Mobile phone owners in the UK are losing out on significant potential savings due to misplaced provider loyalty, according to a new study by Which? Mobile .
The research revealed that almost 20 million Brits have never switched their service provider, usually for the sake of convenience, and as a result are missing out on new and competitively priced mobile deals that could significantly reduce their phone bills.
Which? Mobile quizzed 8,001 Britons about their experience of moving to a different network. It found those who have been put off switching because they anticipate a lengthy and difficult process should think again, with nine out of 10 consumers finding it easy. It also found that 5.3 million people have spent less since switching mobile provider.
Tom McLennan from Which? Mobile commented: “If you have been with the same mobile provider for years, the chances are you could find a better deal elsewhere.”
“With so many tariffs out there it pays to shop around, either through a comparison site or by checking out what different networks have to offer,” he added.
The new Report by Which? supports separate research published earlier this week by mobile price comparison site Mobilife.com, which found Brits upgrade their phones every 21.2 months on average, and that “2.5 million people have never upgraded or changed their contract at all”.
Brian Boroff, MD of Mobilife.com, said: “People may think that by staying with the same network they are making life easier for themselves, but the truth is they could be wasting money unnecessarily.”
“Our research found that Brits on the wrong tariffs could typically save £13,000 over their lifetimes by switching to the right contract every time they renew.”
