Back in June, while on holiday in Spain, my phone was stolen. Unfortunately, I did not report the theft early enough and have now been landed with a £2,100 bill from O2 consisting of hundreds of calls to a multitude of Moroccan numbers. An opportunistic scheme to rake in money by ringing newly created premium lines, I can only guess.
I know that you have written extensively about this problem. I also note that phone operators have finally agreed to a cap of £100 if a phone is reported stolen within 24 hours.
However, O2 has delayed its implementation of the rule until this month. This is turning out to be the most expensive holiday I’ve ever had. Is there anything I can do? CC, by email
After years of campaigning about this problem by Guardian Money, and determined resistance by the mobile operators, new rules introducing a £100 cap to bills was finally announced in April – delayed by many operators, including O2, which said it wouldn’t come into force until September. Once entirely implemented, consumers will only have to pay the first £100 of a bill run up by a thief – provided they report the loss to both the network and the police within 24 hours.
This is a step forward, but what will happen to those who are unaware their phone has been taken? No doubt they will continue to be threatened with debt collectors and, in some cases, face demands for life-changing sums, as we have seen previously.
Money has long argued that if the mobile phone operators were made liable for all losses above a fixed amount they would soon introduce systems that would detect, and halt, round-the-clock calls to premium rate lines in eastern Europe or other parts of the world. That is what happened in the banking world. However, ministers caved in to lobbying by the industry, and watered down the proposal to what we have today.
None of this helps you as your phone was taken before this measure was implemented – and you didn’t report the theft within 24 hours.
In your case, O2 has agreed to halve your bill and offer credit terms. That is still a lot to pay, but it could have been much worse as some bills have topped £20,000.
Other readers note: pin-protect your sim card as well as the handset, and always report your phone missing - even if you think it might turn up.
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