Roaming

[Anonymous]

My main residence is UK however I spend a lot of time in Spain, sometimes, up to 60 days in one trip. Having listened to BBC news this morning there seemed to be a suggestion that the network providers may charge users if they go beyond a normal holiday period, let's say, 2 to 3 weeks. Anybody know if this to be the case and if so, what the upper limit might be. I don't want to go charging off using roaming if I'm likely to be hit by a large bill because I've exceeded a limit.

[MI5]

You can only use our services for periodic travel (like holidays or short breaks) in our Europe Zone (excluding the UK). Otherwise we may charge you or have to suspend you from using our services in our Europe Zone (excluding the UK). If this has happened to you and you think it might be a mistake,call 202 from your mobile or 0344 809 0202 from any other phone.

Use of our services in our Europe Zone is subject to our fair usage policy.

See our terms

[Cleoriff]

Looking at this article @Anonymous this is what it says about O2

O2: Using roaming services for 60 days or more in any four month period is deemed an unfair use of services and can lead to services being suspended. 

Not sure if there is anything more recent in O2's terms and conditions http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/06/15/eu-roaming-charges-dropped-today-means-ee-vodafone-o2-three/

[Wa10]

It all comes down to the Fair Usage Policy - take a look below, and particularly at the sentence in red.

I'd say that common sense will prevail - if you're abroad for 60 days, back in the UK for a day and then abroad again for 60 days, this clearly isn't a normal holiday/travel pattern. However if you, like lots of others, enjoy a longer break in the sun but then spent substantial periods of time back at home in the UK as well, then I can't imagine that would be seen to be against the spirit of the FUP.

http://www.o2.co.uk/termsandconditions/mobile/o2-consumer-fair-usage-policy

"You may only use our services in our Europe Zone (excluding the UK) for periodic travel, like holidays or short breaks. If you’re not genuinely using our services for periodic travel we may have to charge you for, or suspend you from, using our services in our Europe Zone (excluding the UK). Your data usage may also be limited in our Europe Zone (excluding the UK) at a lower level than you data allowance in the UK if you’re a Pay As You Go customer. Once you go over this limit you’ll be charged. For these limits and charges please see www.o2.co.uk/help/pay-as-you-go/roaming-in-europe.
What to avoid: Using our services for the first time outside of the UK, using a large volume of your allowance (be that text, calls or data) in our Europe Zone (excluding the UK), or using our services outside of our Europe Zone (excluding the UK) for prolonged periods which don’t follow reasonable consumer holiday and travel patterns and behaviour. If you use our services outside the UK in our Europe Zone for 60 or more days in any four month period this is likely to be deemed to be an unfair use of our services."

[Anonymous]

Thanks to all for the info FUP. I will now start to use roaming but will have a think about the best way to use it, perhaps only on those days I definitely need to. I will also let the dust settle first on the changes as we may get a more clearer view in the months to come on how providers decide what to do about users like myself as I'm sure there will be many more people who have a life style like myself who will want to take advantage of the change in roaming usage.   

[Cleoriff]

I would make as much use of WiFi as possible @Anonymous. I know that's what we would advise pre 15th June but I would stick to it. I also travel to Spain frequently (Not for long periods like you) but wifi will continue to help your usage....Most places in Spain (Hotels apartments, bars restaurants etc etc)  now have Wifi...

[Anonymous]

Yes, agreed, on the same page, I have BB so will use that for data, facetime whatsapp, etc but even though I have a landline with free calls to the UK the quality is often poor especially at busy periods of the day so a mobile phone is really handy. As I mentioned in the previous post, I will try to limit & monitor my roaming usage by switching it ON/OFF as required. Thanks for the hint though. 

[Anonymous]

Thinking about this further......In the past, I would normally switch off roaming and deactivate mobile data before arriving in Spain. Family & friends know not to ring it when I'm out of the UK, but occasionally, I'd receive a call which I may or may not have answered especially if I knew it to be time wasters. So now, if I switch roaming OFF and somebody rings it from the UK what, if any, charges would I incur? Think my question makes sense or am I missing something obvious.........  

[MI5]

No cost to receive calls in that scenario.

[Anonymous]

I also travel extensively in our motorhome including a few months in Spain each winter. I have a Spanish phone which I use locally in Spain for Friends there and for data. My o2 English phone I use in England and also for the odd call and text in Spain back to UK.  The rest of the year we spend time in the UK at home or may well travel anywhere else in Europe for another month or so. Never had a problem previously with operating on roaming. The new system is far more onerous and will by the sound of it lead to my account being frozen despite the fact I may well have £50 pounds credit on the phone.  It looks like my only option now will be to find wifi and use Skype where needed. Not an ideal situation for us.