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]

If O2 are happy to slap payment defaults onto customers without telling them, they are unlikely to worry about a text about travel.

[Cleoriff]

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@MI5 wrote:
If O2 are happy to slap payment defaults onto customers without telling them, they are unlikely to worry about a text about travel.

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There is that....but as I said I will 'monitor the situation'...

[MI5]

Be sure to let us know....

[Cleoriff]

PS...I thought this thread had been merged? I am more confused now.....

[MI5]

Dunno, I lost it after about the 5th thread!

[Cleoriff]

Edited to add...it has been merged people are just replying on a merged post. Hopefully this fixes it now...

[jonsie]

Simple facts are

• use your phone for the occasional text or call you lose big time
• use you phone for multiple calls and texts, then you win hands down
• Simply opt out of O2 Travel if you fall into the first category

[MI5]

Seems very straightforward.
Not forgetting free Tugo over wifi too.

[Anonymous]

I think how O2 have approached this is pretty tardy. 

MI5 & Jonsie... I appreciate you think its pretty straightforward but the reason I made this topic wasnt because I didnt realise the options available to et roudn this issue. I was just trying to clarify a very significant change to the setup that O2 were ignoring.

The reason people are annoyed is because they are trying to market the changes as being better without recognising that the changes they are going to implement affects a significant amoutn of people negatively.

I have been using O2 travel for years. I used it because texting when abroad was cheaper and same for receiving/making calls.

TUGO is relaiant of wifi. Not everyone will always have access to wifi. The same applies for messenger services liek whatsapp, telegram etc.

The reason I have been using O2 travel for years is because of the following:

1) When I travel abroad, my mother insists I text her as soon as my plane lands and when I do she replies and rambles in and I usually have to send her a couple more messages. 

2) Sometimes you simply have to activate your roaming because wifi isnt available or it is available but you have to pay for it.

3) Sometimes, I have to make a phoen call or more likely accept phone calls abroad. Again, if you are in an area with no wigi - tugo is useless.

I could circumvent O2 travel by having another sim for travelling but thas a whole load of bother.

O2 travel was attractive because it allowe me to do all the above at a very reasoanble rate.

The new setup is very good but only if you use text/call/data function on a very regular basis whilst travelling.

The irritation I feel is justified because O2 are saying, if I just want to send a couple of texts everyday whilst having O2 travel I will be charged £1.99. Surely, a better way is to have all the new benefits but perhaps allow people to send maybe 10 texts at the 4p rate per day before activating the £1.99 charge.

I am fully aware of all the options available to make this work for me, the point is it would have been better if this situation didn't exist in the first instance or if o2 did not try to market it as an improvement. Better still, they can market it as an improvement but at least acknowledge, it is an improvement for some, not all.

[Anonymous]

I have also been using the travel bolt on for a number of years. I don't use the data and so now face a charge of £1.99 for making the odd call or text. I feel cheated only changed my contract recently so I am locked in for the next 18 months.

Very very annoyed 😠😠