topic Re: Sending texts while overseas in Pay as you go

Sending texts while overseas

mjrye — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 04:06:14 GMT

Hi,

I am overseas with a PAYG mobile. I will be here for several years and I would like to keep using my EE phone to receive bank SMSes and the like. I am not using it day to day, I have a local phone for that.

I can currently receive texts on the roaming network, but I can't send texts or make calls (which I'm okay with, as long as I can keep receiving messages). What do I need to do, to make sure I can keep my number active while I am overseas?

I've been told I need to send a message or make a call every 90 days to keep the number active. Is this correct? How do I do this while I'm overseas? I've tried going to MyEE Account Settings but I can't see any roaming restrictions. None of the packs or add-ons make sense for my situation. I am happy to pay for every text message I send out of my normal balance, I just don't know how to enable texting or calling.

Hope this makes sense,

Mark in Cambodia

Re: Sending texts while overseas

XRaySpeX — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 05:03:27 GMT

@mjrye :You need to keep your SIM topped up to pay for any calls and texts, which you need to make every 5 months or so to keep it alive.

Re: Sending texts while overseas

Northerner — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 06:14:28 GMT

Hi @mjrye

Please see here:

https://ee.co.uk/help/help-new/billing-usage-and-top-up/topping-up-and-balance/why-has-my-pay-as-you-go-credit-run-out-when-i-havent-made-calls

You are better off migrating and services over to your current number if you intend to stay long term.

Thanks

Re: Sending texts while overseas

mjrye — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 10:08:55 GMT

Thanks XRaySpeX!

That’s what I thought but I don’t know how. Outgoing calls and texts always fail. I’ve tried to make calls and send texts but it just fails every time. Could I be blocked from making roaming calls? If so, how do I get unblocked?

Re: Sending texts while overseas

Christopher_G — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 10:57:59 GMT

Hi @mjrye

Did you use the SIM card to make a call or send a text message whilst in the UK, before you travelled abroad?

Chris

Re: Sending texts while overseas

mjrye — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 11:03:47 GMT

Hi there Christopher,

Thanks for getting in touch.

Yes I used my phone every day to make calls and texts when I was in the UK....why do you ask....do you have any ideas on why it might not work now I'm abroad?

Many thanks again,

Re: Sending texts while overseas

Christopher_G — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 11:22:21 GMT

You have to use your phone to send a message or make a phone call whilst in the UK to activate it for roaming abroad. That's why I was asking, @mjrye.

Do you have a credit balance? Do you have a good signal?

What kind of phone are you using?

Chris

Re: Sending texts while overseas

XRaySpeX — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 11:33:52 GMT

Could it be that you were on contract when you were in UK but switched to PAYG when you went abroad? If so, if it was switched to PAYG while abroad it won't work there & you can't now use it until you return to UK. EE PAYG SIMs need 1st activating on EE's home UK network.

Re: Sending texts while overseas

mjrye — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 12:28:06 GMT

Hi there Christopher,

Thanks again for getting in touch I really do appreciate all of your kind help.

While in the UK I switched from my EE contract to PAYG on 24th Aug 2022 and flew out of the UK on 28th Aug.

No one from EE told me that I had to text ROAMING to 150 before I left the UK so I did not do this but I did continue to use my phone for those 4 days non stop as I booked flights and said goodbye to friends. It worked no problem at all.

While abroad now I receive texts from the UK non stop but what I really really want to do but cannot is to send texts and make calls to the UK.

I currently have a credit balance with 100MB of data showing with no credit showing for minutes or texts....do I need credit on minutes and texts in order for my phone to reactivate and/or send texts and calls to the UK??? If so How do I do this please?

My phone is an Iphone SE 2020 with IOS. 15.6.1 installed

Many thanks again

Re: Sending texts while overseas

mjrye — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 12:38:48 GMT

Hi there XRaySpeX.

Thank you so much for reaching out and helping me I really do appreciate all of the time and help you are giving me.

You are right...I did switch from an EE contract to EE PAYG on the 24th Aug 2022 and then flew out on 28th Aug and used my phone non stop throughout those last 4 days to book flights send texts and say goodbye to friends and family.

But....I was not told by EE that I had to text to 150 the word ROAMING ...I had no idea that I had to...do you think my phone is now blocked or unusable now that I am abroad? I am not planning to return to the UK for quite a while and I really do need to continue sending and receiving texts.

Is there any thing I can do at all that you can think of to ensure that I can keep my mobile number?

If getting PAYG is not an option for me is there any other way that I can continue to maintain my phone number while abroad? Could I change from PAYG to a contract and pay to keep my number while I am still abroad so that I can send and receive texts and calls?

