Wireless Carriers And FCC Agree To Stop Bill Shock

Cell phone bill shock! You know what that is, when your bill is 2,3 or 10 times higher than normal because you went over your monthly limits. Well, hopefully those days are gone forever as the FCC and the nation's wireless providers have agreed to put an end to 'bill shock'. The agreement calls for companies to alert customers when they are approaching their monthly limits on voice, data and text messages, or when they are about to get hit with international roaming charges. The new agreement should kick in next October.

According to a study the FCC conducted last year, 84% of Americans who experienced bill shock said they were completely unaware that they were about to exceed their limits and heard nothing from their carrier after they went over. The overage charges can be hugely expensive and 67% of the complaints the FCC received last year involved fees of $100 or more and 20% were for $1,000 or more. The largest amount was $68,505!!!

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said the practice was a "real problem and needed to be fixed." Genachowski called yesterday's announcement, "A Victory for more than 200 million wireless consumers." Genachowski went on to say that, "Every consumer deserves to be treated fairly. These actions harness technology to empower consumers, to ensure consumeres get a fair shake and not bill shock." Bottom line, know your limits and if you have text crazy kids, make sure you have unlimited texting and make sure that price does not change regardless of how many messages are sent and received.

[ CNN Money ]