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

d123

marilou66 wrote: »

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.

It does..

Our plans, we call them goodybags, include data, minutes and texts to all the countries in the EU and selected destinations, so you can do all the things you would, at home, but without any extra cost. The same goes for our Pay as you go prices as well. Bring on the sunshine.

https://www.giffgaff.com/roaming-charges

phillw

MiserlyMartin wrote: »

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

Remaining in the EEA would require free movement of people. Something the racists say they will cause a civil war over if that is still in place after brexit.

If Mrs May is correct and brexit means brexit, then we won't be part of the EEA.

chattychappy wrote: »

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).

The great repeal bill will create the illusion of us keeping the rules post brexit. However changes are then up for grabs by which ever lobby group bungs the MPs the most money.

I'm not sure whether to bet on this being neutered first, or the working time directive. Or maybe they'll come out of left field when getting rid of EU red tape and decide that polluting beaches and rivers would save more money.

Tropically

I was very excited when travelling to the EU last weekend. I called my dad who lives outside of the EU on Father's Day. I thought I would only pay my regular international calling rate, but my mobile phone carrier, GIFFGAFF (who are awful), charged me £1/minute for this luxury. The normal tariff from calling in the UK is about £0.01/minute.

Are they breaking the law by doing this? The EU Regulations FAQ say:

1. Is it really true that I will not pay anything extra when I travel and use my smartphone in the EU?
Yes. Your communications (phone calls, SMS, data) made from another EU country will be covered in your national bundle: the minutes, SMS and gigabytes of data that you consume abroad in the EU will be charged or deducted from the volumes of your national tariff plan exactly as if you were at home (in the country where you live, work or study). Contrary to the past, you will not have to pay anything extra. No bill shock anymore. Whether you use your mobile phone while periodically abroad in the EU or in the country where you live will not make any difference. You will roam like at home.

It seems like giffgaff are circumventing that by charging me 10x the regular rate. I got charged £12 for one phone call.

d123

Tropically wrote: »

I was very excited when travelling to the EU last weekend. I called my dad who lives outside of the EU on Father's Day. I thought I would only pay my regular international calling rate, but my mobile phone carrier, GIFFGAFF (who are awful), charged me £1/minute for this luxury. The normal tariff from calling in the UK is about £0.01/minute.

Are they breaking the law by doing this? The EU Regulations FAQ say:

1. Is it really true that I will not pay anything extra when I travel and use my smartphone in the EU?
Yes. Your communications (phone calls, SMS, data) made from another EU country will be covered in your national bundle: the minutes, SMS and gigabytes of data that you consume abroad in the EU will be charged or deducted from the volumes of your national tariff plan exactly as if you were at home (in the country where you live, work or study). Contrary to the past, you will not have to pay anything extra. No bill shock anymore. Whether you use your mobile phone while periodically abroad in the EU or in the country where you live will not make any difference. You will roam like at home.

It seems like giffgaff are circumventing that by charging me 10x the regular rate. I got charged £12 for one phone call.

What country did you call?

Tropically

d123 wrote: »

What country did you call?

A non-EU country in North America. I see now that the regulation doesn't mean that I get to have the same international rates as I pay regularly. The communication regarding this was very poor. The text I got said, "Calls, texts and data will now come out of your UK allowance, just like at home." It didn't say within the EU, or that normal 'rest of world' costs will apply. They deliberately misscommunicated.

d123

A quick look at the giffgaff pricing page for roaming (I chose Spain as roaming country) does say:

Making a phone call or sending a text from this country to another country that falls outside the EU and selected destination will cost £1 per minute and 30p/text. (VAT and relevant taxes are included in the pricing where applicable).

https://www.giffgaff.com/roaming-charges

Frozen_up_north

I am very wary of mobile phone companies and their charges. It's not just Giff Gaff... Three charge 46p/min to call Spain from a contract SIM, yet only charge 3p/min on PAYG. It's a similar rip off if you exceed your minutes on a Three contract, 35p/min compared to 3p/min on PAYG.

More than ever, it's essential to read the small print with these weasels. It pays to cap your spending on contracts too, even though some don't offer it on calls!

glocal

There is still some confusion around. 3 earlier replied to my query on tweeter confirming that while I am on holiday in a EU country, calls to any other EU country come out of my allowance! Surely, these should count as international calls. Otherwise, calling a third EU country while roaming will be cheaper (ie free) than calling the same country from home!

To sum up, does the following look right?

While visiting, say, France, (a) my calls to UK and French numbers come out of my allowance, but calls to German numbers are chargeable as international calls. (b) whether the person I am calling happens to be in France, Germany or the UK at the time is irrelevant to me -- it's where the number is registered that counts (c) I won't be charged to receive any calls (d) to people calling me it doesn't make a difference where I am (ie it's as if I am in the UK).

eDicky

glocal wrote: »

There is still some confusion around. 3 earlier replied to my query on tweeter confirming that while I am on holiday in a EU country, calls to any other EU country come out of my allowance! Surely, these should count as international calls. Otherwise, calling a third EU country while roaming will be cheaper (ie free) than calling the same country from home!

To sum up, does the following look right?

While visiting, say, France, (a) my calls to UK and French numbers come out of my allowance, but calls to German numbers are chargeable as international calls. (b) whether the person I am calling happens to be in France, Germany or the UK at the time is irrelevant to me -- it's where the number is registered that counts (c) I won't be charged to receive any calls (d) to people calling me it doesn't make a difference where I am (ie it's as if I am in the UK).

Your (b) and (d) have always been true. (c) is true since June 15th when you are in any EU/EEA country.

(a) is not true. Three informed you correctly, according to the 'Roam like at Home' regulations implemented since June 15th. However, certain networks do implement the regs according to your (a), and apparently even OFCOM will tell you that (a) is correct.

As you say, there is certainly still some confusion. You could switch to a network such as IDmobile that charges according to (a) if you prefer, look for the 'Roaming charges' thread below somewhere.

d123

glocal wrote: »

There is still some confusion around. 3 earlier replied to my query on tweeter confirming that while I am on holiday in a EU country, calls to any other EU country come out of my allowance! Surely, these should count as international calls. Otherwise, calling a third EU country while roaming will be cheaper (ie free) than calling the same country from home!

To sum up, does the following look right?

While visiting, say, France, (a) my calls to UK and French numbers come out of my allowance, but calls to German numbers are chargeable as international calls. (b) whether the person I am calling happens to be in France, Germany or the UK at the time is irrelevant to me -- it's where the number is registered that counts (c) I won't be charged to receive any calls (d) to people calling me it doesn't make a difference where I am (ie it's as if I am in the UK).

Already discussed on the forum, as per the EU rules, whilst roaming all EEA calls are included in your allowance.

If I travel and call or text a friend, do I have to worry on which operator he/she is or whether it is a fixed or mobile?

No. When you are roaming in the EU, all calls to mobile and fixed numbers in the EU will be counted against your national volume of minutes (or will be unlimited if you have unlimited calls at home), exactly as if you were calling within your home country. If you have distinct so-called ‘on-net’ and ‘on-net’ volumes in your national bundle, all the roaming minutes may be all deducted from the on-net volume, and also when you call another subscriber of the same domestic operator while roaming.

For example: If you have a Belgian card and you travel to France and call either a hotel in France, back home to Belgium, or to any other country in the EU and the EEA, you are roaming, and you will pay Belgian internal domestic prices.

On the other hand, if for example, a Belgian SIM card holder calls from Belgium to Spain, she/he will pay the international tariff. Calls from home to another EU country are not roaming and are not regulated.

http://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/document.cfm?doc_id=45382