This horizontal bar graph shows the main reasons why people experience bill shock. The 320 respondents who experienced bill shock in the 2019 survey answered as follows:
- Data overage fees, 56%
- International travel, 12%
- Long distance fees, 9%
- Billing issues/errors/mistakes, 6%
- Not given the plan/deal promised, 4%
- Unexpected fees, 4%
- Domestic travel, 4%
- Call minute overage fees, 2%
- Difficulties managing use of family/shared plans, 2%
- Unexpected set-up fee or service charge, 2%
- Text overage fees, less than 1%
- Other, 3%
The 211 respondents who experienced bill shock in the 2018 survey answered as follows:
- Data overage fees, 43%
- International travel, 19%
- Long distance fees, 14%
- Call minute overage fees, 5%
- Billing issues/errors/mistakes, 5%
- Difficulties managing use of family/shared plans, 5%
- Domestic travel, 4%
- Not given the plan/deal promised, 4%
- Other, 3%
- Unexpected fees, 4%
- Unexpected set-up fee or service charge, 1%
- Text overage fees, less than 1%
The 250 respondents who experienced bill shock in the 2016 survey answered as follows:
- Data overage fees, 48%
- International travel, 17%
- Long distance fees, 9%
- Call minute overage fees, 14%
- Billing issues/errors/mistakes, 8%
- Difficulties managing use of family/shared plans, 4%
- Domestic travel, 8%
- Not given the plan/deal promised, 1%
- Other, 2%
- Unexpected fees, 6%
- Unexpected set-up fee or service charge, 3%
- Text overage fees, 4%
