O2 Contract International Txt Rip-Off

againstthebar

I just noticed that on my O2 mthly bill (125 free txts/mth) I have been charged an extra amount. I have been in Europe for a short time, true, and I know that txts from there to UK are normally charged at 25p rather than the local 12p. But that didn't account...

So I phoned them, and find that, set against my Inclusive Allowance (my 125 txts/mth), ONE Irish txt to UK is counted as FOUR txts!!!!

This is nowhere in any info I have from them and not possible even for their own support staff to find on their website. They're refunding me the overcharge ("Goodwill") which I'm accepting at present but I'll pursue it further especially if more punters have this prob. OfTel job?

steveandel

I suspect the vast majority of O2 customers (myself included) are very happy that international texts are taken out of your inclusive allowance, not all the networks do it.

steveandel

againstthebar wrote: »

This is nowhere in any info I have from them and not possible even for their own support staff to find on their website. They're refunding me the overcharge ("Goodwill") which I'm accepting at present but I'll pursue it further especially if more punters have this prob. OfTel job?

Just for completeness, I've just checked and it is mentioned both on the tariffs section on their website and in the tariffs terms and conditions on their website.;)

Crazy_Jamie

Personally I consider this to be a major benefit to O2 tariffs. Other networks would charge you irrespective of your monthly allowance. At least with O2 you can actually still use your phone to text abroad and not incur extra charges if you're careful with your usage. Much better than just being charged regardless.

redux

Perhaps the OP ran out of inclusive texts.

For more messages than O2's allowance, or to other countries, or for people from other networks, look into mobile Java clients which send an equivalent via data, such as smsbug, Vyke and Fishtext. A forum search for these will find more info on here (mind you, it will also find me saying this)

againstthebar

Thanks Crazy Jamie, Steveandel -

but can you explain why what I regard as a rip-off is actually a good deal? It may be better than some providers provide, but why is it good that a mthly inclusive allowance in effect doubles the cost of your txt? Why does that have to happen?

Sorry if I'm being dim.

(By the way it isn't on the O2 website (My Account) billing where I went for clarification of my bill, and you can't get any view of those charges to appear in any form in the "detailed" online billing. They're not exactly upfront with this.)

scooby32

I count the inclusive texts being useable abroad as a perk, not a rip off fr the following reasons

Used to have unlimited texts buts these are only unlimited in Uk, so whenever I was abroad my origional tariff amount of 500 stood . I then had 125 texts to use abroad

I am now on 2000 texts, If I only use abroad thats 500.

Any other operator would charge me for them, so I always factor in abroad usage with my contract.

It means that if you odnt go over your allowance the texts will not be an automatic charge.

When I initially took out my O2 contract we read the small rint and allowed for this.

againstthebar

OK thanks guys! I'm a lucky bunny!

I suppose what I'm asking is: why the disparity, which you guys take as normal, between the pay-as-you go rates and the inclusive allowance rate? Not stamping my feet any more - but I'd logically expect the tariffs to be equal in effect, or to benefit the rental customer.

I suppose I need to understand the drivers of mobile charging.

So you're saying: it's more expensive for O2 to give me that txt if I'm renting than if I'm not?

Crazy_Jamie

againstthebar wrote: »

but can you explain why what I regard as a rip-off is actually a good deal? It may be better than some providers provide, but why is it good that a mthly inclusive allowance in effect doubles the cost of your txt? Why does that have to happen?

My reasoning is simply that on other tariffs from other companies it would cost more. It's not about the value for money per se, but the amount that it is actually costing you.

For example, if one person has 200 texts on O2, and the other 200 texts on Orange, they can both text abroad. If they send two texts each, the O2 customer has used 8 texts of his allowance, but the Orange customer has to pay 50p irrespective of whether he uses his allowance that month. That's the difference. O2 texts don't actually cost more because they are included in what you pay anyway. Orange texts, and those of other providers, will result in you paying money irrespective of the number of domestic texts that you used that month.

Remember. You are not paying for 125 texts a month. You are paying for the number of texts that you send up to 125 texts a month. If you send 120 texts on month and 60 texts the next you will still pay the same amount. Hence my distinction between technical value for money and what you actually pay.

chris_spackman

so i have 1000 inclusive txts per month which is included in my £30 per month, does that mean when i pop over to the US i don't have to worry about keeping an eye on what i txt, only if i go over my monthly inclusive?

If so then that is very good value!

Crazy_Jamie

chris_spackman wrote: »

so i have 1000 inclusive txts per month which is included in my £30 per month, does that mean when i pop over to the US i don't have to worry about keeping an eye on what i txt, only if i go over my monthly inclusive?

If so then that is very good value!

Basically, yes. But every text from America counts as four texts towards your inclusive texts.