Help! After years of being a v happy O2 customer now absolutely distraught

[Anonymous]

Received a text from O2 about Tu Go.  Installed on my iPhone 6S on Saturday.  Called a friend in France using the app thinking that a VOIP app would provide free calls, like FT or Skype.  What a shock.  The call cost me £72.  Bad enough.  O2 have showed no understanding.  

Decided to delete the app.  Now my phone doesn't work - "no service" - has been showing since I deleted the app.  Spent over 1 hour with Tech Guru (!).  Only suggestion was to remove SIM card and clean it with a soft cloth.  Needless to say this did not help.

I now have a bill for >£72 and a phone that no longer works.  All because I installed and then removed the O2 Tu Go app. 

[MI5 · Accepted solution]

Tugo isn't Skype and just allows you to call using your UK allowances, so the call to France is charged in the same way as if you had called from your phone normally.
I'm afraid you have misunderstood what Tugo is so the charge is correct.
I also think that deleting Tugo is just coincidental with losing signal.
Check for any issues in your area http://status.o2.co.uk/ and check through some of the help here https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Pay-Monthly-Pay-and-Go/How-can-I-sort-out-my-network-issues/ba-p/10140...

[madasaf1sh]

Skype doesn't allow free calls to a french mobile or national number, unless you take one of their calling plans from £6 per month, or 6.1ppm, so not sure why you would think TuGo would be free.

With regards to the no signal issue, i would try rebooting your handset as this has nothing to do with TuGo, and if no joy contact o2 Customer Services.

[Bambino]

I'm curious to know where in the text from O2 it said that calling France using TuGo would be free?

[jonsie]

The text wouldn't have said it's free certainly. Probably just an information text so that customers are aware of TuGo.

[Anonymous]

I quite understand that bill must have been distressing.  The main benefit of TuGo is calling home or receiving calls when abroad, but only using wifi, when the call will be in your normal calling plan.  The outline of costs etc is here: http://www.o2.co.uk/termsandconditions/other-products-and-services/tugo 

If you want to call family members or friends who are abroad I use two apps on my iPhone:

Localphone - you set up an account and add credit, then you can call using wifi or mobile calls to a 0330 number (which is normally within your callplan)  Calls are then charged to your Localphone account and are very cheap (but not free).  eg USA calls 1p per minute.

Dial-a-Code, which inserts an intermediate code and the call is charged to your O2 account at cheap rates, usually 1-3p per minute depending on the destination.

Only use these when in the UK, as they use your normal o2 billing.  The localphone app does allow you to make calls over wifi so you could call as US number while in the US for 0.5p per minute, but only if you use wifi and make sure your roaming and data are set to 'Off'.

Both apps will tell you how much calls cost before you make them.  I tend to check which is cheapest before choosing which one to use.

At the moment, Dial-a-Code is 3p/min to call French landlines, 8p/min for mobiles; Localphone is from 0.5p/min to landlines, 6p to mobiles.

Hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

Good eveing, Exactly what @MI5 said, TuGo calls and texts are charged / deducted using your same calling plan when you phone UK to international. If you however are roaming aborad say in France calling back to the UK using TuGo on WiFi then because you are not connecting the call through the foreign celluar network you wont be charged but it will still  come out of your minutes allowance (if you have unlimited minutes you dont have to worry about running out)

However O2 do an app call the O2 World Chat App which offers VERY cheap calls (NOT TEXTS) to international numbers worldwide, rates start from 1p per minute depending on where your calling. All international numbers in your contacts are automatically filtered and shows you them only so no UK numbers clutter up. When you first register you get 5mins free call time allowance, then you have to top up like PAYG with a debit or credit card (all done within the app) and can even set up auto topups (very easy) give it a go and will save you a small fortune, you dont even have to be an O2 customer to use it, any UK mobile number can join.

Hope this helps @Anonymous