MSE News: Tesco Mobile customers can avoid roaming rates in Europe this summer 27 April 2016 at 3:17PM in Mobiles 16 replies 2.4K views

MSE_Luke

Millions of Tesco Mobile customers can avoid roaming rates in 31 European countries this summer...

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'Tesco Mobile customers can avoid roaming rates in Europe this summer'

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grumbler

MSE wrote:

Calls and texts to EU numbers while in the 31 European countries will cost 4p per minute and 1p per text
...
Once you have used up your data, minutes and texts that are included in your normal UK tariff, you'll be charged usual roaming rates.
These are as follows: 25p/minute for calls to UK numbers, 10p/text to UK numbers, 10p/MB for data. Calls and texts from the UK will remain free to receive.

Surely I don't understand something.
If roaming charges are caped by 4p/min and 1p/text (wiki says 5p and 2p),
how can they be 25p/min and 10p/text then?

warwicktiger

This is not news, or anything to do with Tesco, its just (another) thing the EU has done for consumers, providers now cannot charge more for being abroad in the EU and using your phone. Feel free to vote to leave and risk losing another benefit of EU membership.

diamonds

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/phones/2016/04/tesco-mobile-customers-will-avoid-roaming-rates-in-europe-this-summer?_ga=1.123004046.428562909.1451900197

"Once you have used up your data, minutes and texts that are included in your normal UK tariff, you'll be charged usual roaming rates.

These are as follows: 25p/minute for calls to UK numbers, 10p/text to UK numbers, 10p/MB for data. Calls and texts from the UK will remain free to receive"

^Thats wrong, Payg rates are calls and texts to EU numbers while in the 31 European countries will cost 4p per minute and 1p after plan allowances, payg UK bundles can be used, example: the triple credit £20 recharge = £60 credit, buy a 8GB bundle for £20 and you have £40 bonus credit at the above call rates for 30 days.

Calls to UK numbers Your UK call rate

(if you’ve got a bundle or free credit, it’ll come out of this)

Texts to UK numbers Your UK text rate

(if you’ve got a bundle or free credit, it’ll come out of this)

Using data Your UK data rate

(if you’ve got a bundle or free credit, it’ll come out of this)

Voicemail Your UK Voicemail rate

Calling Care Your UK Care rate

Picture messages Your UK rate (25p a message)

Calls to EU numbers 4p a min from your top-up

Texts to EU numbers 1p a text from your top-up

Calls & texts whilst away Free to receive

INCLUDED Non-EU Countries

Iceland Liechtenstein Norway Switzerland

Buy bundles on pay monthly or payg to avoid standard charges

"What happens if I use up all of my minutes, texts, data, free credit or bundles while I’m abroad in one of the Home From Home countries?

You’ll pay our standard UK rates, unless you buy an additional bundle. If you have a bundle, you’ll be charged at our Home From Home rates."

Further:

you’re a Capped customer and you’ve used up all of your minutes, texts or data and safety buffer, then you'll need to make a payment or increase your safety buffer. You can do this in the pay monthly app, in My Account or by calling 4488 free from your Tesco Mobile phone. If you don’t want to make a payment or increase your safety buffer, don’t worry you’ll still be able to receive calls and texts.

Is calling or texting a local number while I’m abroad in a Home From Home country also taken from my UK minutes and texts allowance, free credit or bundles?

No, calls to local numbers don’t come out of your UK minutes and texts allowance, free credit or bundles while you’re abroad in a Home From Home country. They’re charged at just 4p a minute and 1p a text though.

If you’re a pay monthly customer on a Capped contract, these charges will come out of your safety buffer. If you’re not on a Capped contract, calls and texts will be charged on top of your monthly tariff cost.

If you’re a pay as you go customer, it’ll come out of your top-up.

What do I need to do to get the Home From Home rates?

Absolutely nothing! When you arrive in one of our Home From Home countries, we’ll text you to let you know you can use your UK data, minutes and text allowance, free credit and bundles.

If you’re new to Tesco Mobile, just make sure you activate and use your SIM in the UK first.

How long is Home From Home running?

All summer long…! You can use your UK data, minutes and text allowance, free credit and bundles in Home From Home countries from 23 May until 4 September 2016.

Are there any restrictions to Home From Home?

Home From Home is for all Tesco Mobile customers on all tariffs – pay as you go and pay monthly.

