T-Mobile doubled my roaming bill

FurstyFerret

Hi everyone,

I'm about eight months into an eighteen month T-Mobile contract. The deal I'm on is pretty good (one of the grandfathered FlexT tariffs) but T-Mobile have recently made a change that's doubled my roaming charges.

I spend about 22 days a month out of the country, but not leaving Europe. In the past, for mobile data, I could spend £10 on a "booster" of 50MB which lasted 30 days. With careful use, that meant I had internet on my phone for the whole month.

Now, however, the only boosters it's possible to buy are 20MB/£1 or 100MB/£3. The problem is they only last £24 hours. So, if I want data on my phone I now have no choice but to buy a new booster every day, taking the monthly bill to over £20.

T-Mobile haven't been helpful on this (apparently there's now a £35 bundle which lasts for 30 days - head/brick wall etc) and told me that I can't do anything because it's a booster, not part of my contract.

All I can find relevant to this is a note saying they can't make changes that are "of material detriment", and also that they must notify me of new prices. I only discovered this when I got abroad.

Any advice appreciated!

Cheers,

Dave.

NFH

FurstyFerret wrote: »

So, if I want data on my phone I now have no choice but to buy a new booster every day, taking the monthly bill to over £20.

No, there are other options. Unless you often visit multiple countries on the same day, a local SIM card would be much better. Not only would you pay the same as a local, but you would have a local mobile number which locals can contact you on. You would not pay for incoming calls, and you can simply put a voicemail greeting on your UK number telling callers to redial on your foreign number.

FurstyFerret

It's a nice idea, but I spend my twenty days abroad typically in nearly twenty different countries.

The point is, I don't especially want to be swapping SIM cards around. I get texts on my main number (they won't get forwarded) and the deal for calls isn't bad. It's just mobile data that's racking up the bill.

grumbler

FurstyFerret wrote: »

All I can find relevant to this is a note saying they can't make changes that are "of material detriment", and also that they must notify me of new prices.

If is about your right to terminate a long-term contract early without paying fees.

I think you can do this anyway.

Check togglemobile (am not sure about data) and consider getting a dual sim phone (dual stanby).

NFH

grumbler wrote: »

Check togglemobile (am not sure about data) and consider getting a dual sim phone (dual stanby).

Toggle is great for everything except data, which is 15p/MB. However, given that the OP was willing to pay 20p/MB to T-Mobile (£10/50MB), this might not be a problem.

victor2

If it's only data you are concerned about, more and more places now have WiFi free or for a reasonable price. Can't you consider using that and have your roaming data switched off? Phone will keep working for calls and text messages as before then.
Obviously depends on where you go and stay, but might be a possibility.

NFH

victor2 wrote: »

If it's only data you are concerned about, more and more places now have WiFi free or for a reasonable price. Can't you consider using that and have your roaming data switched off?

Given that the OP is using as little as 50MB over a month, it suggests that he is already using wifi wherever it is available. If one could manage without mobile data completely, then everyone would do so while in the UK as well; it is not practical.

Harald

You can find used Mifi device on ebay for around 30 quid (doesn't need to be latest/fastest one) and use it with local data SIM.
It's easier to change sim card, you still can make/receive calls and it can work with up to 5 devices at a time, so if you have tablet/laptop - it can be connected as well.
Because it's wireless, makes life easier in places with poor reception - you can always put it in small plastic bag and hang it on the window.

And then - obviously - express a big warm "thank you" to T-Mobile using your middle finger...