topic Re: Full roaming in Roaming

Full roaming

Toppere31 — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 19:19:07 GMT

Hi, I’m on a monthly contract and have been since 2020. I have a ‘full roaming’ add on. Last year I was able to use my home allowance in Australia for £25 per month.
However this option wasn’t available to me this year when I went. I had pay £6 for a 24 hr pass and then buy a ESIM.
I didn’t try and activate it before I left the uk, would this be the reason I couldn’t activate it in Australia and also is ‘full roaming’ the same thing? TIA

Re: Full roaming

bristolian — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 19:55:28 GMT

What is the specific "full roaming" add-on that you have?

It may well be the global roaming facility that merely enables the use of foreign networks and thus the ability to obtain coverage abroad. What it's not, is any kind of billing add-on to reduce the cost of using your phone abrod.

You've referred to the £25 "Roam Abroad" pass which has now been superceded by a £25 weekly charge in Zone 1 - see https://ee.co.uk/roamingrefresh

Re: Full roaming

Chris_B — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 22:02:55 GMT

@Toppere31 You say you didn’t try activate the eSIM until you left the UK, you can not activate a sim/eSim out of the UK. The sim/esim has to be activated in the UK as it can not have roaming enabled for it until it’s activated first. Catch 22.

Re: Full roaming

Toppere31 — Sat, 15 Feb 2025 10:46:19 GMT

Apologies for the late reply. The eSIM was purchased in Australia when I realised that I wasn’t able to get the “roam from home” package that I had the previous year on my visit to Australia, so that wasn’t a problem. What I couldn’t understand was why I couldn’t activate the ‘ roam from home’ or whatever it’s changed its name to. I’m now guessing I should have activated it before I left the UK.
As I understand it although it has changed names, the package should still be available to me as I’ve had my contract with ee since 2020. I did wonder if I should have tried to activate before I least the uk.
However now I’m back now and the only roaming add on I have is called “Full Roaming” and I was wondering if that is the same as “Roam from Home” which I had for £25 a month. What is Full Roaming add on?

Re: Full roaming

Toppere31 — Sat, 15 Feb 2025 10:53:13 GMT

HI, thanks for your replay. That what I trying to ascertain because it doesn’t explain what the bolt on is. I did read that if your contract was taken out before 2021, which mine was, you would still be entitled to the “Roam Further Pass” for £25 a month. So my question would be, is Full Roaming the same as Roam Further Pass? I’ll keep trying to get an explanation from EE but they don’t seem to know either. Maybe I’ll have to wait until I go to Australia again and try and activate it before I leave to find out what it entitles me to.

Re: Full roaming

bristolian — Sat, 15 Feb 2025 11:50:49 GMT

There are always two aspects to roaming.

Your SIM needs to be enabled to access foreign networks, and thus have coverage abroad. Without this, you can't roam and thus any attempt to reduce the cost of roaming via billing add-ons is futile & irrelevant.

You will often want a billing add-on to minimise the cost of using your phone abroad.

You've not answered the question of what exactly you are referring to as "full roaming", or provided a screenshot of what you're looking at. Without confirmation from you of this, everyone on this forum is guessing as to the answer.

Re: Full roaming

Toppere31 — Sat, 15 Feb 2025 13:11:04 GMT

Ok so this is my active add on “full roaming”(

Pic 1.)

when selected this is what the explanation is.(pic 2)

so I’m none the wiser as what Full Roaming is🤷‍♂️ does it apply to the eu or to countries outside the eu?

Re: Full roaming

bristolian — Sat, 15 Feb 2025 13:14:23 GMT

Thanks for confirming, that's what we needed to see.

The clue is the wording "enables the full roaming experience" - this is the full global roaming facility which allows use of your phone on all foreign networks. See the first point in my previous post.

It is not a billing add-on and will not have any impact on the costs of using your phone abroad - you need to resolve that separately.

Re: Full roaming

Toppere31 — Sat, 15 Feb 2025 15:13:09 GMT

Thanks for that. It would seem no matter how long you’ve been in contract to EE, the ability to use your data, texts and minutes outside of the EU has now been removed for all. ie Roam Further Pass which I had. Time to look around for another provider I think or just buy a local eSIM. Thanks again for your help.

Re: Full roaming

bristolian — Sat, 15 Feb 2025 15:21:30 GMT

There are a few very long threads in the roaming section of the forum discussing the various add-ons for non-EU countries, you might want to read through some of those. I know there's been some discussion on the scenario where you had an inclusive add-on covering the USA, New Zealand, Australia & Mexico, as part of your plan. That seems to be your issue.

That aside, the recent pricing refresh has introduced flat-rate pricing for the overwhelming majority of countries globally - thus enabling "better value" roaming in far more locations than previously. The downside has been that "dip-in" costs in the 4 countries mentioned above, has been increased.

Re: Full roaming

Pattie47 — Sat, 08 Mar 2025 10:19:13 GMT

Too right ....increased from £25 a month to £25 a WEEK ridiculous!

