Thailand charges

[Anonymous]

In Thailand, with international roaming turned off before I even landed, and have declined all calls received, not listened to any voicemail messages or made a single call.

Initially on O2 Travel, I assumed as no data has been sent or received, I would NOT be charged £4.99 a day, as per O2's conditions. However I noticed I had been charged each day for the first 5 days.

I sent NOTRAVEL to their text number, but now I receive a £1.50 charge everytime my phone rings, and £1.25 for every message left. I still have not answered the phone once nor called my voicemail or made a single call.

Incredibly on restarting my phone I get charged £1.25 everytime as the voicemail notification comes up!

I have now put my phone on airplane mode!

Surely all this is wrong and I should not have been charged at all? Am I really expected to turn my phone off to avoid charges while in Thailand?

My new wife has not been charged, she too is on O2 but has as yet not received a call to decline.

I intend to be firm with O2 on my return as their welcoming text was clear:

"Welcome to THAILAND . While you're here, calls within the country and back to the UK will be £1.50ppm. Receiving a call will cost £1.25ppm. Texts are 40p to send and free to receive. Data is £6 a MB.
Or sign up to O2 Travel and for just £4.99 a day, get all the data, minutes and texts you need in THAILAND . And you'll only be charged for the days you use it."

Thanks
Simon

[Cleoriff]

Hi @Anonymous Did you have O2 Travel when you first landed in Thailand? You don't have to use data to trigger the £4.99 a day... One call or text will initiate the charge ....

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

community guide here https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Other-Products-Services/Your-guide-to-o2-travel/m-p/1011720

One of our members lives in Thailand. He uses a local sim in one device and his other O2 phone makes use of the Wifi freely available. Also with TuGo you could have called or text over Wifi using your UK allowances

http://www.o2.co.uk/apps/tu-go

[Anonymous]

Yes I did.

I have not made a single call or text for the 12 days here. I have been charged on declining incoming calls and voicemail notification during both the first 6 days on O2 Travel and now that I have canceled it, the last 6 days individualy.

It is because of the last 6 days that I know that the charges are incurred this way.

[Cleoriff]

Once you opted out of O2 travel you would be charged at the international rates for Thailand

http://international.o2.co.uk/internationaltariffs/travelling_abroad

[Anonymous]

Hi Cleoriff

I know this. This is not my question.

Should I really be charged for declining incoming calls and voicemail notifications?

Again, I have not made a call or text, nor accepted any incoming calls or listened to my voicemail.

I do not understand why I am being charged, be it while on O2 Travel or now when off it, when I can't cancel incoming calls by any other method other than airplane mode or switching my phone off .

Thanks
Simon

[Cleoriff · Accepted solution]

Hi @Anonymous You wouldn't be charged to decline calls...but if your voicemail was turned on ..then in effect you are receiving them. As you see once you opt out of O2 Travel then the call will cost  £1.25 to receive in Thailand (even if it goes to voicemail)

You should turn voicemail off by dialling 1760. Turn it back on (1750)

In all honesty the only people who can help you with this are customer services. They will see your bill in detail and breakdown any costs incurred

http://www.o2.co.uk/contactus

[Anonymous]

The folowing two paragraphs from the O2 Travel information strongly implies that I should not have been charged for the first 6 days: as I was charged I removed the O2 Travel:

"Travel is free to activate and you'll only be charged for the days you actually use it.

The daily charge will be triggered automatically when you make calls or send texts, or when you use data. Charges will apply from midnight to midnight local time (based on the capital city of the country you're in)."

[Anonymous]

Well I have mainly been charged for declining calls as well, that is clear. I will be talking with customer services on my return.

Thanks for your help
Simon

[adamtemp64]

Calls to uk customerservice are free from abroad so complain now but if declining and voicemail on it will divert to uk hence the charges but if voice mail is off before departure then decline would just end the call no charge

http://service.o2.co.uk/IQ/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE?New,Kb=Companion,question=ref(User):str(Mobile),C...

[Cleoriff]

The op indicated voicemail was ON @adamtemp64 which is why, once he opted out of O2 travel, he would have been charged £1.25 for every time any call went to voicemail (whether he listened to the call or not)

ie "In Thailand with international roaming turned off before I even landed, and have declined all calls received, not listened to any voicemail messages or made a single call"