Unable to make calls, text or use data from Spain

[JL2]

I’m currently on a rolling plan and just traveled to Spain and I’m not able to make any calls, send texts or use my data. I can’t receive calls either. For some reason, I can receive texts.

I’m new to O2 so not sure if there’s something stopping me or blocking this. 

About a month ago I transferred my number from vodafone to O2 and it works fine in the UK but not in Spain.

Anyone has any suggestions?

thanks

[JL2]

Vodafone works fine I believe . I recently moved from Vodafone to O2 to be able to use O2 priority and now I’m regretting it.

[Cozzzzzzzzz]

thanks for that pgn, so as far as Spain goes, there are 2 more years of 3G. So what must be the problem I wonder??? I had a problem with O2 disconnecting my SIM earlier this year as I hadn't used it for 6 month. That was a pain to get it back online. their absolute lack of support for PAYG is terrible. They just get a virtual assistant to say phone them or a UK number. So when you're abroad and your phone won't make calls you're stuffed!!

[MI5]

I wouldn't believe everything to be true in that chart.

It's old data and things move fast in the mobile world.

It could also just be a localised issue with 3g on the roaming networks, who knows?

But for sure, unless you can get a 3g signal, you can't call, fact.

1pMobile is the obvious low cost alternative that is proving very popular currently 1pMobile PAYG - 1p a Minute, 1p a Text, 1p a MB

[pgn]

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@MI5 wrote:

I wouldn't believe everything to be true in that chart.

It's old data and things move fast in the mobile world.

It could also just be a localised issue with 3g on the roaming networks, who knows?

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True. And what about O2's Roam in Europe for Free (they have no clue what the status of their roaming partners 3G is) and that they are marginalising a proportion of their customer base, those on PAYG, by not offering 4G Calling or 5G to them.

Despicable, really.

[MI5]

Completely agree as I mentioned in my thoughts earlier in the thread.

[Cozzzzzzzzz]

When O2 took my SIM offline for lack of use, it had credit on it. To get the use of the SIM back I had to top up 10 pounds, and O2 kept my previous credit and wouldn't reimburse it. Looks like I will probably lose the credit I currently have on the account unless I can go to the UK and make some calls. Thing is when I'm in the UK my Spanish SIM works the same as in Spain albeit with less data, so I rarely use the UK SIM in the UK!

[Oxonian]

@JL2 

Yes, O2 Priority is quite useful.

I have a Three PAYG SIM for much the same reasons - Caffe Nero on Three+ !  

[MI5]

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@JL2 wrote:

Vodafone works fine I believe . I recently moved from Vodafone to O2 to be able to use O2 priority and now I’m regretting it.

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I would never recommend to anyone to move just for Priority.

It's simply not worth it.

Signal and service is far more important than a free coffee once a week if you're lucky.

[Oxonian]

@MI5 

I agree completely - but anyone with a classic-type PAYG SIM lying around as a backup can now pop it into their dual-SIM 'phone and utilise O2 Priority, Three+ or whatever at virtually no cost. 

Your points about the importance signal and service are underlined by the nature of most of the posts on this forum.   

[pgn]

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@Cozzzzzzzzz wrote:

Just checked and my other phone works on 2G, 3G and 4G/LTE. All networks are up and running. It also seems 2G/3G/4G and 4G+ are all working with Movistar in my area when I check their website. O2 and Movistar are the same company I believe, so it's strange that O2 PAYG doesn't work when all the networks are up and running. Maybe O2 Uk has just decided to stop their PAYG SIMs from working in Europe for fun!

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3 of us in Spain in July - around Alicante and north of Benidorm towards Denia - all had 4G service and full voice etc, 2 x PAYG and 1 x Contract, @Cozzzzzzzzz - and the year before on the east of Mallorca, the same.  Only thing on landing that the newest phone in our party had to be set to Data Roaming to latch onto the 4G signal, otherwise it stayed at H+ (much to the chagrin in the passport queue of younger son when he saw we had 4G on our phone screens 🤣

This year, all 3 of us just dropped straight into Movistar on landing in Alicante, after a phone restart in my case, and could use Google Maps etc on the drive from Alicante up the motorway toward Benidorm and beyond. Swapping the O2 SIM into the GiffGaff phone for a test, and vice-versa, probably already suggested above, would also pinpoint the issue to phone settings or possibly O2 Account settings - back to O2, I am afraid. Good luck!

As noted by others above, things do change rapidly - but with your GiffGaff phone picking up all speeds and your O2 phone missing them, I'd expect both phones, if correctly configured, to pick up and work the same.