Large O2 Bill am I jiggered

chipbeck

My daughter has an O2 contract that Ipay £20 a month for with I think a £30 cap on it. Anyway she went to Spain for a week in July and her bill is £260 for the month. This is all due to her boyfriend ringing her when she was in Spain. I didn't think O2 would let this happen but unfortunately they have, Iassumed her phone would have been turned off when the £30 limit was met. Anyone any ideas as too what I can do or do I just have to sort out how to find £260.

cheers

redux

Did she ring O2 beforehand at all, to ask about roaming costs?

If so, they should have recommended 'Chosen Country - Spain', which for £5 a month would mean incoming calls were free

http://www.o2.co.uk/international/travellingabroad/paymonthlyabroad/chosencountryspain

Quentin

Fraid there is no way round it.

Though shouldn't it be the daughter + her boyfriend doing the sorting out? Between them they must have known the horrendous cost involved in accepting calls from the uk when you're abroad.

redux

Even without that add-on, there is a free one called My Europe, which reduced call charges to 35 pence a minute.

If she wasn't on this, you might try to get these rates retrospectively applied by suggesting they should publicise these options better.

Rates are being decreased again now, 35p make 18p receive, so they ought to make some goodwill moves. She would probably have received text messages about this; mine are dated 8 July and 20 July; I can give you details if she hasn't saved them

chipbeck

Just got off the phone with O2 their systems down so they couldn't do anything. The guy did say in effect that it's probably tough doda and you'll have to pay it. Bit mad really both with my daughter and O2 as I know sweet fa about phones but a quick look through the O2 website shows me options as mentioned of £5 a month or £2.99 getting the calls reduced by 70%.
Think I'll have to cancel the contract and pay them installments if they'll let me. They probably rely on peoples ignorance and see me as a very good customer.

Lesson Learnt.

Quentin

They will let you cancel the contract ok, (subject to 30 days notice), but if it is still in the minimum period (12 or 18 months), then you'll have to pay them them an early cancellation fee (which will be the equivalent of the monthly rental due for the remainder of the minimum period).

You would have to pay any early cancellation fee as a lump sum, so you'll be no better off (though you won't get any more nasty usage surprises).

Maybe better to confiscate the SIM. (Then see if you can sell the handset to raise something towards the bill).

chipbeck

Quentin wrote: »

They will let you cancel the contract ok, (subject to 30 days notice), but if it is still in the minimum period (12 or 18 months), then you'll have to pay them them an early cancellation fee (which will be the equivalent of the monthly rental due for the remainder of the minimum period).

You would have to pay any early cancellation fee as a lump sum, so you'll be no better off (though you won't get any more nasty usage surprises).

Maybe better to confiscate the SIM. (Then see if you can sell the handset to raise something towards the bill).

Thanks for the advice Quentin I'll just see if they are prepared to offer me any reduction. The My Europe at a 70% discount would do me and it would have been applied automatically if her contract was for £5 a month more so we'll see if they are reasonable or not.

Quentin

There's always a hope - but they are a business, and not known for being too philanthropic!

ritac1

I dont understand, what is the point of a £30 cap if they dont apply it?

Is there a different rule when abroad?

I had my daughters o2 account capped at £20 and when it reached that amount the sim card would be blocked.

I would have thought o2 have some explaining to do here.

Quentin

The problem is they don't get updated quickly when foreign networks get involved.

chipbeck

Talked to a nice lad in cancellations at O2 he said he would have a word with his manager and get back to me.

He hasn't.

My daughter said that on her return from holiday she got a text from O2 explaining how she could get cheap calls when in Spain.

Horse, Cart, Salt Wound etc.

:rotfl: