topic Re: Roaming and want to speak to a human being in Mobile Services

Roaming and want to speak to a human being

Pennifer60 — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 09:48:59 GMT

How do I get to speak to an actual human being and not the rubbish text service that does not answer my query.

I have a very old package with EE and also an additional handset with another package for a family member. The EE app does not make it clear enough how the 2 lines are impacted by travel abroad and the costs.

If I text the word ROAMING it responds with unclear information. For example, what is EE's definition of the EU when it comes to call/data charges?

It says "you can use your plan's minutes, texts and data while abroad in SWITZERLAND at no extra cost.

The costs from SWITZERLAND to countries outside the EU are:
Calls - £2.00 per minute to make/receive (Incl. Voicemail),
Texts - 82p to send/receive
Picture Messages - 89p per picture"

How do I fully understand what that means in relation to the UK, and Switzerland, which technically are outside the EU, or do EE group them in anyway. It says I can use my plan at no extra cost, but it also say there is a cost to countries outside the EU. Where does the UK fit into this.

What if I want to phone within Switzerland (using my UK number) to a local Swiss number. Or phone the UK from Switzerland etc etc.

Please EE - give up on the awful text service - just allow us to speak to someone. If you are lucky enough to speak to someone then they are all really helpful.

Re: Roaming and want to speak to a human being

bristolian — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 09:58:04 GMT

You can also view roaming costs via the online tool - https://ee.co.uk/help/mobile/roaming/roaming-costs

Switzerland is within EE's Europe-zone, so for all intents & purposes the charging is EU-based. The daily or monthly charge applies for all calls & texts within the European-zone. Any calls outside the Europe-zone are at the additional rates listed at the bottom of the page..

Re: Roaming and want to speak to a human being

Pennifer60 — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 10:39:01 GMT

Thank you for your reply and I had already looked at the page you referenced but it did not answer my query. It still is not clear to me as the definition for the EE Europe Zone does not include the UK. It says

Our EE Europe Zone:

Austria, Azores, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Canary Islands, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, French Guyana, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guadeloupe, Guernsey, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madeira, Malta, Martinique, Mayotte, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Reunion Islands, Romania, San Marino, Saint Martin (French), Saint Barthelemy, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Vatican City (Italy).

So does that therefore mean that the UK is outside of the EU zone, and therefore their earlier text information to me applies, where they said?

ie "The costs from SWITZERLAND to countries outside the EU are:
Calls - £2.00 per minute to make/receive (Incl. Voicemail),
Texts - 82p to send/receive
Picture Messages - 89p per picture"
Please note: Turkey and Andorra are not included in the EE Europe Zone.

Thank you

Re: Roaming and want to speak to a human being

bristolian — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 10:53:43 GMT

The UK is included within the EU-charging zone. The daily or monthly charge applies for calls & texts within the EU-zone back to the UK.

Re: Roaming and want to speak to a human being

Pennifer60 — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 11:13:56 GMT

Thank you for the clarification. Can you tell me why the UK isn't listed as being part of the EU charging zone? It makes it very difficult to trust what is being read when a whole country is missed off the list!

Can you also tell me please if I want to make a call from within Switzerland (using my UK sim) to a local Swiss number - is that chargeable?

Thank you.

Re: Roaming and want to speak to a human being

Pennifer60 — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 13:37:45 GMT

Can you also tell me please if I want to make a call from within Switzerland (using my UK sim) to a local Swiss number - is that chargeable?

Thank you.

Re: Roaming and want to speak to a human being

bristolian — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 14:37:40 GMT

@Pennifer60 wrote:

Can you also tell me please if I want to make a call from within Switzerland (using my UK sim) to a local Swiss number - is that chargeable?

A call from your EE line to a number within the Euro zone whilst roaming within the Euro-zone, falls within the daily charge.

Re: Roaming and want to speak to a human being

Pennifer60 — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 15:03:53 GMT

Ok thank you. Do you mean that it falls within my daily minutes/data etc, or that there is a daily charge. I'm not quite clear which of those applies? And if there is a daily charge what is it please, my account was taken out around 2017. Thanks

Re: Roaming and want to speak to a human being

bristolian — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 15:12:21 GMT

The whole premise of the EU-roaming regime is there is no per-minute or per-text charge, but a daily or monthly charge for the use of your allowances. The charge is either £2.47/day or £25/month.

I'm not sure what you mean by "account was taken out", what matters is when you last re-contracted, upgraded or changed priceplans. If that was since July 7, 2021 then you fall under the current charging regime.

Re: Roaming and want to speak to a human being

XRaySpeX — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 15:14:06 GMT

@Pennifer60 : There is a daily charge to use your UK allowances in Switzerland or alternatively a charge per billing month.

