topic Re: nothing works in italy? in Mobile Services

nothing works in italy?

TTT12 — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 16:24:01 GMT

i can't make calls, data doesn't work and i cant send sms. what can i do? ive read that i can change something in settings, but i can't find settings? any help please?

Re: nothing works in italy?

Schockwave — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 17:01:59 GMT

Hello @TTT12 ,

Welcome to the community,

If on pay as you go, roaming is automatically enabled, but if on contracts, then you would have needed to have roaming enabled on your account.

I take it, if pay as you go, you did use your SIM card in the UK first?

You cannot change roaming in settings, you need to ring customer service to get this authorised. You can see in my signature how to ring customer service.

If you have roaming enabled, I would go to network settings, change to manually look for a network and see if that works.

Re: nothing works in italy?

bristolian — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 17:03:47 GMT

Your ability to get coverage abroad (which calls, texts & mobile data rely on) is dependent on roaming being activated - which allows your phone to connect to foreign networks. Does your phone show coverage of any local Italian networks?

On PAYG, this is auto-enabled once your phone is used in the UK first.
On pay-monthly, this needs to be enabled manually - usually by texting ROAMING to 150 before leaving the UK. Did you do this?

If you are on pay-monthly and now find yourself abroad without having enabled roaming, your only recourse will be to contact CS to request it activated. You can either contact +44 7953 966150 from another working phone, or +44 800 9566000 using a web-calling app such as Skype over WiFi.

Re: nothing works in italy?

TTT12 — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 17:04:15 GMT

thanks for your response, my phone worked fine in the UK, but on arriving in italy nothing works, i cant make calls, so how can i contact EE?

Re: nothing works in italy?

TTT12 — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 17:05:15 GMT

HI, no, i didnt activate anything from the uk. i didn't know that i had to..

Re: nothing works in italy?

Schockwave — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 17:06:00 GMT

@TTT12 , either by using another phone or by using something like Skype for free using the free number in my signature.

Re: nothing works in italy?

TTT12 — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 17:25:26 GMT

i'm doing that now, thanks

Re: nothing works in italy?

bristolian — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 17:31:37 GMT

@TTT12 wrote:

thanks for your response, my phone worked fine in the UK, but on arriving in italy nothing works, i cant make calls, so how can i contact EE?

As per my previous post...

If you are on pay-monthly and now find yourself abroad without having enabled roaming, your only recourse will be to contact CS to request it activated. You can either contact +44 7953 966150 from another working phone, or +44 800 9566000 using a web-calling app such as Skype over WiFi.

Re: nothing works in italy?

TTT12 — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 20:55:26 GMT

I called EE today from italy to say that i couldn't use my phone here (PAYG) They switched roaming on, and i recieved an sms to say i have access to my EU allowances for 7 days, they have also taken 10 pounds in credit, yet it still wont connect to the internet? any help please?

Re: nothing works in italy?

bristolian — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 21:34:32 GMT

@TTT12 wrote:

I called EE today from italy to say that i couldn't use my phone here (PAYG) They switched roaming on, and i recieved an sms to say i have access to my EU allowances for 7 days, they have also taken 10 pounds in credit, yet it still wont connect to the internet? any help please?

Something's not adding up here.

PAYG roaming is auto-enabled when you first use your phone in the UK, it can't be enable any other way.

If you travelled abroad with a PAYG phone that wasn't activated in the UK first, it will not connect to foreign networks until you return to the UK. The lack of a network connection would prevent voice calls, text messages & mobile data - and explain your symptoms.

On the other hand, you mention that you called EE from Italy - thus you had a network connection, and roaming was therefore enabled.

Re: nothing works in italy?

TTT12 — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 21:38:10 GMT

how can it connect to foreign networks when i return to the uk!?

i don't think you've understood what i've said. roaming wasn't enabled before i went, i told was told here that i needed to call EE to enable roaming. i called using another phone. the customer service person enabled it and then within a few minutes i recieved an sms from 150 to say i have access now to my "7 day EU allowances" and 10 pounds was taken from my credit.

but it still doesn't work

Re: nothing works in italy?

XRaySpeX — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 21:55:32 GMT

@TTT12 : Had you used that PAYG SIM for making calls or texts in UK before you left to go abroad? To be used abroad EE PAYG SIMs need 1st activating on EE's home UK network. If it wasn't you can't now use it until you return to UK. I don't believe that CS can do it for you.

Re: nothing works in italy?

TTT12 — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 21:57:03 GMT

but ive called EE who said they have unblocked it for me? they've taken credit from my phone and i recieved an sms from 150?

Re: nothing works in italy?

bristolian — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 22:00:53 GMT

@TTT12 wrote:

roaming wasn't enabled before i went, i told was told here that i needed to call EE to enable roaming. i called using another phone. the customer service person enabled it

You need roaming enabled to connect to foreign networks.

Pay-monthly contract customers need to enable the facility manually before travelling, but this does not apply to PAYG users. PAYG phones are auto-enabled for roaming on first use in the UK, and thus CS cannot enable it manually.

That's what I meant by something not adding up here. You also referred to contacting EE-CS from abroad, but a phone without roaming enabled would not have been able to connect to any foreign networks in order to do so.

You've also created two separate forum posts which have now been combined together. This has led to some confusing responses because you mentioned different facts in different places.

Re: nothing works in italy?

TTT12 — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 22:03:37 GMT

1. roaming is enabled. but wont connect to the internet.

2. as mentioned before, i didn't call on the mobile phone, i called via skype

i don't know why it's so hard to understand!

Re: nothing works in italy?

bristolian — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 22:11:22 GMT

Let's come at this from another angle.

Can you make & receive calls? Can you send & receive text messages?

If you're not sure, please try.

Re: nothing works in italy?

TTT12 — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 22:32:54 GMT

i can't, i can't send sms and if i try to make calls nothing happens just a "beep beep" and back to the home screen, as i mentioned i've spoken to ee today like you suggested in the other thread, via skype, who told me they have enabled roaming for me. when the call ended i received an sms from 150 saying "you have access to your EU allowances for 7 days"

but i still can't make calls and data doesnt work.

i have roaming switched on

Re: nothing works in italy?

XRaySpeX — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 22:41:13 GMT

CS never enabled roaming for you. All they did was sell you a 7 day billing add-on which would allow you to use your pack in EU provided roaming was enabled in the 1st place. As we told you previously roaming on PAYG can only be enabled by yourself by having made calls or texts in UK before going abroad.

Re: nothing works in italy?

TTT12 — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 22:44:16 GMT

they told me, they enabled roaming, infact the guy put me through to someone else who did it. but what can i do? i really need to use data..

Re: nothing works in italy?

XRaySpeX — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 22:48:04 GMT

They were probably confused between the roaming ability & the roaming billing add-ons that help pay for your use while roaming. Most peeps are!