O2 Charging Problems In America

[AtomicUK]

I am hoping someone can help me as I am beyond my patience with O2 on this issue now so I am reaching out here for help.

For the last 4 visits to the USA since 2019, no matter what I do, O2 charge me £5 a day running which has run into many hundreds of pounds of additional costs.

I have turned off mobile data
I have turned off data roaming
I have even turned off the hidden wi-fi scanning that many don't know about.
I have tried airline mode.

The ONLY thing that stops O2 charging me their International fee is removing the sim which means I cannot take emergency calls.

I have now bought a US phone and set up a pre-paid contract, but there must be an answer as to how I can use the US Wi-Fi and take incoming calls on my main phone without me being charged the £5?

I have had every excuse from O2 and have even been told I am texting people (I almost never use text even in the UK!) and they never budge on their fees despite me disputing it from day 2 when I see they have charged again!

I've tried every O2 online Help service including Twitter and via the O2 App and the call centre, but nothing changes.

As I am here for many months at a time, please can anyone tell me what I can do (other than not use the O2 SIM) to stop these charges?

Thank you in advance.

[AtomicUK]

Well despite the phone not leaving moving anywhere yesterday and even having done all the above setting changes, O2 once again charged me the £5. 😡

I give up at this point, the O2 SIM is now out of the phone!

As I mentioned at the start, I have bought a Pay As You Go package for a second phone so I am contactable via that but it is ridiculous that I cannot now receive calls or texts (often which are banking verifications!) on my main telephone number with running up £450 worth of charges without using the phone for anything that should generate a charge. 🙄

I really wonder if I would have this issue with another carrier. 🤔

[MI5 · Accepted solution]

Something very wrong there @AtomicUK 

I'll ask @O2Georgina to take a look tomorrow for you.

[AtomicUK]

Indeed there is something very wrong.
Over my previous trips here it has cost me best part of £500 for next to nothing as I am on wifi 90% of the time.

I have spoken to O2 repeatedly and they seem totally uninterested and say things like "we have evidence you are sending texts" when I haven't (I don't use them) and when I ask for proof, nothing happens.

All that happens is my blood pressure goes up each day and I am £5 lighter.

It's a con that they do not resolve it and especially, that they do not to remove the Travel Package from my phone when I ask them too each time this happens.

Any help is truly appreciated but for now, the SIM stays out and for the best part of three months, and thanks to O2, I cannot be contacted other than by friends who have this second number. Ridiculous. 😠

[O2Georgina]

Thanks for the tag @MI5 

@AtomicUK  I will send you a private message now

[Breanna]

Hi @AtomicUK was @O2Georgina able to help you get this sorted?

[O2Georgina]

Hi,In regards to this thread, I have spoken to the customer and this has now been resolved 😊

[AtomicUK]

@O2Georgina could not have been more helpful and has indeed resolved the matter where others failed / did not try.

Extremely grateful to her and to @MI5 for alerting her.

Thank you both. 😎👍