big guns have reportedly let people rack up large and excessive bills whilst their phones have been stolen. Previously it has been considered that you are responsible for the calls made on your device until it has been reported lost or stolen. It’s even been unclear as to who you report it to, whether that be who your contract is with, who it is through, or the phone manufacturer.
What you should do to keep your phone safe
If you take out a contract with a network from a phone retailer some people are often confused as to who the contract is even with.
Previously consumers have reported bills of £2000 having been racked up by thieves who have liberated their mobile devices. Sometimes you may not even realise that your phone has been stolen until the morning, you might think you left it at home whilst heading to the pub.
Maybe you think you’ve just lost your phone? There’s little more annoying that thinking you’ve completely lost your phone and ringing your operator for them to brick it before finding it in those jeans you threw in the washing pile before heading off to the laundrette (or worse, you actually wash the phone and have to keep it overnight in a bag of rice subsequently ruining your last bag of rice the loan stretched to).
Phone users in the past will have had to hope that their network would notice the spike in usage and block the phone but now, the networks are facing up to the liability and are presumably going to have to take the brunt of the costs themselves. Of course they make a HUGE profit margin on calls and texts so it should not be much of an issue for them.
This still doesn’t mean that you should not keep your phone safe. Whilst the Government are now urging phone users to not charge consumers over the odds you should still try and report your phone if it’s stolen and try to keep it safe (you’ll still have lost the handset).
Have you ever had your phone stolen and faced a huge bill? Did you find your operator helpful? Have your say in the comments section below.
Image: West Midlands Police
