Roaming Data Rip Off

I've just been stung for £152 by Orange for 19MB of data when in USA!

I bought a bundle for £20 which gave me 30MB of data.

I was very careful using this and it lasted 12 days.

When I tried buying an additional bundle there was a technical error. I tried again later with the same result.

Knowing the rip-off charges I was extra careful. I didn't want to continue using at 2.5MB per day for the last 2 days and be charged 5 x £8 per MB. That would have cost £40.

Instead, Orange say I used 19MB and are charging me £152.

They offered to reduce this to £75 but I've decided to complain to CISAS after all it was their technical error and I still don't believe my usage jumped from 2.5MB per day to nearly 10MB per day when I was being very cautious.

It's a well known rip off - Google "roaming data rip off".

BBC's Watchdog:

In 2011, Laura went on holiday to Turkey. She had been using her phone with data roaming switched on for the first four days of her trip.

Laura was shocked to hear that she owed £42,200.

The Guardian:

"Holidaymakers should not be lulled into a false sense of security by new data roaming limits – outside the EU charges are hefty"

"... streaming a three-minute funny cat video whilst on holiday in Brazil could easily cost a not-so-funny £49."

PC Pro magazine has got it right:

"The extortionate price of roaming data is every bit as bad as the mis-selling of PPI.

The mobile networks should be forced to repay every last penny that they’ve blatantly over-charged users for mobile data over the years."

I'll let you know how my CISAS complaint goes.

Have you been ripped off on data roaming charges?

Good luck with your complaint.

If you have a recent Android phone, then you can track your data usage, complete with graphs. I also know that O2 show your data usage online in the billing section, so I assume EE/Orange do the same.

You'll need to prove you didn't use all that data, or you don't have a leg to stand on.

Thanks Maz3

I had been tracking my data from day 1 and to my pleasant surprise I was consistently advised that my bundle would expire at the end of the 14 days. When it expired 2 days early, I was disappointed and when the technical error prevented purchase of another bundle I thought I was being extra careful not to fall foul of the £8 per MB charge.

So for 12 days I used 2.5MB per day and then in 2 days I supposedly used 9.5MB per day.

It's easy for the operators to charge these fees and it's a rip-off. It's harder for me as a user to prove there was a technical error, that I tried to purchase an additional bundle and that I used my phone less on the last 2 days than I did before.

Any trust I placed in Orange/EE has been lost.

I'm just sorry I renewed with EE/Orange before being billed for £152.

And I still can't login to EE because they've had technical issues for at least the last 4 days - and I have taken a screenshot of that! (Oops ... something went wrong.)

---------- Post added 27-07-2014 at 20:26 ----------

... I did post in General Discussions and believe this topic is of general interest.

Most of us have mobile phones and many will take them abroad on holiday.

As many people as possible need to know about the roaming data rip-off. It's still happening!

What do you say SF admin? Is this of general interest or only of interest to geeks?

(No offence to Computer & Tech Chat, I am a geek, so maybe I've misjudged who'd be interested in this topic, but I don't think so)

I've switched to Three, I can use my unlimited data and mins in a load of other countries at no extra cost, USA included.

However I used to be with T-mobile/EE and when I was abroad the only way I could use data was to buy a bundle, which stopped these charges. Orange must do it differently.

Here is the Three blurb - http://www.three.co.uk/Discover/Phones/Feel_At_Home?id=1230&gclid=CPiy6ZKx578CFUWffAodNlQAcg&gclsrc=ds

I agree with you DrNorm, this thread should have been left in general discussions. I had to warn my sister to turn off her data altogether before she left the UK and only use the hotel Wi-Fi. There are loads of horror stories out there about this topic. I think most people on Sheffield Forum will read the Sheffield and General discussions but not everyone reads the Computer and Tech Chat.

I just turn off my data when I go abroad, there's nothing important enough that it won't wait until I get a wifi connection.

I've switched to Three, I can use my unlimited data and mins in a load of other countries at no extra cost, USA included.

 

However I used to be with T-mobile/EE and when I was abroad the only way I could use data was to buy a bundle, which stopped these charges. Orange must do it differently.

 

Here is the Three blurb - http://www.three.co.uk/Discover/Phones/Feel_At_Home?id=1230&gclid=CPiy6ZKx578CFUWffAodNlQAcg&gclsrc=ds

You mention you are on an unlimited data plan, which is fine. For those folk still on a 1GB, 10GB or 12GB data plan, be aware that you can still get extra charges with Three - even though they claim "no surprise data bills - guaranteed". You do have to specifically ask them to turn on the limiter once you go above your limit.

I went over my limit and the browser popped-up a Three screen, offering to sell me more data - I declined because I had another SIM I can use. So I closed it down and went to my device and swapped SIMs (until my data allowance rolled over in a couple of days). In that short time Three said I had used 194MB and wanted to charge me £19.40 for it.

I said I thought I had "no surprise data bills - guaranteed" but they said I'd not specifically asked to turn off data after my allowance was reached. So the first thing I did was request that. Then I asked for the bill to be reduced as they would easily tell, from their records, that I tried to do the right thing... they offered me £5 off, I asked for us to go halves (I had no issue with that) but then they said they'd cancel it anyway. So they did the right thing and I am now protected for the future... until Three come out with an unlimited MiFi data plan, which I'll jump on as soon as it happens.

Just hope others don't get caught-out and accept the charges when you may be thinking Three's "no surprise data bills - guaranteed" is, well, guaranteed.

Turn off roaming, turn off data - is it really that hard??

You get free wifi in loads of places in the states, every hotel I stayed in had it, all the starbucks have it.

You really don't need to have roaming data on at all.

I thought I was being careful ... I'll certainly live without roaming data in future!

---------- Post added 30-07-2014 at 19:39 ----------

I've just remembered 3 words that were used when I upgraded ... "cooling off period". I've just made the call to cancel. A bit of hassle but why stick with a provider who treat their customers like this? There are other providers ...

you can still get extra charges with Three - even though they claim "no surprise data bills - guaranteed". You do have to specifically ask them to turn on the limiter once you go above your limit.

With Orange/EE you have to accept the removal of the cap when buying a bundle - why?

... In that short time Three said I had used 194MB and wanted to charge me £19.40 for it.

 

... but then they said they'd cancel it anyway. So they did the right thing and I am now protected for the future...

A work mate recommended Three today. I'll do more research but it certainly sounds like they are being more fair with customers. Three cancelled your £19.40 Hippogriff for 194MB of data and Orange are sticking with charging me £152 for 19MB!

I'm happy for a little bit of hassle to see the back of Orange/EE!

Oh and they have the nerve to advertise no surprise bills on roaming data when you phone their call centre! Thanks for the laugh Orange and goodbye!