Data roaming charges in excess of "fair usage" anyone been charged?

[Captain Birdseye]

We are currently in Spain and using a combination of sims with either 25 or 30 gb fair usage limits, but although the providers show how much data you have used in total they do not show roaming use, so wonder if the "fair usage" limits were just there to deter use? Surely if there is no way of knowing usage, they can't then charge you?

Fair usage should be the amount of data that you have paid for.
It is outrageous that ofcom, the regulator appointed by the government does not stop this sort of thing.

 

[MrDean]

We keep within the fair usage policy and only use away from the motorhome when we need to (99% of our data usage is at the motorhome).
A local SIM is far more convenient and at Unlimited data for 1euro a day with Vodafone in Portugal and SIMYO 17euro for 100GB in Spain (heading back tomorrow and will see what Vodafone is Spain is offering).
The dual SIM Teltonika has SIM1 Smarty as a backup when in Europe and is our Primary access in the UK. SIM2 is the local SIM although SIMYO roams PAYG (Vodafone Portugal PAYG does not roam).

 

[Peter Clark]

We’ve both had text messages from O2 telling us they will cut data and texts off after 62 days abroad. We’re used to it with Virgin keep turning the sim off for the past three years. Total bunch of shites. We then switch over to “Lobster” an English run Spanish sim.

I have been talking to O2 (now run Virgin mobile as well) - as far as I think I understood the waffle :

They advised that EU roaming limits are 25GB data per month and max 63 days in any 4 month period.

Apparently: you can set a cap on the data so if you hit 25GB it will switch off - but you can't stop the max 63 days activating, it will then charge £6 per day.

NB: If you drive into a non EU country without putting device in Airplane Mode, it will charge you - I think they said £6 per day again.

PS: If anyone can confirm or deny my understanding of O2 terms, I'd be glad of the info.
___________________________

PPS: I've been trying to talk to Lycamobile about their offerings (running on EE network) but their contact line does not activate the "option 9" to speak to an assistant.

Anyone using Lycamobile?

 

[Joethejoiner]

We are currently in Spain and using a combination of sims with either 25 or 30 gb fair usage limits, but although the providers show how much data you have used in total they do not show roaming use, so wonder if the "fair usage" limits were just there to deter use? Surely if there is no way of knowing usage, they can't then charge you?

Vodafone seemed to know my usage alright . Emergency calls only at one point .
Some companies are offering 200gB in EU . Mixed experience.
I'd love to know why mainstream companies are restricting use

 

[Blaydon]

Hi folks. We use Vodafone. We have SIM only contract of 100gbs each and are able to use 25gbs roaming each per month. We have capped the use but so far we have not had problems either running out of data or getting hit by charges. Our use at home is very low as we use the house broadband to access data. We did ask in the Vodafone shop before we did our last trip and they said we were fine.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Nirvanauk]

I used smarty in France this year. 12gb allowance. They sent me a text at 1.8gb (??) then cut me off. now binned!

 

[Nirvanauk]

Hi folks. We use Vodafone. We have SIM only contract of 100gbs each and are able to use 25gbs roaming each per month. We have capped the use but so far we have not had problems either running out of data or getting hit by charges. Our use at home is very low as we use the house broadband to access data. We did ask in the Vodafone shop before we did our last trip and they said we were fine.

I have been using my Vodafone iPhone to tether in France this summer but they charged me £2.25/per day. So, managed to change package.

 

[HKF]

Got hit with this from Lebara this month. We don't watch TV in the van so only have a 30GB monthly package. They did start charging bang on 15 days after sending this text.

"Hello, your roaming usage exceeds fair usage policies because you are using your phone more in roaming than you do at home in the UK. As per EU regulation, an additional surcharge of 0.20p/MB for data, 0.01p/sec for incoming calls, 0.04p/sec for outgoing calls and 0.8p per SMS will start to apply after 15 days of this notification. To avoid this extra cost, please use your phone more within the UK than you do in the EU. To continue using the service in roaming with this additional surcharge, you will require top up credit. To get additional top up, visit https://mobile.lebara.com/gb/en/topup. For more details on roaming visit https://mobile.lebara.com/gb/en/rates"

I am now thinking of going with an IQ Go package for our next trip, using an old phone as a hot spot initially to test it out.

