o2 international text nightmare

Hmac_2

Hi all
Very new here so i apologise in advance if there is something already on here about this on here but I don't have time to search... as you'll understand in a moment.

Basically my mum has terminal cancer and was given 8 weeks about 2 weeks ago. Within 7 days this changed to imminent. Unfortunately she lives in the US, so I flew out here last minute last friday. I am currently nursing her through her last few days (hence the time restriction).

I am with o2 and have an iPhone. Before taking off I had data roaming turned off, and am not getting 3G or 4G or using any other data other than Wifi and OCCASIONALLY normal signal. this is rare as i am pretty much house bound with my mum.

I have ensured that most of my messages are iMessages (to give you an idea- of 115 messages sent- 103 were iMessages) or I am using viber or whatsapp, yet i have managed to get charged 120 pounds in non EU text roaming charges. I have been with 02 for about 7 years, and never go over my limits, am in extenuating circumstances AND dispute the charges, yet they are saying there is nothing they can do. As you can imagine i have a lot to deal with at the moment and could do without this.
I am here for weeks and simply cannot afford the charges, but NEED to keep in easy contact with family in the UK about my mums condition.

Is there ANYTHING I can do?

i appreciate any help in advance and thank you for reading!

sdduk

Sorry to hear about your Mum

You do know that every imessage, viber, whatapp message you send all use internet data and thats probably why you have that bill i know they don't take a lot of data but at about £8 for 1mg it soon adds up and you are outside the EU other than that i am not sure how you have managed to clock up that bill

You need to turn Data of on your phone and just use Wifi
Also remember that your apps on your phone will update and use Data to
so you need to turn it off.

grumbler

For pay monthly customers texts from USA to UK cost 40p. All 115 texts can't cost more than £45 even if sent directly. No way can your £120 be "text roaming charges".
Most likely the charges are for data roaming that costs £6/Mb. Even on 2g iPhone can easily swallow 20Mb without even asking you.

So, turn the data off completely and stop using it unless you are on WiFi.

Then consider using some local sim for mobile data if your iPhone isn't locked to your UK network.

Hmac_2

That's what I don't understand... My data is completely off and am only using it in wifi areas. O2 have said if I send a long iMessage, some of it may register as an SMS.
So frustrating that I can't prove that I haven't sent as many sms's as they're saying!

burnsguitarman

In messages menu, make sure the send as SMS option is turned off.
So if imessage is not available the message wont be sent.

indesisiv

As you are on O2, download Tu Go, and just leave your wifi on.
This allows you to use your normal calls and text allowance through wifi and not be charged if they are in your bundle.

Well worth it, not the greatest interface but it works well.


Can you put your phone in airplane mode then just turn wifi on?? I am not sure if you can do this on an iphone or not. Guarenteed no charges then.