Mega phone bill! No Turkish Delight here; any advice highly appreciated

startmeupjc

Hello!

I've just got back from two weeks in Turkey and have received an EE bill just short of £500.

A few facts:

- EE did send me texts about how to cut my data usage, but I did not use any data. Their add ons help with data use, not calls and texts. (In hindsight, I know I should have checked directly with EE in case they could offer me a call package.)

- Turns out that Turkey is not part of the EU (I wrongly thought it was and my research proves I'm not the only one!) and therefore charges are not capped.

- I've been an EE/Orange customer for 13/14 years and my landline and broadband are also with Orange.

- The calls and text were made to only one number

With my cheap flights costing less than my phone bill, I'm going to find it rather difficult to pay this bill! Do you know of a method of contesting this bill - or at least having credit put on it - with the above information?

Cheers!

JC

Browntoa

their web sites are full of information on how to turn off roaming etc before you go (phone checks for updates etc if data left on and not turned off)

http://ee.co.uk/help/add-ons-benefits-and-plans/call-or-going-abroad/roaming---using-your-phone-abroad/roaming-using-your-phone-abroad

and to check costs for your destination

http://explore.ee.co.uk/roaming

took me 5 secs

http://explore.ee.co.uk/roaming/orange/turkey

startmeupjc

Thank you, Browntoa. I thought it would take me six seconds, and I don't gave that amount of spare time. If only I knew it would take only five. Sigh. Extra fact: roaming was switched off. Calls and texts only.

Can anyone else give me any more helpful advice, particularly that of which answers my question?

Cheers!

Browntoa

there are several threads on here about the same thing , huge bills when abroad,

you can "appeal" to EE customer services on the grounds that you made a genuine mistake and as a long standing customer they MAY make a goodwill gesture and reduce the bill or at least allow you to pay it off over an extended period

Syman

You made the calls so contesting the bill really is not an option.

Have you spoken the CS at EE to see if a payment plan can be put in place?

d123

startmeupjc wrote: »

Hello!

I've just got back from two weeks in Turkey and have received an EE bill just short of £500.

A few facts:

- EE did send me texts about how to cut my data usage, but I did not use any data. Their add ons help with data use, not calls and texts. (In hindsight, I know I should have checked directly with EE in case they could offer me a call package.)

Reason being, data can be used without you realising it. Calls and texts need you to actually make them.

startmeupjc wrote: »

- Turns out that Turkey is not part of the EU (I wrongly thought it was and my research proves I'm not the only one!) and therefore charges are not capped.

Not sure why your lack of knowledge (or inability to check the EE roaming website) is anyone's fault but yours.

startmeupjc wrote: »

- I've been an EE/Orange customer for 13/14 years and my landline and broadband are also with Orange.

You can try and plead a goodwill gesture as an old and valued customer, maybe they will feel sorry for you, but aren't obliged to do anything.

startmeupjc wrote: »

- The calls and text were made to only one number

That's immaterial.

startmeupjc wrote: »

With my cheap flights costing less than my phone bill, I'm going to find it rather difficult to pay this bill! Do you know of a method of contesting this bill - or at least having credit put on it - with the above information?

Cheers!

JC

Why should you be able to contest it? Did you or didn't you make the calls and texts?

You can ask them if they would do you a goodwill credit as you understand it was your ignorance of the geo-political position of Turkey that caused the bill.

You might catch a manager on a good day, and they might give you a discount on the bill to help, but you have no cause to contest the bill, unless the bill has incorrect charges attached.

visidigi

startmeupjc wrote: »

Extra fact: roaming was switched off. Calls and texts only.

Fact, if calls and text were enabled, then so was roaming, as you cannot acheive either without it.

Like you say, your charges are for calls and texts, so data in this conversation is immaterial.

the answer to your question is there is no reason for EE to apply a credit to your account on the information you have provided so far.

corf999

Don't you geta text when you arrive in every foreign country detailed price of calls and texts? You next step needs to be confirming that the bill and amount owed is correct.

Are you sure Data roaming was disabled?

You need to ask for a break down of the costs, but £500 will be several/many hours talk time - Did you use the phone that much?

CKhalvashi

startmeupjc wrote: »

- EE did send me texts about how to cut my data usage, but I did not use any data. Their add ons help with data use, not calls and texts. (In hindsight, I know I should have checked directly with EE in case they could offer me a call package.)

How can they send texts about data usage if you're not using data? Did you have roaming turned off?

- Turns out that Turkey is not part of the EU (I wrongly thought it was and my research proves I'm not the only one!) and therefore charges are not capped.

Turkey has never been part of the EU.

I know that as I'm from a non-EU neighbouring country, but you should research it BEFORE going away, rather than on the return.

The fact you had your passport stamped should have given this away.

- I've been an EE/Orange customer for 13/14 years and my landline and broadband are also with Orange.

- The calls and text were made to only one number

Again irrelevant.

The cheapest way (for next time, or for anyone else reading the thread) is (with roaming off) to use Viber or Skype, both of which are free to other service users.

With my cheap flights costing less than my phone bill, I'm going to find it rather difficult to pay this bill! Do you know of a method of contesting this bill - or at least having credit put on it - with the above information?

You can ask nicely, and they may consider reducing it, but there is no legal rule under EU law, and this will be covered by the terms and conditions of your contract with EE.

Sorry if my post sounds blunt, but a quick Google before leaving would have saved you £500.

balletshoes

if you haven't already, switch data roaming off on your phone now (you don't need it at all in the UK to use your phone, even for data use).

The text you had on arrival in Turkey from Orange/EE will have been their standard one, giving you details of call, text, and data costs if you use your phone there. It doesn't mean you have been charged for data - and if you had data roaming switched off on your phone, you won't have been charged for data.
We're just home from Turkey, 2 iphones and an android, all with data roaming switched off, one of us is with Orange, and we all used our phones in wifi areas. 2 of the phones were also used for calls and texts while in Turkey. My Orange bill is itemised, and the charges for calls and texts are all as they should be (ie just over £1 per minute for calls etc). My talkmobile charges were higher (£1.79 per minute) but again, I knew those would be the charges before I used my phone (I read the texts I got on arrival in Turkey from talkmobile).

I think, as you did make/receive calls and texts while in Turkey, your only recourse is as others have said, to apply to EE and give them the details, and hope for a goodwill gesture.

visidigi

people... its not data charges

The OP ran up a bill on voice and text.

If it WAS data the bill would have been far FAR higher!

A quick check of EE shows an EE contract is £1.50 a min to make or receive a call and 50p a message to text when in Turkey

If you are on an EE contract you **MIGHT** be able to ask EE to retrospectively add a bundle on your account, but they do not have to...from ee...

120 Roaming Minutes - Global
120 MINUTES TO MAKE OR RECEIVE CALLS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD TO THE UK
MONTHLY ROLLING CONTRACT
£20

30 Roaming Minutes - Global
30 MINUTES TO MAKE OR RECEIVE CALLS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD TO THE UK
MONTHLY ROLLING CONTRACT
£6 PER MONTH

100 Roaming Texts - Global
100 ROAMING TEXTS TO USE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD TO SEND TO THE UK
MONTHLY ROLLING CONTRACT
£6

250 Roaming Texts - Global
250 ROAMING TEXTS TO USE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD TO SEND TO THE UK
MONTHLY ROLLING CONTRACT
£10