Many thanks again for all of your ongoing help.

Re: Sending texts while overseas

Christopher_G — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 14:01:19 GMT

Do you have a monetary credit balance, @mjrye? You don't have to text ROAMING to 150 for pay as you go, you just have to do as I said before. Did your contract change to pay as you go while you were abroad?

Chris

Re: Sending texts while overseas

XRaySpeX — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 14:44:15 GMT

If you told EE on 24 Aug to cancel your contract & move it to PAYG, you would be giving 30 days notice & so your SIM wouldn't be transferred to PAYG until you were well abroad. Then as I say it won't work there & you can't now use it until you return to UK.

You could always take out a contract again & keep paying monthly just to keep your no. but I do wonder whether a contract SIM would also need to be used 1st in UK.

PAYG doesn't need to text ROAMING. They are always enabled for roaming once used in UK.

Re: Sending texts while overseas

mjrye — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 03:19:52 GMT

Hi there Christopher _G

Many thanks for your help, to answer your question.....

On the 24th July while still in the UK I moved from a contract to PAYG. On the 28th July I left the UK and am now abroad. In the 4 days between those 2 dates I used my phone continuously to organise flights and farewell friends.

Now I am abroad in Asia I have set my phone to roaming, have an unlocked sim in my I-phone SE 2020, £5 credit, a £5 credit pack with 250MB data, 250 mins and 500 texts in addition I have paid for 100MB data and 200 Texts in a separate package deals. All of these options are currently visible to me on my web portal MyEE as well as my EE Phone app. I do all of my UK based banking on my phone using my UK number. Ever since I have moved abroad I have received many texts and messages from EE but I cannot use my phone to send texts to the Uk or to call the UK. PLEASE CAN YOU HELP ME? I have spend weeks attempting to rectify any problem I might have and as you can see from my message here I tried to buy everything possible from EE to make my phone work. I am reaching out to you in good faith and am now completely desperate for assistance. I am very concerned that I will soon loose my ability to use my phone to gain access to all of my UK banking systems. As you are aware all UK banks now require mobile phone verification via texts to continue to access online transactions and banking.

I still cannot send texts or make phone calls to the UK. Please can you help me find a solution to this problem.

Re: Sending texts while overseas

James_B — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 06:55:32 GMT

Hi @mjrye,

Did your move to pay as you go complete on 24th July, or is that when you gave 30 days notice to cancel your contract?

James

Re: Sending texts while overseas

mjrye — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 10:18:59 GMT

Hi there James_B

Many thanks for getting back to me with some help I really appreciate it very much.

To answer your question ...on the 24th July I phoned EE while in the UK and asked to change my contract to a PAYG. I was at that time about half a year past my original 2 year contract time. At no time in the hour long telephone conversation on the 24th July did anyone inform me that the transfer from Contract to PAYG was not instant. Are you saying that there is a 30 day delay? If so what does that mean for me now that I am living abroad. How can you explain why it is that I can receive texts from EE from the UK but I am unable to send texts or make telephone calls to the UK? Has my phone been barred? Is it in "Hibernation" ? Is the roaming disabled from the UK despite being enabled on my mobile phone.

Please please can you help me I am so desperate to find a solution for this disaster and I have spent so much money adding data payments and the like to my phone to try and get it to work as it should do.

Please help me if you can

Re: Sending texts while overseas

James_B — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 10:35:09 GMT

Hi @mjrye,

In order to cancel a contract (including when moving to pay as you go) there is a 30 day notice period.

I'd recommend contacting Customer Care who can access your account and check the status of your transfer to pay as you go.

Thanks

James

Re: Sending texts while overseas

XRaySpeX — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 12:40:31 GMT

@mjrye :

@James_B wrote:

In order to cancel a contract (including when moving to pay as you go) there is a 30 day notice period.

From which it follows that your SIM wasn't transferred to PAYG until 30 days after you instructed EE on 24 Aug to cancel its contract. That is on 24 Sept by which time you were away from UK. Thus it couldn't be used in UK until you return to UK & therefore won't work abroad until then.

Re: Sending texts while overseas

mjrye — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 13:13:26 GMT

Hi there James,

HOW do I contact customer care if my phone does not work and I am abroad?

I would love to contact EE but because my phone does not allow me to send text or to phone to the UK please help with suggestions.

Many thanks

Re: Sending texts while overseas

XRaySpeX — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 13:15:34 GMT

Try calling CS on the Freephone no. in my sig. on Skype over WiFi. It should be free.