My girlfriend, being a donut, went to Egypt last month and left her roaming on. Just had a bill for £425!!!
Now, they have cut off her phone and said the minimum payment is half to get the phone back on. She has called them and explained she cant afford that, so suggested cancelling the remaining months of her contract (also requesting the tariff be lowered) and then billing her all together for the outstanding bills and the remaining months. She can then come to an agreement of a monthly payment to what she can afford to pay it off.
They have come back and said they can only lower the tariff to £42 per month!!
What would be the best thing for her to do? wait for the case to be sent to an outside debt collection agency and coming to an agreement with them (harming her credit score)?
02 have been really arsey about the whole thing (shock) and i dont really want her going without a phone. Usually get some sound advice on here.
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Never wait for it to be handed over to a debt colleciton agency as they have no reason to agree to lowering it. Only the orginal supplier has an interest in helping you work out the debt.
I would make her go without a phone as a lesson. After all we managed it perfectly well 10 years ago.
Get Dom
http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/tell-us/telecoms/
I think 02 are with this ombudsman service
http://www.ombudsman-services.org/communications.html
Thanks all for the advice. Think she is just gonna have to swallow it and come to some agreement which will unltimately affect her credit rating.
‘Roaming’ is simply mobile jargon for using your mobile phone while you’re abroad. When you do, different charges apply because you’re using the international network.
At the time they offered a one time only reversal under something they called "Bill Shock" I think.
They were really good and credited me back whilst explaining about their overseas roaming bolt-ons.
Maybe worth checking?!?
"why didnt you ring or text me when my bill went to double my usual monthly spend?"
"it doesn't cost you anything to notify me in this way - you should have it set up automatically"
The truth is, that they do have this service if you request it - but they are not going to stop you spending if they can help it, because they want the revenue.
Was it data roaming, or just calls/texts ?
I know that Voda sent you a text as soon as you get of the plane to remind you about data roaming charges......Do O2 do the same ?
Try and shift some guilt - not something I usually advise, but when there has been a genuine error with no material loss of product or manhours then these big companies should be a bit flexible.
saw it this morning about a lady with a bill for £2,250 for going guess where Egypt..... for 2 days data roaming.......
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01gxsfw/Dont_Get_Done_Get_Dom_Series_6_The_Dangers_of_Data_Roaming/
AI thought they were saying that O2 had a data roaming charge of £50......
Essentiall that you turn this off before you go abroad, abroad, other wise applications like 'facebook download'......
hope it helps.
You think her current contract was £48 per month.
She then ran up a £425 bill.
You advised her to offer to pay back £50 a month.
They offered to let change to a tarrif of £42 per month.
So your problem is.....?
However i would recommend you call them up and talk about bill shock and that they have a duty to protect you from this. Also mention as you feel this is unjust that you will be taking the case to OFCOM.
They may well think twice before they try and charge you for ALL of the bill.
The problem is the £425 bill. its clear other people have experianced the same type of roaming 'charges'. Is it right for her to accept the costs? is it right that if her tariff is being cancelled that it is only lowered by £6 a month? (other companies allow you to lower significantly)
Anyway - deny settlement using the unfair contracts act as the reason.
http://www.o2.co.uk/international/dataabroad_paymonthly
So, there's a few possibilities here...
1. O2 have made a mistake (most likely)
2. The majority of the charges are for calls and texts, not data
3. At some point, your girlfriend has 'opted out' of the automatic limit. Has she maybe been abroad before, reached the limit, and asked them to remove it?
4. The Egyptian network did not notify O2 how much data had been used until too late.
As long as it's not 2 or 3, I would say she has a very good case for getting the charges reduced to 40 for data (unless she was unlucky and straddled two billing months). If not, I would go to Ofcom.