Re: Full roaming

Chris_B — Sat, 08 Mar 2025 11:46:14 GMT

@Pattie47 The simple solution is to have a contract that includes roaming. You can have just EU roaming or EU and further. EU roaming included is cheaper than EU and further,

So there are possible choices to be made if you actually look in to it instead of just making a comment.

Re: Full roaming

g_r_a_a — Sun, 13 Apr 2025 12:33:51 GMT

I dont really have much of an issue paying it but I cant because I'm in an asian country - and 150 wont work when you message it and I've tried various +44 versions but to no avail (even with or without wifi on). Plus you can actually use the link ee send out to you. So its really not very helpful for EE to say wait till you get a text when you're out in the country before you can buy a package. You should be able ot buy in advance to save the bill racking up as you try to fix the issue. And my EE account doesnt even have a definition of what 'full roaming' is. I mean its a bit of ambiguous term and one many might mis-construe. It should be a lot easier than this.

Re: Full roaming

Chris_B — Sun, 13 Apr 2025 13:33:34 GMT

@g_r_a_a Are you connected to a roaming network. ? WiFi had nothing to do with EE and WiFi calling doesn’t work abroad.

I agree you should be able to purchase in advance and the moment it’s purchased is the moment it starts.

Oh wait you purchased it 48 hours before you left. So that’s 48 hours it was of no use I guess this way is actually better.

Re: Full roaming

mcs68 — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 15:50:36 GMT

The roaming packages are incredibly confusing and there is no consistency in their descriptions or definitions. I expect this is deliberately so as a tactic to rip people off. For example my account shows me as having a "Full Roaming" under "Add-ons Available for use."

However, when you go to the options page there are two different roaming packages shown, one a "Roaming Pass EU" and the other a "Roaming Pass ROW", which includes Qatar where I am presently an expat - so that's what I need.

So they are trying to charge me for an option I want and have given my the option I don't need - they have not properly described which Full Roaming Plan I am allocated, it clearly was not properly described at the outset, or indeed now, and they want me to pay an extra amount (£25) if I need to send a few text messages from Qatar this week. How deceptive. It is intrinsic with all phone companies, they try and decide and hid whats going on by bad and confusing descriptions and terms on purpose.

Re: Full roaming

awits — Sat, 14 Jun 2025 14:16:05 GMT

As others have said, EE naming a basic switch 'Full Roaming' is confusing, misleading and anti-consumer. Nevermind called an 'add-on' as though it is something of material benefit - it is not. There will be other basic service switches that EE hide from the account UI without suggesting they are giving you a 'free add-on'.

Also: I came here like @Toppere31 for a simple definition of 'Full Roaming' when updating my account and a lack of relevant Google results. Unfortunately I had to read unnecessary, judgemental and condescending posts from @Chris_B to get that simple definition.

When I last had to come here for information (to avoid the helpline wait) I was not impressed by the manner and attitude of @Chris_B and they have not changed. I know these 'Community Stars' are volunteers / free support to reduce EE's costs. But it is surprising and unfortunate that EE are happy for certain individuals to represent them (at arm's length) yet be so obtuse, rude and judgemental to their paying customers who are only on this forum for information because EE push them here.

@Chris_B - people are allowed to express their frustration here. EE may not respond directly but they would be stupid not to monitor customer views, opinions and feelings overall, given the insights they could gather. All you have to do as a support contributor is empathise and signpost them to making a complaint to EE, as that is what might make a faster change. Unfortunately, you seem to have a ⭐ for being a 🍆

To any Mods: I hope this post stays up as I do think it's relevant and important in calling out uncivil behaviour by those who are supposed to be helping. I have not been rude or attacked anyone personally. Rather, I have called out rudeness.

Re: Full roaming

Pattie47 — Sat, 14 Jun 2025 15:24:03 GMT

What a condescending reply.....and not your first I see by other reviews. Not easy to "look into it" as you are actually checking in luggage when you get the message of the new roaming charges ....having set it up and agreed the old rate before I left! We arent all able to afford the alternative packages offered. May I politely suggest as a supposed EE community star?? You might like to be more considerate in your tone when relying & consider peoples individual needs. Thank you.

Re: Full roaming

bristolian — Sun, 15 Jun 2025 12:31:00 GMT

@awits wrote:

As others have said, EE naming a basic switch 'Full Roaming' is confusing, misleading and anti-consumer. Nevermind called an 'add-on' as though it is something of material benefit - it is not. There will be other basic service switches that EE hide from the account UI without suggesting they are giving you a 'free add-on'.

There's a bit of "no-win" about this.

Many years ago, the ability to toggle the free roaming facility off & on was available via the myEE app & website. It's not at all uncommon for users to travel abroad without enabling it, and by that point it's too late - there's a natural catch-22.

Having the toggle switch via online self-service is an easy resolution - removing that has caused issues to many. Putting the add-on visible in the app, has resolved one issue but caused another - "I've got free roaming but you've charged me" instead of "my phone won't work abroad".

Getting the wording right here, is a thankless task - as, it seems, is the choice of allowing the toggle switch or not.