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Roaming and want to speak to a human being

Pennifer60
Investigator
Investigator

How do I get to speak to an actual human being and not the rubbish text service that does not answer my query.

I have a very old package with EE and also an additional handset with another package for a family member. The EE app does not make it clear enough how the 2 lines are impacted by travel abroad and the costs.

If I text the word ROAMING it responds with unclear information. For example, what is EE's definition of the EU when it comes to call/data charges?

It says "you can use your plan's minutes, texts and data while abroad in SWITZERLAND at no extra cost.

The costs from SWITZERLAND to countries outside the EU are:
Calls - £2.00 per minute to make/receive (Incl. Voicemail),
Texts - 82p to send/receive
Picture Messages - 89p per picture"

How do I fully understand what that means in relation to the UK, and Switzerland, which technically are outside the EU, or do EE group them in anyway. It says I can use my plan at no extra cost, but it also say there is a cost to countries outside the EU. Where does the UK fit into this.

What if I want to phone within Switzerland (using my UK number) to a local Swiss number. Or phone the UK from Switzerland etc etc.

Please EE -  give up on the awful text service - just allow us to speak to someone. If you are lucky enough to speak to someone then they are all really helpful.

 

 

19 REPLIES 19

@Pennifer60 wrote:

Can you tell me why the UK isn't  listed as being part of the EU charging zone?


Cuz it isn't! In every roaming charges page you will see an entry for:

Calls to numbers in EE Europe zone and back home including voicemail

Yes

As you see calling back home to UK is explicitly mentioned separate from calling within the EE Europe zone.

This removes the anomaly that would arise for if the UK were in the EE Europe zone you could be considered to be roaming in the UK, which is not feasible.

If you think I helped please feel free to hit the "Thumbs Up" button below.

To phone EE CS: Dial Freephone +44 800 079 8586 - Option 1 for Mobile Phone & Mobile Broadband or Option 2 for Home Broadband & Home Phone

ISPs: 1999: Freeserve 48K Dial-Up => 2005: Wanadoo 1 Meg BB => 2007: Orange 2 Meg BB => 2008: Orange 8 Meg LLU => 2010: Orange 16 Meg LLU => 2011: Orange 20 Meg WBC => 2014: EE 20 Meg WBC => 2020: EE 40 Meg FTTC => 2022: EE 80 Meg FTTC (no landline number)

I don't believe that I will be subject to the daily charge as I took out the contract back in 2017 and have made no changes or upgrades in that time - see EE text info below.

The text I received from EE says 

"Great news, you can use your plan's minutes, texts and data while abroad in SWITZERLAND at no extra cost.

The costs from SWITZERLAND to countries outside the EU are:
Calls - £2.00 per minute to make/receive (Incl. Voicemail),
Texts - 82p to send/receive
Picture Messages - 89p per picture"

The whole purpose of my attempt to speak to someone was to try to find out how EE considers the UK to be part of the EU or not, and therefore any possible charges to me.

EE seems to consider that the UK is part of the EU but it does not list the UK as part of that list!  Bristolian tells me that the UK is part of the EU for the purposes of this, but that is not confirmed by the countries listed. 

 

EE does not consider that the UK is part of the EU/EE Europe zone! It is always referred to separately in its own right wherever it matters as I indicated above.

If you have indeed had an unchanged contract from 2017 then roaming in EU will be free for you w/out any extra charges.

If you think I helped please feel free to hit the "Thumbs Up" button below.

To phone EE CS: Dial Freephone +44 800 079 8586 - Option 1 for Mobile Phone & Mobile Broadband or Option 2 for Home Broadband & Home Phone

ISPs: 1999: Freeserve 48K Dial-Up => 2005: Wanadoo 1 Meg BB => 2007: Orange 2 Meg BB => 2008: Orange 8 Meg LLU => 2010: Orange 16 Meg LLU => 2011: Orange 20 Meg WBC => 2014: EE 20 Meg WBC => 2020: EE 40 Meg FTTC => 2022: EE 80 Meg FTTC (no landline number)

Thank you for your help. It is still not clear to me how the UK is treated, as Bristolian says "The UK is included within the EU-charging zone. The daily or monthly charge applies for calls & texts within the EU-zone back to the UK."  But you have just said "EE does not consider that the UK is part of the EU/EE Europe zone!"

