MSE News: 'Free' mobile roaming in the EU starts on Thursday

kishanpatel50

At first, Three told me that calling an EU number whilst i'm roaming in the EU would be classed as an international number.
After getting through to the "Customer Relations" team, they correctly said that the EU to EU and EU to UK calls would come out of my normal minutes.

:T

Frozen_up_north

kishanpatel50 wrote: »

At first, Three told me that calling an EU number whilst i'm roaming in the EU would be classed as an international number.
After getting through to the "Customer Relations" team, they correctly said that the EU to EU and EU to UK calls would come out of my normal minutes.

Three and their web site are in disarray to say the least.

For example their PAYG rate to call Spain from the UK is 3p/min (no bundle, no special prefix). On a contract SIM it's 46p/min.

The roaming page for PAYG specifically states that you can use tethering in the EU, yet on an "advanced" contract you can only do that in the UK.

Maybe they will rewrite their web pages overnight to give clarity to the whole EU calling and roaming business.

On a positive note, on Three you can roam for "free" in the Channel Is and IOM.

MiserlyMartin

"7. Brexit won't affect the new EU rules - for now. Right now, the UK's still a member of the EU, so the new rules apply to UK mobile users. When the UK leaves the EU, they won't. But it's not yet clear if that means mobile roaming costs will rocket, or if new arrangements will be put in place to keep them down."

Its obvious that Martin Lewis is a remoaner by writing this incorrect information. The UK, like Norway, Iceland etc, after we leave the EU will still be in the EEA therefore these prices will continue to apply to us. More scaremongering

eDicky

MiserlyMartin wrote: »

Its obvious that Martin Lewis is a remoaner by writing this incorrect information. The UK, like Norway, Iceland etc, after we leave the EU will still be in the EEA therefore these prices will continue to apply to us.

I admire your unique ability to foresee this with certainty. Or is it just wishful thinking?

'Roam like at home' is an EU directive, one of many that currently protect and benefit British consumers. Martin's information is not mistaken.

chattychappy

eDicky wrote: »

'Roam like at home' is an EU directive, one of many that currently protect and benefit British consumers.

Certainly those who regularly travel in Europe will benefit. Presumably the cost is now built into the pricing - so the cost is met by those who do not roam in Europe.

After Brexit, I see the options are:
1) no replacement regulation - so it's up to the market
2) some sort of deal with the EU ("soft" brexit?), so this directive still applies
3) the effect of the directive is carried over via the so-called great repeal bill.
4) home-grown regulation

Personally I favour a mix of (1) and (4).

Ian011

The UK will not be able to take a unilateral stance on roaming charges. If you think this, you have not understood how things work.

MiserlyMartin

eDicky wrote: »

I admire your unique ability to foresee this with certainty. Or is it just wishful thinking?

'Roam like at home' is an EU directive, one of many that currently protect and benefit British consumers. Martin's information is not mistaken.

You've completely ignored everything I said. We are in the EEA now and will continue to be even after a so called hardest of the "hard" brexit. Members of the EEA are included in this. In any case, after the election !!!! up, brexit looks like it will be a severely watered down fudge and the British people will have been betrayed.

Ian011

Eh? At the current time, we are still in the EU and on the same terms as we were before.

eDicky

MiserlyMartin wrote: »

You've completely ignored everything I said. We are in the EEA now and will continue to be even after a so called hardest of the "hard" brexit.

I was referring exactly to what you said, not ignoring it, and impressed by the certainty of your prediction. But I see now that you lack understanding of the EEA and its provision for the free movement of persons, goods, services and capital within the European Single Market, as well as the freedom to choose residence in any EEA country. Remaining a member would be a 'soft' option - perhaps like most you were not aware of what you were voting to leave in the referendum.

marilou66

I have seen this advertised in a few places, but none of them address my query: does this apply to PAYG? It looks like it's only for contracts but since I'm on PAYG (GiffGaff) I'd like to be sure. (I saw somewhere that it did, but when I asked GG they said it didn't, so it's confusing). Many thanks.