[October 18, 2011] Local cellphone users applaud billing policy Tweet JOPLIN, Mo., Oct 17, 2011 (The Joplin Globe - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- The decision by AT&T, Verizon Wireless and other cellular companies to notify customers of impending overages as a way to avoid "bill shock" is being greeted with applause from consumers. Pam Brannan, of Joplin, said the new plan might help, but paying bills is already hard for a lot of people. She said she once was hit by bill shock when her family and friends plan through Verizon Wireless cost her $1,000. "We were stuck with a contract, so we had to pay it," Brannan said. "(Notification) would have helped. We didn't get to have a phone for a little while." For Staci Fohey, having a notification about going over her limit for text messages would have been helpful last month. She said she recently received an AT&T bill that was nearly $40 higher than normal. She went over her texting package limit by 1,000 messages in a billing cycle. "I think that it's great that they're doing (alerts)," Fohey said. "I wasn't looking with mine, and I think they should all be required to do that. If they had warned me, I could have avoided it." Fohey said she was able to work with her carrier to reduce the charges. Eric Jones, of Joplin, said he thinks the new plan to notify customers is a good one. "I think it's great," he said. "That's not something you think about every day. 'Am I going over my minutes? Am I close?' And sometimes, it's too little too late. You get that big bill, and you've got to pay it or there's no phone." Some consumers say they've switched to prepaid phones to avoid the problems of going over their minutes or text message limits altogether. "I use a prepaid phone to keep track of my bill," said Kim Wyrick, of Joplin. "This will help people keep it under control." ___ (c)2011 The Joplin Globe (Joplin, Mo.) Visit The Joplin Globe (Joplin, Mo.) at www.joplinglobe.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]