O2 Travel Changes 7/4

[Anonymous]

Hi All,

I have been usng the free O2 Travel bolt on since 2016 as I travel to European countries quite often. I use it primarily to browse for when wifi is unattainable. I browse and I get charged £1.99 for the day. In terms of of making phone calls and text messages. If I text a UK number whilst in a European country I get charged 4p. So the overall current setup is:

"While travelling in Europe just pay a 50p connection charge to make and receive calls between European countries then talk for free for up to 60 mins. You'll pay just £1.99 for the days you use data in Europe & there’s no upper limit, but traffic management steps apply. £40 monthly spending limit for data outside Europe."

An email has been sent out from O2 stating changes to how O2 travel works. It now states that:

"From 7 th April 2016, we’ll be adding calls and texts sent back to the UK and within O2 Travel destinations, to the data you already get with our O2 Travel Bolt On. This will give you data, up to 120 minutes and 120 standard texts, per daily charge within selected destinations in Europe. With O2 Travel you’ll only be charged for the days that you use it."

My udnerstanding is that from 7/4 if I am in a European country and I text a UK number, rather than being charged 4p like I used to be, I will be charged £1.99.  Is this correct? I appreciate they are saying you can send up to 120 messages and still get charged £1.99 but I never send 120 messages. I usually send just a couple. By this logic, the £1.99  charged that was activated only when you used data, will now also be activated by sending a text message. If I send one text per day for 3 days I will end up paying £5.99? 

Can someone please verify tell me if I have misunderstood the change?

Thank you.

PS: I am not asking to be told about the different options to circumvent sending a text.. I just want to know that I have understood the changes correctly.

[MI5]

Yep, sure do.

[Anonymous]

I'll add my vote for the opt-out. In the UK my calls are mostly to my girlfriend... who goes away with me abroad. So 4p a text and the occasional 50p to call my dad is far cheaper than being hit with 1.99 as soon as you've done anything. And as soon as I've been charged 1.99 I won't suddenly be doing lots of stuff I wasn't intending before. And there's no way I'll pay 1.99 *each* day for data for our typical 30-odd days spent in Europe each year.

[Anonymous]

Glad I am only on sim only and have only 6 months contract left as this is useless to me. Currently send a few texts to family when abroad, usually one a day, maybe the odd call. On a week away I would pay about £6/£7. With this system the cost would double. Bye bye o2, I'll be off to another operator soon.

[MI5]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Glad I am only on sim only and have only 6 months contract left as this is useless to me. Currently send a few texts to family when abroad, usually one a day, maybe the odd call. On a week away I would pay about £6/£7. With this system the cost would double. Bye bye o2, I'll be off to another operator soon.

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You do realise you can opt out of travel and just pay standard rates?

http://www.o2.co.uk/international/travel/standard-charges

[Cleoriff]

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@Anonymous wrote:
I'll add my vote for the opt-out. In the UK my calls are mostly to my girlfriend... who goes away with me abroad. So 4p a text and the occasional 50p to call my dad is far cheaper than being hit with 1.99 as soon as you've done anything. And as soon as I've been charged 1.99 I won't suddenly be doing lots of stuff I wasn't intending before. And there's no way I'll pay 1.99 *each* day for data for our typical 30-odd days spent in Europe each year.

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Sounds very sensible. Perhaps this is O2's intention. Lose the low end users whilst encouraging so many others to pay £1.99 every day. Luckily I have TuGo I can use when abroad...even if it is Wifi reliant. So the occasional text or call to family when I am out and about will have to wait until I am in range of WiFi...

I certainly wont be paying 16.5p a minute to call home using standard call rates

[jonsie]

On the positive side, O2 have emailed everyone about O2 Travel changing so it is up to the individual to stay with it or opt out. The default is that you are opted in. No one can complain after the fact that they aren't aware of the new rates.....but they will fore sure!!

[MI5]

Further after the fact complaints are guaranteed but worth noting that o2 travel is only on by default if contract is purchased directly from o2.
Contracts bought from CPW have standard rates in Europe as default setting.

[jonsie]

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@MI5 wrote:
Further after the fact complaints are guaranteed but worth noting that o2 travel is only on by default if contract is purchased directly from o2.
Contracts bought from CPW have standard rates in Europe as default setting.

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That's good to know, I didn't know that CPW or other suppliers were different.

That will cut down on some complaints

[Anonymous]

I am very riled up by O2's claim that this is "better" for me ... When abroad I usually use data for only 1 day but like to call and text ... If I opt out then the data will cost me a fortune when I do use it but on all the other days I'll be forced to pay £1.99 whereas I used to pay maybe 60p per day for one call and a couple of texts. I chose to stay with O2 when my contract came up for renewal last year because I felt the travel bundle was a really good deal, but it's going to change before I next go abroad!! Won't be staying with O2 next time unless they change it back!!

[Cleoriff]

Hi @Anonymous welcome to the forum. Yes these changes to O2 travel are causing a lot of concern for many members. I suppose I am lucky in that I have TuGo downloaded and will still be able to text and call when abroad....but only if I have a WiFi connection. I go abroad frequently and have never used the £1.99 daily charge. I use wifi all the time for internet access....