topic Re: unable to make and receive calls while abroad in Tech Support

unable to make and receive calls while abroad

GettingTiredNow — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 15:20:06 GMT

Does anyone have contact details for technical support?

I have been on the phone with the support teams for days and no one can resolve the issue. I am abroad, my package covers Europe, but I can only receive text message - I can not send them, I can not make or receive calls. Support team sees everything is active. I have tried different devices and roaming settings - my sim behaves as it has never been activated.

It is impossible to go through to someone knowledgeable. How to get through to technical support?

Re: unable to make and receive calls while abroad

MI5 — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 15:51:36 GMT

@GettingTiredNow

You can only contact customer service as you have done.

They would need to escalate to tech. Not something you can do.

If you're on PAYG it won't get fixed anyway as O2 PAYG doesn't work in many EU countries currently.

Re: unable to make and receive calls while abroad

Oxonian — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 20:24:05 GMT

Welcome to this O2 customer to customer community @GettingTiredNow. Please note that there is no formal O2 presence on here so we cannot access your account or provide other direct help.

I suggest that you consider messaging O2 on social media :-

Facebook : https://o2uk.co/O2CFB

X (previously known as Twitter) : https://o2uk.co/O2CTW

Instagram : https://o2uk.co/O2CIG

The social media team are based in the UK and have a good record for solving customer problems. 👍

Re: unable to make and receive calls while abroad

MI5 — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 20:40:58 GMT

and you'll most likely be back home before they respond.

Re: unable to make and receive calls while abroad

Sarnf1 — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 07:47:10 GMT

Hi there, did you very get this resolved? I'm in the same situation. They even sent me a new SIM which I had to get forwarded on the me in Spain. New SIM still does the same thing. Incredibly frustrating!

Re: unable to make and receive calls while abroad

Enlli — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 11:30:09 GMT

@Sarnf1 Are you PAYG or Contract

Re: unable to make and receive calls while abroad

Sarnf1 — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 16:09:05 GMT

PAYG

I spoke with customer services again today and still no further. They said a manager is going to call back but nothing yet.

Re: unable to make and receive calls while abroad

Enlli — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 17:12:51 GMT

@Sarnf1 PAYG can only make calls on 3G or 2G

Most 3G in Spain has shut down. Telefonica has some 3G coverage but not everywhere.

If you need to make a phone call see if you can switch to 2G when you need to.

If the other party has WhatsApp you can use that to call.

Nothing O2 can do.

The ability to make calls in such situations usin O2 is being rolled out, hopefully by the end of the year.

Re: unable to make and receive calls while abroad

MI5 — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 17:13:23 GMT

@Sarnf1

The call issue will be because O2 don't support 4g calling on PAYG yet.

You need to manually search for a network which still provides 3g for yor calls to work.

Re: unable to make and receive calls while abroad

Sarnf1 — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 01:56:11 GMT

Thanks for the reply. It sounds like this could be the problem but customer services asked me to switch to 3g and try all the carriers while I was on the phone but it made no difference. Also my husband has the same O2 PAYG type sim on the same package and his works fine. He has a slightly newer model of the same phone. When I put my SIM in his phone it doesn't work but when I put his in my phone it does work. We,ve been travelling for a few weeks through France, Portugal and Spain and his has worked fine, mine has never worked.

Re: unable to make and receive calls while abroad

Enlli — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 06:20:41 GMT

Your husband's phone may have 4G calling switched on. O2 are slowly applying it.to all PAYG accounts so some will have it and others won't

Also, depending on your phone's firmware there may be a separate settings to switch this on and off.

Re: unable to make and receive calls while abroad

Peter_L — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 09:57:47 GMT

Hi @GettingTiredNow I had the same problem a while ago. Not sure if your data works or not but I could use data myself as normal and I could receive texts but I couldn't send any texts out or make or receive calls.

What helped me was to swap my SIM card for a new one however you can't do it abroad. You'll have to wait until you're back and do it in the UK. If your data works then you should be able to use WhatsApp or FaceTime maybe? I hope this helps.

Oh, I've just noticed this is the old thread, sorry! Not sure why it came up...

Re: unable to make and receive calls while abroad

jonsie — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 10:33:03 GMT

It does sound account related if her sim card doesn't work in her husband's phone

Definitely try a new sim when back home

Re: unable to make and receive calls while abroad

Enlli — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 13:14:49 GMT

All down to O2 being tardy in allowing 4G Calling (VoLTE) on PAYG.

They are only doing it now as they dump their own 3G