Monthly Archives: January 2012

Americans traveling abroad are often shocked at the size of their cell phone bill when they return home. It does not take much phone use to rack up hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars in charges.

Los Angeles resident Lisa French made it a point to be careful on her recent trip to Japan. “I was advised not to make any phone calls, as phone calls overseas are very, very expensive,” she says.

Text messaging is expensive, too, and something she planned on avoiding. An alert came up on her phone shortly after she arrived, warning her of possible data charges. She was not worried, though, because she did not plan on spending much time online.

A few days into her trip, French checked her account online. “I found at the very bottom – very hard to read – that I had $462 in roaming charges,” she says. “It was like a slap in the face.”

Consumer advocates have been trying to change the way cell phone companies handle overseas billing for their customers. The warnings that pop up on your phone are a result of their efforts. The best thing you can do, they say, is to be informed.

You can buy a prepaid phone when you arrive or turn off your phone’s roaming function. You can also turn off your phone completely, turning it on only when you are in a free Wi-Fi hot spot.

When you hear warnings about overseas cell phone charges, take them seriously. It could save you a lot of money.

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