O2 travel... flat fee can be a real rip-off

[Anonymous]

I work in Europe most weeks travelling Monday and returning on Thursday.

I have used O2 travel for a while and at £1.99 it's cheaper and more flexible than some rival providers. 

However, since the recent ruling limiting roaming charges for calls and texts it doesn't seem to be sensible.

Call and text charges are now so low that you would need to be speaking almost constantly to get above the £1.99 threshold. Data charges are still high so if you are out and about all the time it makes sense to use O2 travel.  

If however, you are able to use Wifi locally there is little need for data usage but you still get charged the full £1.99 if you reply to a text or call someone for a couple of minutes.  

I can't turn the service on for the days I travel but turn it off for the times I have wifi in work and hotel.

So, I end up either not using data when travelling which is annoying when trying to find location on maps, train times etc, or not texting colleagues because I'd be charged the full £1.99 for a 2p text.

It's not much money but at £1.99 a day it works out nearly £40 a month.

Can't the service be changed to a cap of £1.99 but if you use less you're only charged for what you use?

[MI5]

Good idea, but I doubt O2 will change to that.

[Bambino]

@Anonymous An alternative would be to get a Three Pay & Go sim, as there are no roaming charges for data in many European countries.

[Anonymous]

Couldn't agree more.
I turn data roaming off and use wifi when in my home in Spain but I got charged the full amount when someone left me a voicemail. I can't control that!

[Anonymous]

Thanks.  It's an idea but I don't really want to change my number or have to change sim everytime I want to do something different. 

[jonsie]

O2 have only recently changed this so are unlikely to do as you say. Sending the odd text now makes sense to opt out but no one as yet knows how Brexit will affect us, especially when EU legislation stated that roaming charges would be abolished next year. Those standard rates may well rise once clause 50 is invoked.

[Anonymous]

Doubt it would be a problem once clause 50 invoked - only when actually leave..... 

[Anonymous]

I was told today on O2 chat that when one texts 23336 to turn the 02 travel off or on it only works from the following midnight  - it is not instant. So that could be awkward in your situation as you would have to think ahead!

It's a profit making concern, not one that helps customers with an easy to use service.

[MI5]

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LW15551 wrote:

It's a profit making concern, not one that helps customers with an easy to use service.

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In your opinion, of course

[jonsie]

incidentally, how do you find data speeds in Europe? Some say it's unusable whilst others have no problem...