Rip Off EE - Daily Roaming Charges abroad charged when not used

[Donnyrovers]

Has anyone else been charged for a full week of daily roaming charges when in France when they deliberately turned off data roaming and only used 4G every other day and free WiFi in restaraunts /shops on the alternative days. I think EE hope you don't notice this overcharge ( or theft as its commonly called by the courts ! ) 

[bristolian · Accepted solution]

Daily roaming charges are incurred when you conduct any chargeable activity abroad. This can mean making or receiving any voice calls, sending any text messages or using mobile data.

You've mentioned disabling data roaming, but this just means using mobile data whilst roaming. Roaming charges can still be incurred if you made or received any calls (which some people might call "voice roaming") or by sending text messages ("text roaming" by the same argument).

You would need to have a mobile network connection in order to do either of these, which could be on any of 2G, 3G, 4G or 5G.

[MariaS1308]

Hi, yes we have just got back from Rhodes, Greece and my husband did not use his phone at all!! Just had a bill and he has been charged daily roaming charges!, I used WhatsApp and had no charges at all!! I think we are being ripped off!! Last year no charges from abroad this year charges even if you do not use your phone at all!. I always thought Ee was good and recommended them to people I now think they are the worst compared to other peoples charges!!

[Chris_B]

@MariaS1308any data connection will incur a charge.  So just receiving an email will incur a charge. Any apps running in the background will incur a charge. You don’t have to use the device yourself to incur a charge. 

You don’t say what tariff he has or what you have so you might have roaming included with your tariff and he doesn’t. 

[bristolian]

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@MariaS1308 wrote:

Hi, yes we have just got back from Rhodes, Greece and my husband did not use his phone at all!! Just had a bill and he has been charged daily roaming charges!, I used WhatsApp and had no charges at all!! Last year no charges from abroad this year charges even if you do not use your phone at all!

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You should refer to my previous post above, 22nd June @ 3.34pm for advice in your scenario. If your husband did not use a mobile network abroad for any chargeable activity, he absolutely would not have incurred charges - that the opposite applies, suggests some chargeable activity did occur.

"I used WhatsApp and had no charges" can be both true & untrue - but a more accurate version would be "I used WiFi and had no charges at all".

In the overall context of the cost of foreign travel, EE's flat-rate roaming charges - which have more generous FUP than other operators - have always struck me as good value. But every user is free to make their own value judgements.

[natalan]

Does it mean that if I have a WhatsApp running, but not accessed, whilst abroad I will be charged for the daily rate I agreed

[bristolian]

WhatsApp is an internet-based app, just like BBC News, Sky Sports or any other - and will use any available internet connection to operate. That can be as much background usage as it can active usage. The only way of guaranteeing a particular app cannot use mobile data is to remove the permissions in your phone's menu settings.

Any usage of mobile data whilst abroad will be sufficient, in the absence of your plan including an applicable add-on, to trigger one of two things..

1: If you're outside the EU, data roaming is only available when you have a daily or weekly pass in-place.

2: If you're within the EU, a daily charge will be triggered unless you have a weekly or 12-day pass inplace

It's perfectly possible for messages to be received by your phone on a messaging app over the internet, but you don't physically view them on-screen - which I presume is what you mean by "not accessed"

[natalan]

I kept the phone  with  meon my trip in case to be used only for emergency calls either from or to my home. None occurred  (so the phone was not used at all) but on my return I was billed for each say I was away

[Leanne_T]

Hi @natalan 

Thanks for coming to the community. 

I can see @bristolian has giving you full details for why you would have been charged when roaming. If you would like to make sure this does not happen on any future trips, please see the advice in our Accidental roaming help page. 

Leanne.