Help Stranded abroad

[Robbiefarr]

It’s unbelievable. I called ee to inform them we were going to be visiting the USA and I would like to adjust our roaming tariff accordingly. 
We get to USA and our phones won’t make or receive calls. There no dial tone when I try to call and the call just hangs up before the timer appears or just doesn’t connect at all. 
So I can’t even call ee to try and speak to someone. I’ve wasted 5 hours over 2 days messaging back and forth through the app as that’s the only for of communication I have as I cannot make calls. Also made endless network setting adjustments and phone restarts.

Has anyone had similar issues? What was the resolve?

thanks 

rob 

[XRaySpeX]

@Robbiefarr : Are you on contract or PAYG? Had you used that SIM for making calls or texts in UK before you left to go abroad?

If you are on contract, did you activate roaming on your EE a/c before you left UK by texting ROAMING to 150? Having a roaming billing add-on doesn't of itself activate roaming on your a/c. Having roaming activated on your EE a/c, not just on your device, is crucial to using your contract SIM abroad.

Often just rebooting the phone is the simple remedy. Also try selecting a network manually rather than auto.

Otherwise if you are on contract you need to call CS to get your roaming activated. Try calling CS on the Freephone no. in my sig. on Skype over WiFi. It should be free.

[bristolian]

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@Robbiefarr wrote:

It’s unbelievable. I called ee to inform them we were going to be visiting the USA and I would like to adjust our roaming tariff accordingly. 

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This is a perfect illustration of there being as much confusion from end-users as a process-issue within CS.

You've fallen for the classic misconception of roaming needing a billing add-on, but forgetting to check that the (free) facility to roam in the first-place, is in-place.

CS haven't checked that roaming is enabled alongside your request for a billing add-on.

As for your final question of what the resolution is, almost certainly - enabling the roaming facility. Unfortunately, because you've travelled abroad without enabling it, you've created a catch-22 situation and will need to make contact with EE-CS by another means.