Data Bloody Roaming!

[Anonymous]

Greetings to one'n'all,

Just a word of warning to you all with regards to data roaming. My wife and I (both loyal 02 customers) have just returned from a road trip to France & Germany. We took the car ferry from Portsmouth to LeHavre and both had data roaming on as 02 charge little or no extra for being in Europe which we were happy to do.

When we both looked at our accounts when we got back, we had both incurred a £20 odd charge for data download from a non EU country. ICELAND to be precise! When I last looked, Iceland was about 1200 miles from where we where, so not only is the charge ludicrous (us being nowhere near bloody Iceland), its taken 3 phone calls and so called 'Online Chats' to get any hope of getting our money back. In fact, the last guy that my wife was in contact with on the phone was talking to her as though she'd just crawled out from under a rock!

At the very best, all we can hope for is that the money will come off the next bill. It seems that they can charge us money in nano-seconds, but take over a month to refund us. I bet we don't get the interest back on our money that they are undoubtably earning at our expense.

If that is what 02 call customer service then they can keep it. I have been a customer for nearly 15 yrs and as soon as I can I will be switching to another provider.

It wouldn't be so bad if there wasn't a large sign on the boat proclaiming that there was no internet service on board! How can you incurr a data charge when there is no bloody signal!

Ye Gods!

Regards

Martin

[Anonymous]

I am in a battle with O2 for exactly the same problem. I have not had any luck persuading them that I was on a ferry coming back to England and not in Iceland. After several online chats and two phone calls with no success at getting my money refunded I wrote to the consumer help line at the Guardian. They have said they will look into it. I am waiting to hear their response

[Anonymous]

Hi @Anonymous

Welcome to the forum. 😄

Did you try using the 02 online complaint form ?

[MI5]

Whilst O2 (and any other network) may refund you with a goodwill gesture, it really isn't the fault of your network.
Lobby the ferry owners and check your providers websites for charges before travelling to avoid future problems.

[Anonymous]

I used the online help section who promised me they would pass my concerns onto the data team who would contact me within a week. After a month and no response I contacted them again. They told me the data team had looked into my account and confirmed that I was in Iceland. After much discussion of my location they suggested I rang customer services, which I did immediately. After giving all of my details and information again they refused to accept that I was not in Iceland. Eventually they accepted that I was not in Iceland but my phone (which was clearly saying it was connected to O2 UK) had connected to a transmitter in Iceland. I explained that I should not be charged for their faulty transmission. After much debate I insisted on speaking to a manager, I was informed that the manager was in a meeting (what a surprise that was!) so I insisted that as soon as the meeting was over I expected to hear from the manager. The person I spoke to reassured me that I would hear from them within 24 hours. One week passed and no call came. I therefore visited the O2 shop where I got the phone (and queued for 45 minutes to speak to someone) and was told that they cannot help me, I have to contact customer services. In exasperation I contacted the Guardian. I am disgusted with the customer service and I will not be renewing my contract when it runs out

[Anonymous]

Sorry to hear your problem is the same as ours. The fact that you heven't been successful in getting you money back yet doesn't fill me with confidence that we will either.

Thanks for all of the other contributions/opinions as well. Whether or not the ferry is registered in some god forsaken backwater or not is irrelevant in my opinion. With the technology at the providers fingertips even they must realise that you don't get from the UK to France in 6hrs on a ferry via bloody Iceland. So it should not be beyond the wit of man to realise that and see sense with regards to giving you a refund. But they don't do they?No, all the time they are getting extra money from their customers it suits them to keep quiet about issues like this.

The problem I have has been escalated with the attitude of some of their Customer Services staff. Whatever happened to good customer relations?

I will definately be voting with my feet as they say. Perhaps if all the other customers that have been affected by this would do the same, then the providers will have to do something about it.

Regards etc

Martin

[Anonymous]

Fair enough Martin.

As you intend to leave O2 here are some help tips.

Pac Code to migrate your number to another Network -> http://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Discussions-Feedback/Obtaining-a-PAC-Code-from-the-O2-Network/m-p/54427...

Cancel a Contract -> http://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Pay-Monthly-and-Pay-Go/Cancelling-Your-Contract-A-Guide/m-p/566774/high...

Please check other Networks via Payg SIM cards as Network Coverage checkers are for indication only.

You can unlock your phibe to all networks for free to check out other network Payg sims or use the phibe on your other network. Unlock form -> https://www.o2.co.uk/apps/help/help?qid=1&q1=2&route=unlocking&case=Handset%20Unlocking%20Form

Take care.

[MI5]

I would also advise that you turn off mobile data next time you get near a cross channel ferry too.

[Anonymous]

I will have to comment about "good customer relations" here.

Sorry but the only outcome you appear willing to accept meets the criteria of "good customer outcomes" is a credit on your account.

However the reality is that you have used the service provided by the ferry operator. The service was not provided by o2.

Not getting a credit does not mean Customer Services have failed to do their job.

[Anonymous]

I would also add Martin that had you been a customer of any other UK network you would have been charged by them too.

Stay with o2? Change network? That is your choice and I have no interest either way. But on this occasion o2 have not actually done anything wrong.

[HHGTTG]

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@MI5 wrote:
I would also advise that you turn off mobile data next time you get near a cross channel ferry too.

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Really, one does have to ask why one would have their mobile data always On, in the first place?