O2 Travel Changes 7/4

[Anonymous]

Hi All,

I have been usng the free O2 Travel bolt on since 2016 as I travel to European countries quite often. I use it primarily to browse for when wifi is unattainable. I browse and I get charged £1.99 for the day. In terms of of making phone calls and text messages. If I text a UK number whilst in a European country I get charged 4p. So the overall current setup is:

"While travelling in Europe just pay a 50p connection charge to make and receive calls between European countries then talk for free for up to 60 mins. You'll pay just £1.99 for the days you use data in Europe & there’s no upper limit, but traffic management steps apply. £40 monthly spending limit for data outside Europe."

An email has been sent out from O2 stating changes to how O2 travel works. It now states that:

"From 7 th April 2016, we’ll be adding calls and texts sent back to the UK and within O2 Travel destinations, to the data you already get with our O2 Travel Bolt On. This will give you data, up to 120 minutes and 120 standard texts, per daily charge within selected destinations in Europe. With O2 Travel you’ll only be charged for the days that you use it."

My udnerstanding is that from 7/4 if I am in a European country and I text a UK number, rather than being charged 4p like I used to be, I will be charged £1.99.  Is this correct? I appreciate they are saying you can send up to 120 messages and still get charged £1.99 but I never send 120 messages. I usually send just a couple. By this logic, the £1.99  charged that was activated only when you used data, will now also be activated by sending a text message. If I send one text per day for 3 days I will end up paying £5.99? 

Can someone please verify tell me if I have misunderstood the change?

Thank you.

PS: I am not asking to be told about the different options to circumvent sending a text.. I just want to know that I have understood the changes correctly.

[Bambino]

Thanks @Cleoriff. I'm in Kanthath Thitty, as Sylvester the Cat would say. Been to a fantastic BBQ festival. Heading to Florida tomorrow.

[MI5]

mmmmmmmm BBQ

[Cleoriff]

---

@Bambino wrote:

Thanks @Cleoriff. I'm in Kanthath Thitty, as Sylvester the Cat would say. Been to a fantastic BBQ festival. Heading to Florida tomorrow.

---

Florida? Wish I was there right now.....

[MI5]

Wish you were too.

[Bambino]

It was 85F in KC yesterday. Crazy weather.

[Anonymous]

I got charged for 2 days usage @ £4.99/day in the USA when all I did was swap out my US sim card and insert my UK to check for incoming text messages. I sent no messages, made no calls, roaming was disabled and no data downloaded.

I complained when I got home as I had not used the O2 Travel service. I was told I would be refunded on my next bill...nothing happened. A few weeks later, I wasted another hour complaining and seeing what had happened: I was then told that apparently I had sent a text on each of those days (absolutely not the case, I can only assume it must have been a system generated 'text') and was told O2 would investigate and get back to me within 5 working days. No news again and no evidence that the amount has been credited back to my account. I am at the end of my tether on this matter and seriously considering moving elsewhere.

On the face of it, it sounds like a great service if you do actually use it, and it works well in Europe. However, if you merely put your SIM card in your phone, it seems like that is enough of a trigger to charge you Maybe just me. 

[jonsie]

Try a written email complaint here : http://www.o2.co.uk/how-to-complain

[MI5]

At the end of your tether over £10?
Registering on the network will likely be enough hence why we always recommend the phone is airplane mode and Tugo used to receive calls and texts when on WiFi.

[Anonymous]

I am sure this is good advice but O2 do say it "will be triggered if you make calls, send texts or use data. It won't be triggered by receiving calls or texts."  It shouldn't have been triggered here, but it was. Anyhow, others may have had this happen as well, I don't know.

As for the end of my tether, it is more about the principle and wasting 2 hours of my life listening to O2 (eventually) saying they will do things they then don't about something they have charged me that they shouldn't have. In a way, I wish I hadn't bothered. It is certainly very frustrating.

ps Jonsie: I couldn't previously find where to email but can see it now - thank you, I will try that!

[gmarkj]

When @MI5 says registering on network, the phone would send/receive a small amount of data when it is turned on - this is what likely triggered the charge.
You "might" be able to get them to remove the charge as a gesture of goodwill through a complaint, but don't be surprised if they don't...
However, the fact that you have asked them about this multiple times and got no answer is certainly something to complain about - especially when they say they will get back to you!