Using my mobile abroad for over 3 months - help 16 August 2021 at 2:40PM in Mobiles 11 replies 231 views

pearLondon

Hi all, I am not sure if anyone can help. My current mobile provider told me, contrary to what I had been told only 2 months ago!, that my mobile may disconnect and become deactivated automatically after 3 months while in Italy and there is nothing they can do. Is anyone aware of any provider (not planning to introduce roaming from Jan 2022) whose sim will be active for longer? 
Many thanks

eDicky

Who is your current mobile provider..?

JJ_Egan

Looks like they are all moving in that direction ,though O2 may not .

Easy method is to get a local sim in Italy .

Grumpy_chap

pearLondon said:

Hi all, I am not sure if anyone can help. My current mobile provider told me, contrary to what I had been told only 2 months ago!, that my mobile may disconnect and become deactivated automatically after 3 months while in Italy and there is nothing they can do. Is anyone aware of any provider (not planning to introduce roaming from Jan 2022) whose sim will be active for longer? 
Many thanks

Even where there is roaming included in the tariff, the rules usually have a "fair use" policy and that normally includes a stipulation about most use being in the "home" country.  If you have gone to Italy for three months (or longer) they may deem your normal place of use as being Italy and not UK.

pearLondon

Hi there it's Plusnet
Yes, I am planning to get a sim over there,  but I need to keep my number somehow to receive calls....

pearLondon

Yes, but I did explain it's an emergency and I may have to stay a couple of extra months. I am not planning to use it I just want to make sure I can get calls if people need to reach me.

Murmansk

Get a voip account with Sipgate and install Zoiper on your mobile phone, then people will be able to call the UK number given to you by Sipgate and it'll ring on your mobile wherever you are as long as the phone can access data via the mobile network or wi-fi. 

eDicky

Ok, I have no experience of Plusnet, If I'm not mistaken they run on EE but someone may well correct me. So I don't know how good their customer service is in telling you such things, but even with the main networks they are often quite ignorant, especially regarding roaming.

Even if a network's fair usage policy limits the time their SIM can be used in Europe without roaming charges, I really don't believe that your number will be disconnected if you exceed the limit. It would revert to some kind of charging structure, not cut you off completely. But I have never heard of even that happening after the stipulated two or three months' of roaming in Europe on the same basis as domestic use.

Personally I have been here in Italy for almost two years without return to UK, my main UK number is on EE, they send me a text every month or so, "Welcome to Italy, good news.. blah blah..' and service continues without any roaming charges. I also have an O2 PAYG Classic SIM, and a couple of Three UK Data Reward SIMs, it's the same with them, never any charges. They all have the stated fair usage polices on EU roaming, but perhaps not any mechanism to implement limits.

Anyway, to be sure you might want to port your number to one of the main networks, or the system outlined by Murmansk above sounds pretty good.

MSE_Chris

pearLondon said:

Hi all, I am not sure if anyone can help. My current mobile provider told me, contrary to what I had been told only 2 months ago!, that my mobile may disconnect and become deactivated automatically after 3 months while in Italy and there is nothing they can do. Is anyone aware of any provider (not planning to introduce roaming from Jan 2022) whose sim will be active for longer? 
Many thanks

Hi pearLondon,

Most networks will have their own 'Fair Use' polices when using your Sim in EU counties, and Plusnet's can be found here: https://www.plus.net/help/legal/mobile-fair-usage-policy/

If we believe that over a 4 month period, you have been living or are usually based in another Roam Like at Home destination and have mainly used one or more mobile services in Roam Like at Home destinations, we will view this as unfair usage.

There's some more info on that link that explains what might happen next if you continue to use your UK Sim abroad once you've had that "warning" text from the provider. 

If we believe that over a 4 month period, you have been living or are usually based in another Roam Like at Home destination and have mainly used one or more mobile services in Roam Like at Home destinations, we will view this as unfair usage.

Out of contract pricing that you might be charged can be found here: https://www.plus.net/help/legal/mobile-price-guide/ 

I hope you find this useful.

MSE Chris

pokora

Depends of their Fair use policy. Usually they will charge you out of your contract before they cut the service unless you "abuse" and you start costing them a lot of money.

jnm21

My advice (provided you have a large data allowance) is to use a large amount of data the day before you leave (e.g. download Windows 10) - the 4 month rules, if they still reflect what were the EU requirements, will be if days AND data use when roaming BOTH greater than when not then you are outside acceptable use.  That said, as others have said, you should suffer charges, not disconnection.