Telecoms watchdog Ofcom reported that 1.4 million customers could have been affected in the last six months alone by the huge bills. The regulator has announced plans to  work with the mobile phone industry in an effort to protect consumers from surprise bills in future.

Ofcom has said that it would like mobile phone networks to spell out tariffs more clearly and is understood to want companies to set caps on the cost of using mobile phones abroad.

Consumers in Europe are protected by such a cap, digital policy manager at Consumer Focus Marzena Lipman told the Daily Mail.

“Consumers travelling in Europe are protected from unexpectedly high bills with a 50 euro (£42) cut-off limit, consumers in the UK should be entitled to similar levels of protection,” Lipman said.

“While some customers may want a higher data allowance, an opt-out default cut-off limit could help end bill shocks in the UK.”

Which? also called for mobile phone companies to provide clearer information for customers regarding service and data charges abroad.

Have you ever received a crazy mobile phone bill after a holiday? Let us know with a comment below.

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