Contacting EE from abroad with a phone that won't work

[AndyM12]

I have the same problem, normally in the US my phone works fine, now while texts work the phone won't work at all. I want a Chat conversation with ee but the link you provided to https://ee.co.uk/contact-ee has no "Start Conversation" function that I can see. Can you give more information on where to find this, it must surely exist? 

[Katie_B]

Hi @AndyM12. 

The chat function has been removed from the help page and can now be found in the EE app under 'Help'. 

Did you receive a welcome message when you arrived in the States?

Have you tried manually connecting to another available network?

Katie

[bristolian]

Are you saying that you've used this same phone in the US previously?

Further, are you reporting that you can send & receive texts but not make or receive calls?

Are these symptoms identical on each local network that's available in your current location?

[AndyM12]

Thanks for replying! Yes, use this phone all the time, yes, can receive texts, only one operator available, T-Mobile (I'm in exactly the same location as on previous US visits). Get a generic message when try to use phone that the service is unavailable or restricted. UK colleagues can't get through to me either. 

[Katie_B]

Thanks for getting back to us @AndyM12. 

Is anyone with you experiencing this?

Katie

[AndyM12]

Thanks, Katie. First, why on earth would you remove the chat function from the website? And if so, why would you not say on the website that it's on the app? EE has wasted a lot of my time (like this) just working out how to contact you; so much for a communications company. Second, on the matter at hand, I did receive a welcome message, and I have tried connecting to another network, Verizon, with the same result from a different American voice recording. No chance of you actually asking for my number and checking the problem, is there, instead of more wasted time chatting? I appreciate you're probably lovely but this is such poor service. 

[Katie_B]

Hi @AndyM12.

There has been a recent update which now places the Message Us option within the EE app under help.

I would love to be able to help further, however, we have no account access here on the community. 

Please keep us updated following your conversation with our customer care team. 

Katie

[bristolian]

Sounds like the messages are generated by the host operator.

The symptoms suggest there's a VoLTE issue - the legacy 2G/3G techs have been removed thus preventing CSFB working for voice calls. Device/SIM combinations that support VoLTE (4G-calling) can use the 4G layer for voice, text & data. Lack of VoLTE allows data & text only.

[AndyM12]

There is nobody with me.

[AndyM12]

Thanks for your excellent technie knowledge, Bristolian! However, I'm not EE, it's all meaningless to me, I'm just a lowly customer with a phone that doesn't work. I want to find out how to talk to EE so they can sort this out.