I have an IQGo Sim and have used it a lot with no issues at all. I use it in a TPLink mifi

 

[Lusky]

Hi folks. We use Vodafone. We have SIM only contract of 100gbs each and are able to use 25gbs roaming each per month. We have capped the use but so far we have not had problems either running out of data or getting hit by charges. Our use at home is very low as we use the house broadband to access data. We did ask in the Vodafone shop before we did our last trip and they said we were fine.

It’s probably because your package INCLUDES roaming.
I had to upgrade with Vodafone because I discoved that my package did not actually include roaming, when I went over the water, and was getting billed at £2.25 a day ! Never assume ……

 

[gus-lopez]

Otherwise the EU Fair Usage clause kicks in.

What has it to do with the EU? You left?

They advised that EU roaming limits are 25GB data per month and max 63 days in any 4 month period.

They are lying. The new rules, as from July 2022, are here
https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/internet-telecoms/mobile-roaming-costs/index_en.htm


I pay 35€ /month for our house sim, which is a phone sim, that includes unlimitedcalls, texts, & data.
When in any other country inc; UK the calls & tets remain the same =free- the data is 35GB ( the amount I pay) divided by 2 = 17,5 x 2 = 35GB maximum. It was only 23 under the pre July 2022 rules.

with all our 3 x Digi sims we can use the maximum data & all calls are foc as well including uk landlines & mobiles.

the only problem using "eu rules" is the far lower costs of bundles in the Uk. so lower data limits apply. But also if the are telling you they are "using eu rules" then all your calls & texts must be free of charge

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Blaydon]

I have been using my Vodafone iPhone to tether in France this summer but they charged me £2.25/per day. So, managed to change package.

Check if you have ‘Passport’ on your package. We were told this means there are no daily charges and the text, and call use is as if you were at home.
I hope this helps.

 

[Trevor Wbm]

That's the problem I have. You need to ensure your roaming usage is not higher than your normal usage pattern. Otherwise the EU Fair Usage clause kicks in.

It's not the service providers, it's an EU Regulation.

Erm, surely the EU regs say no charging for roaming across the EU, which was the case before we left. The operators seized the opportunity to start charging us again - the 'fair' use limits are purely commercial decisions. My RGW and Popit SIMs have no such limitations.

 

[treblid]

Erm, surely the EU regs say no charging for roaming across the EU, which was the case before we left. The operators seized the opportunity to start charging us again - the 'fair' use limits are purely commercial decisions. My RGW and Popit SIMs have no such limitations.

Having checked what Lebara were saying, the EU Regulations apply to the maximum surcharge an operator can charge if they choose to apply a fair usage policy.

 

[Michael.]

I'm on ID cut off at 30GB last night, I was in the middle of watching F1.
I had set my cap to £0, wonder if that made a difference.

When did you start yr current plan with ID, I know they recently changed their policy on new plans to limit to 30GB,

 

[Jewellbags]

Tesco cut me of without any notice so dumped them, now with idmobile they seen OK.

I’m with ID and they cut me off at Switzerland and charged me £45 for the privilege on my unlimited SIM - my complaint is in progress

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Lenny HB]

When did you start yr current plan with ID, I know they recently changed their policy on new plans to limit to 30GB,

2 months ago 30th July, I knew roaming limit is 30GB but surprised it cut off bang on 30GB

 

[Jewellbags]

Today I cancelled my three contract (their loss ) as I got not service during my last trip and they wouldn’t consider a refund of my 6 weeks contract and blamed the router , the APN settings (whatever that is ) but just couldn’t say “let’s sort it out “ . Also in the process of a complaint with ID with my unlimited sim as they charged me £45 for a one hour trip into Switzerland .

Has anyone found a fool proof sim that just works and is affordable ?

 

[Michael.]

I’m with ID and they cut me off at Switzerland and charged me £45 for the privilege on my unlimited SIM - my complaint is in progress

 

[Michael.]

Switzerland is not in the EU so it is not included on ID mobiles roaming package.hence the big bill.