You may use your usual UK allowances in the EE Europe Zone with up to 50 GB (contract) or 25 GB (PAYG) data per billing month if you have more. If on contract & your contract started after 07/07/2021 there'll be a £2.47 / day charge for using your UK allowances in EE Europe Zone or alternatively you may buy the Roam Abroad Pass for £25 / billing month.

You imply your contract was taken out in 2017 but have you never upgraded since? The operative date is when your current contract started.

Re: Roaming and want to speak to a human being

XRaySpeX — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 15:52:56 GMT

@Pennifer60 wrote:

Can you tell me why the UK isn't listed as being part of the EU charging zone?

Cuz it isn't! In every roaming charges page you will see an entry for:

Calls to numbers in EE Europe zone and back home including voicemail	Yes

As you see calling back home to UK is explicitly mentioned separate from calling within the EE Europe zone.

This removes the anomaly that would arise for if the UK were in the EE Europe zone you could be considered to be roaming in the UK, which is not feasible.

Re: Roaming and want to speak to a human being

Pennifer60 — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 15:45:58 GMT

I don't believe that I will be subject to the daily charge as I took out the contract back in 2017 and have made no changes or upgrades in that time - see EE text info below.

The text I received from EE says

"Great news, you can use your plan's minutes, texts and data while abroad in SWITZERLAND at no extra cost.

The costs from SWITZERLAND to countries outside the EU are:
Calls - £2.00 per minute to make/receive (Incl. Voicemail),
Texts - 82p to send/receive
Picture Messages - 89p per picture"

The whole purpose of my attempt to speak to someone was to try to find out how EE considers the UK to be part of the EU or not, and therefore any possible charges to me.

EE seems to consider that the UK is part of the EU but it does not list the UK as part of that list! Bristolian tells me that the UK is part of the EU for the purposes of this, but that is not confirmed by the countries listed.

Re: Roaming and want to speak to a human being

XRaySpeX — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 15:57:59 GMT

EE does not consider that the UK is part of the EU/EE Europe zone! It is always referred to separately in its own right wherever it matters as I indicated above.

If you have indeed had an unchanged contract from 2017 then roaming in EU will be free for you w/out any extra charges.

Re: Roaming and want to speak to a human being

Pennifer60 — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 16:27:13 GMT

Thank you for your help. It is still not clear to me how the UK is treated, as Bristolian says "The UK is included within the EU-charging zone. The daily or monthly charge applies for calls & texts within the EU-zone back to the UK." But you have just said "EE does not consider that the UK is part of the EU/EE Europe zone!"

Which one is right? It hugely affects any charges etc that I may incur.

I also still don't know if I call from within Switzerland (using my UK sim) to a local Swiss number - is that chargeable? Bristolian says "that falls within the daily charges", but I don't believe I have the daily charges. Is it therefore free to me?

Re: Roaming and want to speak to a human being

XRaySpeX — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 16:43:28 GMT

Sorry, but I have to say @bristolian is wrong. Nowhere in EE documentation or Help is UK classified as part of EU/EE Europe zone. You/he find me 1 place it is!

As I said earlier you may call anywhere within EU/EE Europe zone from the EU/EE Europe zone & as you say you started your contract before 07/07/21 you have no extra daily charges to use your UK allowances.

Now we are just going round in circles & there is nothing useful that can be added!

Re: Roaming and want to speak to a human being

Pennifer60 — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 17:00:26 GMT

This long conversation has only come about because it is impossible to actually speak to a human being.

In this message thread I have received conflicting advice, and all of this could have been avoided - one person says UK is part of the EU/EE Europe zone, and the other does not. How is the average customer supposed to navigate this?

So frustrating.

Re: Roaming and want to speak to a human being

bristolian — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 17:03:50 GMT

@XRaySpeX wrote:

Sorry, but I have to say @bristolian is wrong. Nowhere in EE documentation or Help is UK classified as part of EU/EE Europe zone. You/he find me 1 place it is!

Perhaps I should have qualified my statement with "for all intents & purposes", but in strict terms you have correctly established that it's not. It's never been a difficult task to find loopholes, ambiguities or contradictions in the help pages, if you look hard enough!

The original question has long since been answered.

Re: Roaming and want to speak to a human being

XRaySpeX — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 18:40:31 GMT

There is no need to speak to a human being. This info is readily available just by asking here or even looking it up. The page https://ee.co.uk/help/mobile/roaming/roaming-costs/countries/switzerland , which you had already looked at, answers all your Qs from the get-go.

You have in fact prolonged it yourself by being repetitious & pedantic.

@bristolian & I now are in unison on the terminology

Re: Roaming and want to speak to a human being

Pennifer60 — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 18:33:24 GMT

You have been rude and abrupt. By the way it is normal to be pedantic when given conflicting advice.

Re: Roaming and want to speak to a human being

XRaySpeX — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 18:37:03 GMT

Yes. I am concise. I don't waste words!