Brits baffled by bills
Britons seem to be baffled by their phone bills, according to the results of a recent survey.Research conducted by the Post Office found that the average household incorrectly estimates what their mobile and landline phone bill will be to the tune of around £79.Financial expert Jasmine Birtles of moneymagpie.com said: "We don't seem to be thinking about the cost of communicating. I hear endless tales of people using mobile phone at home - which works out much more expensive than a landline. "We are also often unaware of how much calls actually cost, which can really add up for a household using a landline and a number of different mobile telephones, on various price plans."All round, customers seemed little idea of how much their conversations were costing, with Londoners the most clueless, with an average miscalculation of £134 per household.The Scots lived up to their thrifty national stereotype, being the most clued-up, but still out on their calculations by £58.Experts see this lack of budgeting ability as the result of an unclear billing process, as well as surprise hidden charges and the fact that many do not stop and think about the cost before they make a call.Ms Birtles added: "Budgeting for technologies such as mobile phones can be a bit of a nightmare. "In years gone by, telecoms costs were restricted to a single company providing a single telephone line. "Now, there are so many different products and suppliers out there that we're overwhelmed by choice and confused by all the options available."
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