 

[HKF]

Today I cancelled my three contract (their loss ) as I got not service during my last trip and they wouldn’t consider a refund of my 6 weeks contract and blamed the router , the APN settings (whatever that is ) but just couldn’t say “let’s sort it out “ . Also in the process of a complaint with ID with my unlimited sim as they charged me £45 for a one hour trip into Switzerland .

Has anyone found a fool proof sim that just works and is affordable ?

IQGo is working a treat for us in a TPLink mifi You go to https://helloiq.co.uk/products/iq-go-base and buy a year's SIM for £20. Then you buy an add-on for whatever level of data you need. Here's some of the info;

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Bolti]

IQGo is working a treat for us in a TPLink mifi You go to https://helloiq.co.uk/products/iq-go-base and buy a year's SIM for £20. Then you buy an add-on for whatever level of data you need. Here's some of the info;

View attachment 827663

What network does IQ mobile operate on?

 

[treblid]

What network does IQ mobile operate on?

Looking at the IQ Mobile APN settings, it looks like it is EE.

 

[HKF]

What network does IQ mobile operate on?

EE

 

[Lenny HB]

IQGo is working a treat for us in a TPLink mifi You go to https://helloiq.co.uk/products/iq-go-base and buy a year's SIM for £20. Then you buy an add-on for whatever level of data you need. Here's some of the info;

View attachment 827663

That looks good I get fed up with keep trying to find sims for roaming, worth 20 quid a year to save a lot of hassle.

 

[Chris]

I have been talking to O2 (now run Virgin mobile as well) - as far as I think I understood the waffle :

They advised that EU roaming limits are 25GB data per month and max 63 days in any 4 month period.

Apparently: you can set a cap on the data so if you hit 25GB it will switch off - but you can't stop the max 63 days activating, it will then charge £6 per day.

NB: If you drive into a non EU country without putting device in Airplane Mode, it will charge you - I think they said £6 per day again.

PS: If anyone can confirm or deny my understanding of O2 terms, I'd be glad of the info.
___________________________

PPS: I've been trying to talk to Lycamobile about their offerings (running on EE network) but their contact line does not activate the "option 9" to speak to an assistant.

Anyone using Lycamobile?

O2 are con merchants.

I went to Israel a few years back which obviously is outside the EU and agreed to pay the £7.50 or so a day roaming charges for unlimited calls etc.

When I got back they had charged me the roaming costs and the cost of calls which were something like £150.

They climbed down and paid me back but I really don’t trust them.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[VXman]

If I am likely to exceed my limit I'd just buy a local Sims. My smarty and my wife's Lebara are under the 12gb monthly allowance anyway as we don't use a lot of data in the UK so if we exceed that in the EU it just stops. No additional charge. Neither provider has stopped us because we are using more abroad.

 

[VXman]

I used smarty in France this year. 12gb allowance. They sent me a text at 1.8gb (??) then cut me off. now binned!

I have a 4gb allowance in the UK. Used it all in EU this month. No problem. Maybe because I use all 4 in the UK normally???

 

[VXman]

IQGo is working a treat for us in a TPLink mifi You go to https://helloiq.co.uk/products/iq-go-base and buy a year's SIM for £20. Then you buy an add-on for whatever level of data you need. Here's some of the info;

View attachment 827663would you be able to use all the 100gb in the EU?

Would you be able to use all the 100gb in the EU?

 

[Peter Clark]

IQGo is working a treat for us in a TPLink mifi You go to https://helloiq.co.uk/products/iq-go-base and buy a year's SIM for £20. Then you buy an add-on for whatever level of data you need. Here's some of the info;

View attachment 827663

 

[HKF]

That looks good I get fed up with keep Tring to find sims for roaming, worth 20 quid a year to save a lot of hassle.

That's exactly what I thought. I've used it in Spain, France and the UK in the last month and it's never faltered. Here's my current stats;

I have others on standby, in case I don't need another 100gb or if I need much more, for less. It depends where I am! I currently have Vodafone 300gb for €40 for Spain only (through Tiekom), Reglo fom Leclerc (several options) for France and roaming, Superdrug Unlimited for £20 for UK and roaming and Lebara for UK and roaming (several options).

EDIT - Superdrug and Lebara are capped for roaming out of the UK.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}