Roaming package not working

[AndyM13]

My wife and I paid £25 each for a Roaming Package to cover our month in Kansas.  We were told by EE that it would enable us to phone UK numbers (including each other) and call local Kansas numbers within our package, i.e. at no extra cost.  But EE is demanding we increase our spending cap twice as it has charged us £22 for 11 calls consisting of (a) 7 calls to each other, (b) one 800 number, (c) three local calls to 816 (Kansas) numbers which EE's system put two zeros in front of and decided were to Japan.  Even if (c) is explainable as a system fault, (a) is clearly wrong and (b) as well since only 840 numbers are supposed to be charged.  Roaming is turned on with automatic network selection.  What can we do?

[bristolian]

This won't have anything to do with your network selection.

Calls to any number that would have been inclusive in the UK, should be covered by an active roaming pass whilst using any US network. If they're not, you have a legitimate billing issue and should contact CS to raise those.

[AndyM13]

Thanks @Jimraff, but I arranged with EE to turn on and off the Roaming Package for the exact days we will be away, and then got a message from EE saying that we have a Go Further add-on and can call or text within USA or back to UK and use data as in UK.  So I don’t think not turning on roaming can be the explanation.  Looks like I’ll have to try again to get Customer Services, as confirmed by Bristolian.  (I wonder why EE can’t be like other commercial organisations and provide a chat facility or accept e-mails?!)  Regards, Andy

[Chris_B]

@AndyM13  Live chat is available via the EE app under help,  emails are to slow to deal with customer issues plus the simple fact of what happens when someone gets to the end of their working shift and you’ve not had a reply back to a on going conversation is it going to start all over again with a different agent.   Yes they could read through the emails to catch up but this could take awhile and in that time they could have help more customers over the phone.    Emails a no good for live issues that need to be resolved on the fly. 

[bristolian]

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@AndyM13 wrote:

I wonder why EE can’t be like other commercial organisations and provide a chat facility or accept e-mails?!

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I don't know of any mainstream telecoms operator who does accept e-mails as a CS contact method.

You need only read this forum for an example of the "back & forth" that results when insufficient info is provided with a query.

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@AndyM13 wrote:

we have a Go Further add-on and can call or text within USA or back to UK and use data as in UK.  So I don’t think not turning on roaming can be the explanation.

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Why not? The billing add-on you have merely reduces the cost of roaming usage. It doesn't enable the free roaming facility in the first place. What many users mistakenly do, is to "pay for roaming" but not enable the ability to actually roam in the first place.

You can equally well enable roaming but not choose any billing add-on and pay standard rates - depending where you're travelling. The two concepts should ideally be joined but are not.

[Jimraff · Accepted solution]

I managed to get this sorted via the chat. I did have over an hour wait before an agent came online. Very helpful   It transpires that although I had texted Roaming to 150 before I left that only activated roaming in the EU. I believe you have to text WORLDWIDE to 150 to activate it for the rest of the world. Anyway, he updated it and I was up and running in 5mins. Hope this helps. I was able to access.  Chat via my we app by selecting contact us. You are so right though they need to make this a lot clearer 

[bristolian]

A ROAMING text covers EU-only & global roaming, it's all in the replies and options.

I think "worldwide" might be one of the replies, from memory.