topic Re: Come on O2 - sort it out - Phantom data charges DESPITE data roaming AND mobile data selected OF in Discussions & Feedback

Come on O2 - sort it out - Phantom data charges DESPITE data roaming AND mobile data selected OFF!

RickD — Tue, 11 Jun 2019 15:09:39 GMT

OK, now come on O2. Let me challenge you to once and for all put an end to this ridiculous state of affairs. I have travelled worldwide for over 25 years so know the ins and outs of using my decive abroad just in case you think I'm a complete mobile phone tech numpty! Current device Samsung S8, all software up to date etc etc.

BEFORE I depart the UK I switch data roaming off AND mobile data. However when I return to the UK from my trip (usually a few days away each time) I have been billed for "data charges whilst roaming"when the data roaming and mobile data have remained off the entire time. All data usage has been via hotel wifi only.

Worst culprits - South Korea and India

Occasionally the charges are for only a few KB of data so literally a few pence (still annoying) but at other times I get charged for MB of data. I say again...this is all with data roaming AND mobile data selected OFF from before I leave the UK.

Some suggestions on this forum have mentioned switching the phone to airplane mode when abroad but I need to be able to take incoming calls if they're urgent (in which case I accept that I will get charged for accepting those). For the avoidance of all doubt I've taken NO calls during the times when I have been charged for data.

So what on earth is going on? This topic has been discussed for many many years on this forum and also in the UK press. O2 appear to be the worst offenders but other UK mobile operators seem to be guilty of this phantom charging too.

Why can't someone in O2 just explain what is going on. Someone in their tech team must know. So there's the challenge. It's 2019, we have achieved so much with mobile communications but this gremlim still exists and presents a massive headache for us account holders when trying to get O2 customer services to believe that the charges are erroneous and should be removed.

Re: Come on O2 - sort it out - Phantom data charges DESPITE data roaming AND mobile data selected OF

Anonymous — Tue, 11 Jun 2019 15:16:59 GMT

@RickD Some hotels actually charge for WiFi use. Even if you send one text that will incur the £4.99 a day rule. O2 will not respond to you here. This is a customer forum. You are best calling customer service

Re: Come on O2 - sort it out - Phantom data charges DESPITE data roaming AND mobile data selected OF

MI5 — Tue, 11 Jun 2019 15:28:35 GMT

@Martin-O2 @Chris_K is this something you could get tech to respond to please?

Re: Come on O2 - sort it out - Phantom data charges DESPITE data roaming AND mobile data selected OF

gmarkj — Thu, 13 Jun 2019 08:23:12 GMT

Is it worth checking your data usage by app (either in settings or by installing a data monitoring app) to see if you can identify what is using it?

Re: Come on O2 - sort it out - Phantom data charges DESPITE data roaming AND mobile data selected OF

RickD — Sat, 15 Jun 2019 19:26:33 GMT

I know my data usage. It's all detailed against the itemized charges on my bill and to be honest it's all rather irrelevant. The point is how on earth is any data being used when my device is set to Mobile Data and Data Roaming OFF?

Re: Come on O2 - sort it out - Phantom data charges DESPITE data roaming AND mobile data selected OF

MI5 — Sat, 15 Jun 2019 19:36:54 GMT

@EmilieT @Marjo ?
I've run out of people to tag now !

Re: Come on O2 - sort it out - Phantom data charges DESPITE data roaming AND mobile data selected OF

gmarkj — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 06:29:19 GMT

The reason I said to check was to see what was using it when you had it turned off.
Only o2 will tell you why you have been billed for it.

Re: Come on O2 - sort it out - Phantom data charges DESPITE data roaming AND mobile data selected OF

jonsie — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 17:11:04 GMT

@gmarkj wrote:
The reason I said to check was to see what was using it when you had it turned off.
Only o2 will tell you why you have been billed for it.

I agree. Much of it is self check.