If you’re a pay as you go customer, you need to have activated, topped-up and used your SIM before arriving in one of our Home From Home countries.

Our fair use policy (see below) means you can use your UK data, minutes and text allowance, free credit or bundles in Home From Home countries for up to 28 days from 23 May until 3 September 2016 (23:59 BST). That’s because Home From Home is aimed at our customers on holidays or short breaks.

There are some usage restrictions, too:

• Calls to all numbers that normally come out of your UK data, minutes and text allowance, free credit or bundles (standard UK numbers) are included, but any numbers starting 070, 09 or 118 directory enquiries while you’re in our Home From Home countries aren’t

• The UK fair use policy of 400 texts per day still applies

• You can’t use tethering/hotspots

• Home From Home rates aren’t available on ferries, cruise ships or planes

How do I call UK numbers while I am roaming in the EU?

You can call or text UK numbers just like you do at home – no need to add ‘0044’ at the start of the number.

How will I be charged for calls or texts to friends or family that I’m travelling with?

As long as they’ve got a UK-based mobile number, then your calls or texts to your friends and family come from your UK minutes, texts, free credit or bundle. Please note, they might be charged to receive calls or texts if they’re either outside our Home From Home countries or if they’re not with Tesco Mobile.

Will I be charged to receive calls and texts?

No, it’s completely free to receive any calls and texts when you’re abroad in our Home From Home countries from 23 May to 3 September 2016 (23:59 BST).



Source: http://www.tescomobile.com/homefromhome



Scroll down and select pay monthly or payg Bundles info: http://www.tescomobile.com/help-and-support/1082-pay-as-you-go/1092-bundles/bundles?search=bundles

warwicktiger

Yes, strange how ALL the providers are now offering these terms, after the EU acted!

diamonds

I have highlighted to the mods on a report the article is incorrect and linked to my above post

d123

warwicktiger wrote: »

Yes, strange how ALL the providers are now offering these terms, after the EU acted!

I wouldn't be surprised if the mobile networks were funding the Brexit Leave campaign , their roaming cash cow is almost dead in the EU :T:T

diamonds

d123 wrote: »

I wouldn't be surprised if the mobile networks were funding the Brexit Leave campaign , their roaming cash cow is almost dead in the EU :T:T

LOL


my heart bleeds for them....not as much as EE as One2One bled me for a average £100 a month for minimal cross network calls though :rotfl:

OldBeanz

The mobile companies have all put up their charges to compensate for the loss in revenue. The gainers are the fat cats who can afford to travel to Europe frequently although the bloated MEPs probably have their phones paid for in any case and the losers are everyone else.
The mobile companies will be delighted with this setup as it makes it more difficult for any new service providers to gain access to the market.

redux

OldBeanz wrote: »

The mobile companies have all put up their charges to compensate for the loss in revenue. The gainers are the fat cats who can afford to travel to Europe frequently although the bloated MEPs probably have their phones paid for in any case and the losers are everyone else.
The mobile companies will be delighted with this setup as it makes it more difficult for any new service providers to gain access to the market.

Leave out the UKIP propaganda, or unwitting imitations of it, please.

Until the regulators took this action, spread over several years of networks struggling and kicking in opposition, call rates while roaming were much higher, sometimes over £1 a minute against a wholesale cost of just a few pence (then; now it's less), thus if there could be said to be a notional cross-subsidy, it was flowing towards home users.

Very few networks have declared that they put up home rates to allow for this being about to happen. I'm only aware of one so far, and some might view its descriptions with a little cynicism.

And there seem to be a steady stream of new MVNO providers, some surviving some not, so I don't quite understand your last point.

The single European market happened in 1992. It's about time the mobile networks caught up.

d123

It's quite easy to see what the networks would like to charge, just look at the charges for countries bordering the EU in Europe.

For example Macedonia
EE
£1.50 a minute to make or receive a call and 50p per text message

Three
£1.40 a minute to make or receive a call, 35p per text and £6 per MB :eek:

Vodafone
£1.65 a minute to call, £1.30 to receive, 35p + home rate to text and £3 per MB

O2
£1.50 a minute to call, £1.25 to receive, 40p to text and another extortionate £6 per MB :eek:

O2 will graciously give you another 200MB allowance for £120!!!

Robbing barstewards.

It's no wonder the EU had to legislate them to bring in cheap rates.