MSE News: EE to bring back mobile roaming charges in Europe from January

MSE_Helen_K

EE is to start charging new and upgrading customers a flat £2/day mobile roaming fee if they use their phone in Europe from January 2022. The move makes it the first mobile firm to scrap free roaming in the EU following Brexit...

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'EE to bring back mobile roaming charges in Europe from January'

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MMSR

A question from someone not too savvy on these things.

I am currently have a contract with EE though the minimum period has expired and I have just let it run. I'm not one of those who upgrades as soon as my contract period expires. I understand that were I to continue to do this, I wouldn't have to pay the roaming charges. BUT, my phone is old and probably ready for upgrading. So I can either upgrade before 7th July and then not bother to renew after that. OR - and this is where I get a little unsure - could I just buy a new phone, put my old EE contract SIM into that and carry on as normal i.e. new phone same old contract?

J_B

MMSR said:

A question from someone not too savvy on these things.

I am currently have a contract with EE though the minimum period has expired and I have just let it run. I'm not one of those who upgrades as soon as my contract period expires. I understand that were I to continue to do this, I wouldn't have to pay the roaming charges. BUT, my phone is old and probably ready for upgrading. So I can either upgrade before 7th July and then not bother to renew after that. OR - and this is where I get a little unsure - could I just buy a new phone, put my old EE contract SIM into that and carry on as normal i.e. new phone same old contract?

You may be better posting on the mobile phone section https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/mobiles

"just let it run" is not very MSE, you could have changed to a cheaper (?) sim only deal and then when the phone dies, just buy another

boatman

Presumably the reduction from 20Gb to 12Gb on '3' will give people the right to reject the change, and leave, so anyone who took out an expensive contract with a phone could cancel and keep the phone..

powerful_Rogue

boatman said:

Presumably the reduction from 20Gb to 12Gb on '3' will give people the right to reject the change, and leave, so anyone who took out an expensive contract with a phone could cancel and keep the phone..

Depends. If you've never been abroad before whilst in contract, or been abroad and only used a very small amount of data  - Then no.

bradavon

We knew this was coming.

Luckily I'm on a great 5G tariff after I raised a complaint with EE so can't see myself needing to change but I'd leave EE before accepting this.

When I want a new phone I'll just pay for the phone.

But if I need to change tariffs I'd switch to BT Mobile. They own EE so you use EE's network. No way I'm paying for something that was my right until 2016 and as a holder of an EU passport still is.

Another reason why Brexit sucks. A copy/paste trade deal with Singapore and Japan and a controversial trade deal with Australia. A quarter of the population of The UK took us back 50 years for a handful of two bit trade deals. Wonderful.

Don't care about "taking back control" or "sovereignty". I care about real tangible pros or cons and I'm seeing very little cons (yet). Is this what we can expect from Brexit? A handful of modest trade deals and a tonne of complication from roaming charges to travel.

The government took all the EU laws and made them British laws, the British helped write them. This is how bad the EU was, we copied all their laws to our own 🙄.

bradavon

MMSR said:

A question from someone not too savvy on these things.

I am currently have a contract with EE though the minimum period has expired and I have just let it run. I'm not one of those who upgrades as soon as my contract period expires. I understand that were I to continue to do this, I wouldn't have to pay the roaming charges. BUT, my phone is old and probably ready for upgrading. So I can either upgrade before 7th July and then not bother to renew after that. OR - and this is where I get a little unsure - could I just buy a new phone, put my old EE contract SIM into that and carry on as normal i.e. new phone same old contract?

Yes if your phone isn't locked to EE. From December 2021 it will be illegal. Right now EE will charge about £10. Did you get it from EE?

Its up to you which you do. Do you need a new phone? Go Sim only. Do you want a new phone? Do you have to stick with EE?

Remember BT Mobile own EE and use EE's network. So same coverage. If I had to switch tariffs that's what I'd do.

But yes any modern phone will work with 4G and many 5G too (check). I would avoid Huawei phones and tablets (their watches are fine) because Huawei don't have permission to access Google Play since 2019 but any other make it's up to you.

Ensure your phone is unlocked. Hope this helps.

bradavon

boatman said:

Presumably the reduction from 20Gb to 12Gb on '3' will give people the right to reject the change, and leave, so anyone who took out an expensive contract with a phone could cancel and keep the phone..

You need more than 12GB in a 30 day period? With Wifi in most places I don't personally. I'd be happy if EE took this approach.

But it would depend if you were in a contract. You can't just have a phone without having paid for it.

alibali65

I’m on a PAYG sim so I wonder if I alternate between £10/15/20 packages that’s construed as a new contract?

Upsidedownandaround

bradavon said:

We knew this was coming.

Luckily I'm on a great 5G tariff after I raised a complaint with EE so can't see myself needing to change but I'd leave EE before accepting this.

When I want a new phone I'll just pay for the phone.

But if I need to change tariffs I'd switch to BT Mobile. They own EE so you use EE's network. No way I'm paying for something that was my right until 2016 and as a holder of an EU passport still is.

Another reason why Brexit sucks. A copy/paste trade deal with Singapore and Japan and a controversial trade deal with Australia. A quarter of the population of The UK took us back 50 years for a handful of two bit trade deals. Wonderful.

Don't care about "taking back control" or "sovereignty". I care about real tangible pros or cons and I'm seeing very little cons (yet). Is this what we can expect from Brexit? A handful of modest trade deals and a tonne of complication from roaming charges to travel.

The government took all the EU laws and made them British laws, the British helped write them. This is how bad the EU was, we copied all their laws to our own 🙄.

Calm down. A £2 a day tarriff in EU countries from a phone provider isn’t a massive complication.

jondave

Anyone know if you're on a 30 day sim the new roaming charges will apply? Or if I keep the 30 plan rolling on they won't?
EE changed by out of contract plan to a 30 sim only plan around a month ago.