No Connection in China

[IanWMills]

I am in China. Last week, before travelling, I contacted EE and was told that I could activate a daily travel plan by texting TRAVEL to 150. This is also the instructions on the support pages. When I arrived in China I tried to send the text, but it will not send. I cannot connect. I have tried connecting via both the phone signal and wi-fi. Help!

[bristolian]

Regardless of any billing add-on, your ability to get coverage abroad (which calls, texts & mobile data rely on) is dependent on roaming being activated - which allows your phone to connect to foreign networks.

On PAYG, this is auto-enabled once your phone is used in the UK first.
On pay-monthly, this needs to be enabled manually - usually by texting ROAMING to 150 before leaving the UK. Did you do this?

If you are on pay-monthly and now find yourself abroad without having enabled roaming, your only recourse will be to contact CS to request it activated. You can either contact +44 7953 966150 from another working phone, or +44 800 0798586 using a web-calling app such as Skype over WiFi.

[IanWMills]

I have had Roaming active, and used in France, Spain and Portugal recently. I did not subscribe to TRAVEL until I arrived in China; the EE instructions say that it can be done both before or during your stay.

[bristolian]

The two parts to the equation here are easily confused.

Your billing add-on can be setup anytime, but this does not enable the facility to roam in the first place.

If you've used your phone in the EU previously, but cannot roam in China, you may have EU-only roaming enabled. This would explain your symptoms, and thus the advice in the final paragraph of my previous post stands.

[IanWMills]

I've called +44 7953 966150 from a connected phone, but you get a response which tells you to hang up and a message will be sent ..... I can't receive the message.

The EE instructions, on their web site, say:

Text TRAVEL to 150 before you go or while you're abroad.

[bristolian]

The first paragraph of my initial reply addresses your confusion - text messages, voice calls and mobile data all require a mobile network connection abroad. If you don't have that network connection, trying to use texts, calls or mobile data is an exercise in futility.

It sounds like you're using one of the options on the 150 IVR that tries to take you down the self-service or automated line. In this scenario, that's clearly not going to work so choose another option which puts you into the queue to speak to a CS agent - you can pass the account security verbally & request global roaming is enabled.

That will allow your phone to connect to local networks, which in turn will allow you to use those functions which need that connection - calls, texts & mobile data. Try to resolve this any other way, and you will go round in circles due to the catch-22 nature of your situation.

[Christopher_G]

Hi @IanWMills 

The fact you have used it in other countries recently suggests to me that roaming is active on your SIM. Have you tried manually connecting to another Chinese network operator to see if your messages go through then? Do you have an active spend cap?

Chris

[IanWMills]

Thank you for your help. Yes, I have tried attaching to a local Chinese network, without success.

Frankly, when I get back to the UK, I'll be transferring to Vodaphone; my colleagues who are on that network have a better choice of packages and flexibility - no EU Roaming charges, for a start - and better support, trying to get EE help has been extremely frustrating.

[bristolian]

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@IanWMills wrote:

trying to get EE help has been extremely frustrating.

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Travelling abroad without enabling roaming can naturally create a catch-22 situation which causes frustration. Resolve the lack of coverage

VF's EU-roaming setup is extremely similar to EE's : a daily charge applies unless you have an inclusive extra which zero-rates that charge. The option is available on both networks, but Voda will also require you to enable roaming before travelling abroad. Miss that, and you'll have the exact same problem you have now.

My point is that, whether the grass is greener or not, correctly following process is the best way to avoid problems. Make sure that VF's coverage & service meets your requirements in all the locations you'll be using your phone, test using a PAYG SIM before moving - it's far better to discover any coverage issues up-front.