On holiday in Turkey

[Kaz22]

Hi, I have a volt contract with Virgin/O2 and when I signed up I double checked I could use my phone in Turkey as I do at home without extra charges, I was even given an email confirmation from the man that signed up that Turkey is definitely on the list, I also went to the O2 shop and was told to put my roaming on and it’ll be fine.

When I arrived in Turkey I got a text from O2 stating the prices I’d be charged for calls, texts and data which are extortionate or buy a bolt on.

Since then I’ve wasted 3 days of my holiday trying to figure this out.

i can get on my O2 app but that’s about it, I’ve connected to the virtual assistant, eventually it gives me a link to talk to someone then I get error 403 forbidden, it happens every time on every page I try, so I called 202 then when it was about to connect to a human it cut off and gave me the message error 403 forbidden again. I’ve tried everything possible to try to contact someone, they don’t even seem to have an email address i could write too.

Can anyone help please?

[pgn]

Guide: How to find help & contact O2 has the links to the O2 Social Media team via Facebook, Messenger and Instagram, @Kaz22 - those are the only options other than calling, there is no e-mail way to contact O2 for this type of issue.

Guide: Roaming MegaGuide has some tips, and Guide: Roaming in Turkey and Cyprus has more (although pre-dates the expensive Ultimate tariffs now available from O2) that are covered below:

Re the costs in Turkey, only O2 Travel Inclusive Ultimate (Contract) tariff gives you included calls, otherwise £7/24hrs for O2 Travel bolt-on: https://www.o2.co.uk/international/using-your-phone-abroad

Sometimes O2 Travel can take precedence, so do get in touch today after 7am with O2's Social Media team. By the way, Volt on a non-Ultimate tariff only gives you O2 Travel Inclusive (note the missing 'Ultimate'!) which does not apply in Turkey.

Some other things to check:

Reboot the handset.

Manually search for another carrier (even one that shows as Forbidden).

Confirm Roaming and Data Roaming are enabled in the handset.

Step the handset down from 5G to 4G.

If an iPhone, if O2 have not enabled idata at their end, change your APN to "mobile.o2.co.uk".

Ask O2 to check you have no active travel Bar on your account - not sure from your question if you are using WiFi in your accommodation or at a restaurant or similar (poor or busy WiFi can cause the drops you mention).

Good luck!

[Kaz22]

Hi Pgn, thank you very much for your reply and things to try.

i did try ringing on 202 last night, i managed to get through all the questions then when i was transferred to a human that error 403 forbidden jumps in and cuts me off, I’ve tried so many different ways but I’ll definitely try the social media way tonight. I’m just using the hotel’s WiFi which luckily is pretty good except when I’m right out on the pier.

On the email I initially got from the Virgin salesman was O2 sim includes Turkey, even google says it but I’ve not found it on 02 website, I think the young man I spoke to in the O2 shop just before I flew out didn’t really get what I was asking and just said yes and turn your roaming on. I am on an iPhone and I’ve just looked at my settings for mobile service, it says Network selection is Turkcell, APN says data.o2.co.uk, I haven’t got the foggiest what that means though.

anyway thank you so much for your help and advice again.

[pgn]

APN if O2 have set your account up for an iPhone on their side should say "idata.o2.co.uk". If that does not work, O2 need to set you up correctly (social media team can do this), or you can temporarily set your APN to "mobile.o2.co.uk". if still not working, back to O2 again and get them to remove the Roaming Bar from your account.

Good luck!

[MI5 · Accepted solution]

@Kaz22 

Your apn is fine assuming your imessage, facetime and visual voicemail works normally when in the UK?

However, with the Volt benefits, you get O2 Travel Inclusive, which according to this link, does not include Turkey https://www.o2.co.uk/international/travel-inclusive-zone

Turkey is only included in the Travel Inclusive Zone Ultimate https://www.o2.co.uk/international/travel-inclusive-zone-ultimate so you will need to buy a bolt on https://www.o2.co.uk/international/o2-travel

[Kaz22]

Many thanks Pgn, I’ll try and check it out on social media if I can, I’ve just tried doing a reply to you and now that’s coming up with error 403 forbidden, so i trying again now.

anyway you help is very much appreciated and I’ll do my best to follow your advice. Many thanks 

[pgn]

Good luck, @Kaz22. 👍🏼