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Wireless Providers Step Up To Help Prevent Surprise Billing


People post the most interesting things on their Facebook. Flor posted a shocker of a cell phone bill. It's nearly $2,500 and most of it was from her kids going over the limits on text messages on her family plan.

Fellow cell phone users can certainly sympathize, but there's a simple way to keep this from happening to you. There are now apps that allow you to keep track of you cell phone use. Push a couple of buttons and you'll get a text saying how you're doing. But that's just for your phone. If -- like Flor -- you have a family plan, you'll have to go to your carrier's web site to see what's happening with the phone in your plan.

Wireless providers have taken so much heat for the sticker shock on their bills that they have volunteered to send out notices when customers are going over their limits of data use, phone minutes and text messages. Some customers tell us they are already getting these messages. All customers should be getting them by April 17.

Another way to avoid the sticker shock when opening your wireless bill will cost you more up front. It involves signing up for an unlimited plan where everything is included.

By Fred Cantu