Charged £157 for international call even though both phones in UK

Impey1989
Impey1989 Posts: 1 Newbie
in Mobiles
Hi everyone, so on Saturday I called a friend of my mine who is visiting from Spain and we were on the phone for over 2 hours. However, this morning I woke up to find a message from O2 telling me that I would be blocked from making calls until I made a payment of £157. Naturally, I was shocked and called to get an explanation as I had no idea where this charge had originated from. The O2 operator and their supervisor accepted that the call had been made in the U.K but because it was made to an international number the charge would stand. Im not the argumentative type so I hung up to seek further advice. Am I going to have to suck it up and pay this charge or is there anything I can do to counter it?
Many Thanks
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Comments

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 Newbie
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post I've been Money Tipped!
    Hey,

    No nice way to put it but yes you will have to pay it.

    If you dial an international number even if they are in the UK you still get charged the international rate.

    Dxxx
  • d123
    d123 Posts: 8,621 Forumite
    Name Dropper Photogenic First Anniversary First Post
    Impey1989 wrote: »
    Hi everyone, so on Saturday I called a friend of my mine who is visiting from Spain and we were on the phone for over 2 hours. However, this morning I woke up to find a message from O2 telling me that I would be blocked from making calls until I made a payment of £157. Naturally, I was shocked and called to get an explanation as I had no idea where this charge had originated from. The O2 operator and their supervisor accepted that the call had been made in the U.K but because it was made to an international number the charge would stand. Im not the argumentative type so I hung up to seek further advice. Am I going to have to suck it up and pay this charge or is there anything I can do to counter it?
    Many Thanks

    All that matters is the number you dialled, if you dialled a Spanish number you will pay for a call to Spain even if the phone is in the UK.

    Why would you expect it to be different?

    Similarly, if you phone a UK number and the phone is in Australia you still just pay for a UK call.
    ====
  • eDicky
    eDicky Posts: 6,564 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    Obviously, as said, it was a international call that you were making.

    Your Spanish friend, while roaming under under the new regulations, would be able to call you instead without any additional charges to what they would pay for a local call at home.
    Evolution, not revolution
  • Ian011
    Ian011 Posts: 2,432 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    edited 10 July 2017 at 11:54AM
    You made a two hour call from a UK number in the UK to a Spanish number and it is irrelevant where in the world that other phone actually was. This call to a Spanish number was correctly charged at international rates.

    Your friend was using a Spanish mobile in the UK. Under the EU roaming regulations, if they had called you, they would have paid the same to call you as they pay to call a Spanish landline or mobile number from Spain. If those calls are included in their allowance, calling you would have also been included in their allowance.
  • pmduk
    pmduk Posts: 10,655 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post Combo Breaker
    Think of it this way if it helps, your call will have gone to Spain for the network there to process then sent back to the UK to your friend.

    There is still an international link to be paid for.
  • boatman
    boatman Posts: 4,699 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    http://international.o2.co.uk/internationaltariffs/calling_abroad_from_uk#
  • DCFC79
    DCFC79 Posts: 40,598 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    Would have been cheaper OP for you to have met your friend, depending where he was though or meet half way.
  • Kernel_Sanders
    Kernel_Sanders Posts: 3,617 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    So how can you always be 100% sure that the no. you are calling is a UK no.?
  • Ian011
    Ian011 Posts: 2,432 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    UK numbers start with 01, 02, 03, 07, 08 or 09 or with +44 if you add the country code.

    If you are calling numbers allocated in other countries they will start with + followed by the applicable country code. The + can also be dialled as 00 if you make the call from within Europe including from within the UK. To call a Spanish number you will have dialled +34 or 00 34 to get started.
  • Buzby
    Buzby Posts: 8,275 Forumite
    Not always! The 07 code has gotchas for the CI & IoM codes that are non U.K. Territories and charged extra!
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