One text 10xcharges???

[Foxy84]

I currently have a plan with unlimited messages and calls like 99% of the population. I have jist checked my bill, and there are currently charges on there for ten text messages (to an Australian number) amounting to over £9. I did send one message, but it’s added 10 of the same amount and time. Is this normal because it’s a foreign number, or should I query it. Thanks for any info

[Foxy84]

I do have roaming for Europe, but not for Australia. The message has gone green, but why has it charged me for ten of the exact same, date, time and amount?

[Chris_B]

@Foxy84   A text message is 160 characters including blank spaces,   Was this message over the 160 limit as this would be sent as a two more messages and it’s possible it could of been sent as multiple MMS.   

 Your call/text allowance is for UK numbers excluding premium rate numbers.  

 It might be worth the call to customer support but I think you’ll find you’ve been charged correctly.  It’s always worth knowing why and how. 

[Rach_H]

Hi @Foxy84,

Welcome to the Community!

I'd recommend reaching out to our team to check any restrictions on your account, and to check any charges.

Rach

[XRaySpeX]

You ain't roaming when you send a text from UK to Oz. So that's immaterial.

Your unlimited texts allowance only applies to texts sent to normal UK nos.  So that's immaterial.

Looks like you sent a long text from UK to OZ, perhaps about 1600 chars. Individual texts (SMS) are limited to 160 chars. If longer texts are sent they are broken down into ~160 char chunks, charged accordingly & reassembled at t'other end. 

[Foxy84]

Omg!! My text was 24 lines long I can’t count the characters. Not happy with ee if that’s what it is. They should do a warning before it’s actually delivered. I’ve had to ring them and I’ve been told I shouldn’t have been charged for the extra messages and I will get reimbursed when I get my bill (although he couldn’t actually see the messages on record), it is actually 9 not 10 ( I counted wrong)  and I’ve just sent another message after speaking to them that’s even longer than the first. If this is the case that’s a huge lesson learnt. Maybe I need to look for another provider. Thanks for your replies 

[bristolian]

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@Foxy84 wrote:

Omg!! My text was 24 lines long I can’t count the characters. Not happy with ee if that’s what it is. They should do a warning before it’s actually delivered.....Maybe I need to look for another provider.

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All networks operate in exactly the same way, you're effectively asking EE to set a trigger when a text message is being sent to particular number ranges, and is longer than x many characters - this is unrealistic & impractical. Out of interest, what action would you be seeking from a provider at the point of sending messages?

Consider yourself fortunate to have been reimbursed for charges that it sounds like you were correctly liable for! For messages to international numbers, you may find a platform such as WhatsApp or Messenger is more cost-effective in the long-term. There are certainly add-on bundles which reduce the cost of international voice calls, I don't believe there are any covering international SMS in the same way.

[XRaySpeX · Accepted solution]

It's your Messaging app that does the splitting, not the network. As you type near the 160 char limit a count will appear near your msg looking like '10/1' meaning you have 10 chars left of the 1st chunk. Then as you type it will count down to '0/1' and as you go over the limit it will switch to like '145/2' meaning you have 145 chars left of the 2nd chunk & so on.

[bristolian]

And to expand a little more...

Within the UK, most people have unlimited (or very generous) text allowances, so long messages (sent as multiple short ones) are not an issue

Whilst roaming, EE now operates on a flat-rate basis in many countries so UK allowances apply - refer to above.

It's only in the rare scenario of sending texts direct to international numbers that charging occurs, and very likely at higher rates than expected. Any system to warn users as you request, would need very specific circumstances to apply, in order to not be intrusive to the overwhelming majority of texts being sent.

[XRaySpeX]

You'll be lucky to get a refund! You wouldn't be entitled to 1.

There is a warning before the text is sent. The Messaging app displays a countdown near the msg as I previously described. Keep an eye on it!

Another provider wouldn't help when International texting from UK. They'll all be the same as it's the standard SMS Messaging app that's creating multiple texts. You'd be better off using a messaging app that uses data like WhatsApp.