No signal for international calls

[Stephanie34]

Hi I am currently in Indonesia using a travel e-sim, personal sim switched off. I then realized if anyone tries to call my personal number I will miss it. When I turn my personal sim on (data off so I don't incur charges) I don't get any signal, or texts from EE so I can't even call EE to seek help. I also can't call my voicemail to check any calls. I am PAYG contract and can't find any chat box functionality, my online account also said I have 0 data which concerned me since the sim has been switched off. Any help is much appreciated. 

[Stephanie34]

Hi

I have found a network, so I need to turn off my travel Esim? Will I incur costs from EE if I turn my data on? 

thanks

steph

[XRaySpeX]

Do you have any PAYG credit? You need it to pay for making and receiving calls or send texts. Your pack is not operative there.

You don't need data roaming ON just for calls and texts. 

[Stephanie34]

Hi

Great I have a package thank you.

I’ve secreted the other networks but none of them are giving any signal?

many thanks

steph

[XRaySpeX]

What package? 

[bristolian]

There's several references in this thread to "PAYG contract", which doesn't exist. PAYG refers to prepayment by topups or credit card payments where you cannot spend more than you pay,.

Contract refers to a monthly subscription with a bill, where charges can be incurred which are paid in arrears.

The roaming activation process is different for both.

[XRaySpeX]

In point of fact by law PAYG is a contract. EE provides a "pay now, use thereafter" mobile network service for a consideration made by the user via top-ups. It's just that EE & other networks do not use the word "contract" in its legal connotation. Hence EE publish & impose T&C's for PAYG.

[Stephanie34]

Hi

Okay I was on 24 month contract then I went on to sim only plan for 24 months? Does that make sense?

[bristolian]

That alters everything. SIM-only is a pay-monthly plan (not PAYG) where roaming needs to be manually activated - usually by texting ROAMING to 150 before leaving the UK.

Without doing this, you will not get a mobile network connection abroad, and the symptoms you describe are the result.

Your only recourse is to contact EE CS by another means, and request roaming is enabled.

[XRaySpeX]

Yes, but it makes about 50% of the responses here irrelevant to your problem.