International Bolt on does not work

[Olivia90]

I have been sold an international bolt on by O2 customer services saying it would work in Italy and Turkey. It worked fine in Italy. Now in Turkey it does not work.
My balance shows I have a lot of data and text and minutes too.
What is wrong?

[Cleoriff]

@Olivia90 

We presumed you were out of credit. As said previously the international Bolt on is NOT for use when abroad. It's to make cheaper calls when you are in the UK and phoning abroad.

So you went to Italy first, this is in the EU and you could roam as if you were in the UK, all within your allowances.

However, you then went to Turkey, which is NOT in the EU and you would have been charged International rates with a PAYG phone. This would have eaten up your allowances.

How long have you been out of the UK? If longer than 63 days then O2 will have cut you off due to their fair usage policy. https://www.o2.co.uk/roamfairuse 

[Olivia90]

Less than 63 days.

[Olivia90]

Sorry all I see is that there is a problem and I can not seem to explain the issue.

I was told by O2 when I bought the bolt on that it was usable in TR as well as EU.

Indeed I have plenty of credits and there's no need to top up. All I meed to undersatand is why my phone can not call customer services, neither can receive any calls despite all the allowances I have. Something is wrong.

[Cleoriff]

@Olivia90 

You have explained the issue and we have explained the problem more than once.

We have said you were misinformed.

The International Bolt on is for making calls WHILST IN THE UK, TO COUNTRIES ABROAD.

Nothing else we can tell you here, as we are all customers like yourself. You need to have this discussion with O2.

As you are in a non EU country, O2 may have placed a roaming bar on your account.

If your phone is unlocked, you could purchase a local PAYG sim from wherever you are now and use that until you return to the UK.

Then contact O2. All numbers are in this guide which includes a guide to Skype calling.

Guide: Coronavirus Community Help and Support 

Sorry for the situation you find yourself in but we have given you all the advice we can on here.

[Olivia90]

Yes ok. This seems like a community that solves nothing but somehow promotes more sales on O2.

I know buying a local SIM always an option.
The purpose was to understand how I could contact support here as I seem to be stuck with a mis-sold (not misinformed!) bolt on by an O2 rep and unable to make, receive calls also send or receive text.

All you could help was to say top up more.
Why should I top up for something that does not work. You would not if you were me. Anyhow...thanks for being "sorry".

[Cleoriff]

@Olivia90 

Getting annoyed with me isn't helping anyone at all.

I don't work for O2, (I'm a retired nurse actually) I don't promote sales for O2, I am simply a customer like yourself.

There are many issues we can't solve as a customer community, however, we can give advice and  point you in the direction of the people who can help with your problem. Those people are O2 customer services.

If you work through this thread we didn't just say you need to top up, that was ONE option given as you may have run out of credit.

As you are typing on here you obviously have the ability to call customer services using Skype.

All given in the contact link we provided more than once

I'll give it you again. Guide: Coronavirus Community Help and Support 

[MI5]

@Olivia90 

Let me (another customer who couldn't care less about O2 sales) explain this in simple terms.

1 - International bolt on cannot be used outside of the UK.

2 - When roaming in EU you use your standard UK allowances upto 63 days.

3 - When outside of UK or EU you need actual credit (not allowances) to use your phone.

4 - It matters not if you have 1,000,000 minutes of allowances as now you are in Turkey, you need credit.

Hence, you need to top up to put credit on your balance.

It really is very simple.

The issue of mis information that you have been given is not uncommon and you should address this with O2 when you return home.