Which one is right? It hugely affects any charges etc that I may incur.

I also still don't know if I call from within Switzerland (using my UK sim) to a local Swiss number - is that chargeable? Bristolian says "that falls within the daily charges", but I don't believe I have the daily charges. Is it therefore free to me?

 

Sorry, but I have to say @bristolian is wrong. Nowhere in EE documentation or Help is UK classified as part of  EU/EE Europe zone. You/he find me 1 place it is!

As I said earlier you may call anywhere within EU/EE Europe zone from the EU/EE Europe zone & as you say you started your contract before 07/07/21 you have no extra daily charges to use your UK allowances.

Now we are just going round in circles & there is nothing useful that can be added!

If you think I helped please feel free to hit the "Thumbs Up" button below.

To phone EE CS: Dial Freephone +44 800 079 8586 - Option 1 for Mobile Phone & Mobile Broadband or Option 2 for Home Broadband & Home Phone

ISPs: 1999: Freeserve 48K Dial-Up => 2005: Wanadoo 1 Meg BB => 2007: Orange 2 Meg BB => 2008: Orange 8 Meg LLU => 2010: Orange 16 Meg LLU => 2011: Orange 20 Meg WBC => 2014: EE 20 Meg WBC => 2020: EE 40 Meg FTTC => 2022: EE 80 Meg FTTC (no landline number)

This long conversation has only come about because it is impossible to actually speak to a human being. 

In this message thread I have received conflicting advice, and all of this could have been avoided  - one person says UK is part of the EU/EE Europe zone, and the other does not. How is the average customer supposed to navigate this? 

So frustrating.


@XRaySpeX wrote:

Sorry, but I have to say @bristolian is wrong. Nowhere in EE documentation or Help is UK classified as part of  EU/EE Europe zone. You/he find me 1 place it is!


Perhaps I should have qualified my statement with "for all intents & purposes", but in strict terms you have correctly established that it's not. It's never been a difficult task to find loopholes, ambiguities or contradictions in the help pages, if you look hard enough!

The original question has long since been answered.

 

There is no need to  speak to a human being. This info is readily available just by asking here or even looking it up. The page https://ee.co.uk/help/mobile/roaming/roaming-costs/countries/switzerland , which you had already looked at, answers all your Qs from the get-go.

You have in fact prolonged it yourself by being repetitious & pedantic.

@bristolian & I now are in unison on the terminology

If you think I helped please feel free to hit the "Thumbs Up" button below.

To phone EE CS: Dial Freephone +44 800 079 8586 - Option 1 for Mobile Phone & Mobile Broadband or Option 2 for Home Broadband & Home Phone

ISPs: 1999: Freeserve 48K Dial-Up => 2005: Wanadoo 1 Meg BB => 2007: Orange 2 Meg BB => 2008: Orange 8 Meg LLU => 2010: Orange 16 Meg LLU => 2011: Orange 20 Meg WBC => 2014: EE 20 Meg WBC => 2020: EE 40 Meg FTTC => 2022: EE 80 Meg FTTC (no landline number)

You have been rude and abrupt.  By the way it is normal to be pedantic when given conflicting advice. 

Yes. I am concise. I don't waste words!

If you think I helped please feel free to hit the "Thumbs Up" button below.

To phone EE CS: Dial Freephone +44 800 079 8586 - Option 1 for Mobile Phone & Mobile Broadband or Option 2 for Home Broadband & Home Phone

ISPs: 1999: Freeserve 48K Dial-Up => 2005: Wanadoo 1 Meg BB => 2007: Orange 2 Meg BB => 2008: Orange 8 Meg LLU => 2010: Orange 16 Meg LLU => 2011: Orange 20 Meg WBC => 2014: EE 20 Meg WBC => 2020: EE 40 Meg FTTC => 2022: EE 80 Meg FTTC (no landline number)