Cannot make international calls from international pre-pay sim

[Laurie1]

I haven't been able for a week now to make international phonecalls from my international sim. I can however receive them and national calls can be made. Postcode PE21 8PX, I have recharged & I do get this message on network status checker: 

''Looks like a nearby phone mast isn’t working as it should, sorry.

Our engineers are likely to be on the case already, and your service might come and go until we fix it.'' I've been trying to contact a relative abroad with health problems, which in the meantime passed away.... I cannot connect whatsoever,  I dial any number abroad and I get immediately busy tone and ''call failed'' ''try again''. Please advise, this is ridiculous. Thank you

[Cleoriff]

Hi @Laurie1 

Yes I can see the service is down in your area.

Until it's fixed you are stuck really, unless you are able to drive to somewhere reasonably close and find a mast which is working.

O2 never give timescales for repairs although you may want to give them a call and see if they are able to offer you a goodwill payment for the amount of time you have been without service?

All numbers are in this guide. Guide: Coronavirus Community Help and Support 

[pgn]

Hi @Laurie1 - it is odd that you can receive international calls, and you can make local or national calls at times, even with the nearby mast being intermittently out of service.

Could you be running into a Spend Cap problem? More here, worth a check:

Guide: Spend caps on O2 

[Laurie1]

Hi, thanks for reply, but I am not on a contract, there was no problem with international calls a month ago. 

[pgn]

Hi @Laurie1.  Some phones allow you to block outgoing or/and incoming International calls in the Settings.

If your phone has this feature, has it been enabled unintentionally?

This example for Samsung: https://www.samsung.com/pk/support/mobile-devices/unable-to-make-international-calls/

[Laurie1]

hi, sorry no, nothing blocked. i am getting weird charges .... i just dialed international directory and it charged me £3. other time i got charged £2 after clicking the button ''keep me posted'' when the network mast in my area, when i called for complaints i was told i wasn't supposed to be charged and i was suppoesto be refunded for it plus for a bolton which i de-activated, which didnt happen... more than likely i need to call again... :S thank you though for your reply.

BTW, I have 3000 minutes in within the network, I dialed an O2 number and got charged, the number was ported a while ago on O2 Business.... (from O2 personal), is that not still call in within the network??? I mean it is O2 network still...

[pgn]

Hi @Laurie1. It sounds like you may have either been put on the wrong Business Tariff (I see a 2000mins to Ireland, or a 500mins to Europe, for example), or you have exceeded your call limit this month in your billing cycle and are being charged at Off-Tariff rates - have you checked in your on-line billing portal?

https://www.o2.co.uk/business/solutions/mobile/tariffs/calling-abroad-from-the-UK

[Cleoriff]

Hi @Laurie1 

As this started off as  network issue, I'm going to call in our O2 account advisers who will be on tomorrow at 8am. @O2Lisa @O2Georgina are you able to help @Laurie1 please?

[Laurie1]

Hi, thank you for your reply, I have checked other postcodes in this town and I got the same problem with the mast.... except the eastern side which had orange coloured message, I'd only have to go to an outskirts village PE20 where it looks that everything is working fine.... can't do it, don't drive, plus lockdown... I will call again to make a complaint i guess, but last time my refunds didn't happen though i was told they would...  and that phone mast i  will ring during normal working hours as an outsourced call centre might not be able to hekp. The only reason I kept this sim:international calls. 😞

[Cleoriff]

@Laurie1 

Don't do anything until tomorrow please. The O2 account advisors I have tagged are on at 8am tomorrow and one of them will be in touch with you on this thread. If you make a complaint, they wont be able to help.