International WhatsApp call

[Kyle2020]

Hi there 

i make Whatsapp calls everyday back and forth to South Africa however I received a bill for £90 for an apparent international call? I was told that WhatsApp will convert the call automatically to a normal call if the signal drops and on this specific day it did but never again, please explain and send evidence on how this is possible? 

[Chris_B]

@Kyle2020   This is a public forum not customer services.  You would of been charged according if the call was made as a international call.  EE doesn’t control how your device picks up a signal and how you use that signal when making this sort of call.  

[bristolian]

I've read about this problem before, and although I've not ever seen documentary proof of it - this article explains the concept under point 4.

I can't personally see how this can work, if the call is initiated under WhatsApp (or any other messaging app for that matter), then by definition it's not running on the mobile network, and therefore no handover is possible. A bit like if you have a VoWiFi call, it can only handover to VoLTE and not 2G/3G.

With that in mind, I would expect any "messaging app" call to simply drop (or go silent with packet loss) if the connection deteriorated. I'd therefore revert to "this is an urban myth" and if the call is on your EE bill then it must have been dialled in the phone dialler and not the app...

But this is "thinking out loud", I'm sure others may have their own theories 🙂

[Millym]

This has just happened to me over £160 for a WhatsApp call to Canada!

I’m in shock.

[bristolian]

Hi @Millym 

Can you explain what you think has happened?

Your EE bill will include charges for any calls you have dialled directly.

WhatsApp "calls" are not called, but data sessions. The WA app initiates a data session, which the EE network carries over a data session. It's not carried through the network as a voice call, and cannot be charged as such.

[Millym]

Hi , 

According to EE:

  The issue  isn't the fault of the mobile providers. It happens across multiple providers. WhatsApp is the culprit. While it's not mentioned on their website,  the app will automatically switch to using mobile airtime minutes if it deems the internet connection is too slow for voice calls 

This has stunned me to the core!

[bristolian]

Do you have that in writing from EE?

As I mentioned, WhatsApp "calls" are carried over all mobile networks as data sessions, they are not voice calls and cannot be charged as such.

Data sessions cannot become voice calls. If this were possible, there would be a statement to that effect, on WhatsApp's website.

[Millym]

To be fair, EE contacted me to highlight this change in my normal usage.
I’ve been using Whatti call Canada for years and never had this issue before.

After much discussion my intonational calling limit is now set at £0 which will apparently stop it happening again.

Also I’ve bought an international ‘add on’ or something to reduce this bill by 25%. 
Still in shock so will try to call back tomorrow.

[Millym]

Nothing in writing. Just a very ‘nice’ lady saying how sympathetic she was but there was nothing she could do.

[Millym]

A lot of research done  this evening seems to highlight the fact that it’s WhatsApp that does it automatically.

I’m unable, so far to get any information  from WhatsApp. The EE lady says it’s in WhatsApp small print but I can’t find it.