After spending the summer in their country of origin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the trio returned to Ticino, Switzerland without imagining the surprise that awaited them. “We take the same vacation every year and take the necessary precautions,” explains Selena Golubovic, owner of two of the three utilities. “Both my husband and I turned off roaming before we left and, if that wasn’t enough, we set the airplane mode.” shocking bills in roaming

Yet the bills speak for themselves. In all, they amount to 405 francs for the 39-year-old, 363 for her husband, and even 1277 for her 16-year-old son. “It cannot be a coincidence,” the woman protests, who has resorted to thinking of a misunderstanding. “We were all very careful not to fall foul.”

Salt offered a discount (810 francs in total) for the «good conduct» of customers, and asks for payment of the difference. “Sometimes users don’t turn off roaming properly when they are abroad,” explains Viola Lebel, a spokeswoman for Salt. The company also disputes the figures: the bill to be paid would be lower, but there would be no errors. Or better: not by the operator.

“In these cases, it happens that the phones activate automatic updates, and customers don’t even notice.” The bad surprises are not very frequent, but could happen. And the figures can skyrocket. “The first time we are understanding and we apply discounts on invoices – explains Lebel – but we recommend all customers to pay close attention to these risks”.  

The Golubovic family, for its part, does not fit. The two spouses reiterate that they have “correctly locked the phones” and do not intend to shell out a penny.  (via) shocking bills in roaming

Roaming bill shock shocking bills in roaming

In Switzerland, as well as in other countries, the risk of roaming bill shock can be mitigated by staying informed about the costs of using mobile devices while traveling, and by using available tools and services to manage usage and costs. Mobile operators are required to notify their customers of roaming charges and data usage while abroad, and they may offer various options for managing usage, such as data usage alerts, usage caps, and roaming packages.

That being said, the risk of roaming bill shock can vary depending on the mobile user’s specific usage patterns and the mobile operator they are using. Factors such as the user’s plan, the countries they are traveling to, and the specific services they are using (such as data or voice) can impact the likelihood of incurring unexpected charges.

To avoid roaming bill shock, it’s generally a good idea for mobile users to check with their mobile operator before traveling abroad to understand the costs of using their phone while abroad, and to take steps to manage their usage and costs while traveling. This might include turning off data roaming when not needed, using Wi-Fi instead of cellular data where possible, and monitoring usage to avoid exceeding plan limits.