Roaming for dummies

[Buckland12]

Hi,

Apologies if this is answered elsewhere - guessing it is but I can't find it!

I'm going to the EU and can roam for £2.50 per day. Could someone tell me when that daily charge will be applied? 

My intention is to keep mobile data off, unless I really need to contact the UK, or I particularly need to pick up a message.

If I keep data off, don't call or text and just use WiFi to pick up/send WhatsApps, will I be charged a daily rate if I receive SMS? If I divert all calls to voicemail, will incoming calls incur the charge?

Suffice to say, in bit much if a traveller!

Thanks

[bristolian]

The daily charge is for the use of all your UK allowances on EU-based networks. That manes making or receiving calls, sending text messages or using mobile data. Once you do any of these on a particular day, the £2.47 charge is applied and you can continue to do so.

WiFi is just a connection between a mobile device and broadband router, it has nothing to do with any mobile network.

[XRaySpeX]

The moment you use any bit of your UK allowances, be it calls, texts or data.

Receiving texts is free worldwide.

Receiving calls is free in EU.

[Buckland12]

So. Using data, sending texts and making calls from EU would mean the charge is applied - that was what I thought.

Receiving texts is free but @bristolian says receiving calls costs but @XRaySpeX says it doesn't. 

Hmmm - not sure what to think now! 🤔

[bristolian]

Receiving calls abroad always incurs roaming charges.

Within the EU, incoming calls trigger the £2.47 daily charge and are subsequently covered by the same daily charge.

[XRaySpeX]

A good point & not at all clear in all the EE bumph.

The Roam Like Home charges of £2.50 / day or £10 / week allow you to use your UK  minutes, texts and data allowances in the EU just like at home. In the UK when you have a PAYG pack you have allowances for making calls, sending texts & using data. But you have no allowance at all for receiving calls; they are free to receive.

It is perfectly true that receiving calls abroad always incurs roaming charges when outside the EU. That is well documented but not for within the EU.

I should also point out that even if you have no pack or add-ons & therefore nil allowances you can receive any calls free in UK..

Therefore as no allowance is allocated to them I extrapolate that receiving calls are also free in the EU. @bristolian obviously doesn't.

EE documentation throughout only talks of "using your minutes allowance" & being charged per minute but doesn't distinguish between making & receiving calls. However the bottom line there is no allowance for receiving calls anywhere & the  minutes spent listening to them!

[bristolian]

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@XRaySpeX wrote:

Therefore as no allowance is allocated to them I extrapolate that receiving calls are also free in the EU. @bristolian obviously doesn't.

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That may be an interpretation , I stand by my previous post.

Within the EU, incoming calls trigger the £2.47 daily charge and are subsequently covered by the same daily charge.

[XRaySpeX]

That may be your interpretation, @bristolian , but you have no documentary evidence to back it up.

[Michael_D]

Hi @Buckland12.

Welcome to the community.

I can see if I can get a definite answer to this for you to clear it up before you travel. Do you have a pay as you go SIM or pay monthly contract plan with EE?

Michael

[Buckland12]

Thanks @Michael_D . That would be really helpful....I wasn't wanting to cause an argument between @bristolian and @XRaySpeX !

I have a pay monthly contract