10 Ridiculous Facts About The Mobile Phone Industry

Chances are you're being ripped off and UNSHACKLED.com can help.

1. "Free" doesn't actually mean "free".

20th Century Fox / Via hackeducation.com

Over a year ago, a study revealed the hidden costs in long-term mobile phone contracts, claiming that some consumers were effectively landed with a whopping 48% APR two-year loan in exchange for a "free" phone.

That right there is not cool.

2. We waste £5.4 billion each year...

20th Century Fox / Via taiga-sexual.tumblr.com

...simply because we're on the wrong contracts.

Someone: "OMG that sounds like a lot of money."

Someone else: "HELL YEAH THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY."

3. Seven in 10 mobile customers could save £159 each year on average...

Warner Bros. / Via m.popkey.co

...according to the same study. That's £159 back in your pocket where it belongs. Nice.

4. And that's because on average, consumers are oversold tariffs that exceed their needs by 130%.

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According to a recent report, 350 mystery shoppers were quoted a wide range of prices for contracts even though they all asked for a tariff with the same usage.

That right there? Not cool.

5. We also waste £355 million a year paying for handsets we've already paid for.

Thinkstock

For real. A recent report found that 46% of people did not immediately switch when they reached the end of their contract. As a result, they paid toward handsets they had already paid off.

6. In fact, 92% of us could be on the wrong tariff.

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Can you guess what that is? THAT'S NOT COOL.

But it doesn’t stop there...

7. Mobile phone providers have been accused of making contracts deliberately difficult to exit…

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...and Ofcom is on their case.

8. Which means people are losing faith.

BuzzFeed

According to a report last year, only 28% of people actually trust mobile phone providers.

Someone: "Shall we invite those mobile phone providers over for a partay?"

Someone else: "Can we trust 'em?"

Someone: "Good point..."

9. Yet, despite all of this craziness, 48% of us have never switched supplier.

Thinkstock

Do you know what that is? That's really taking the biscuit.

10. Oh, and guessing definitely doesn't work.

NBC / Via reactiongifs.com

Shock, right? But seriously: Even if you go direct and choose your own tariff, searching for contracts with your actual usage will save you an extra 11.7% more than using estimated data.

Now that's cool.

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