Roaming charges are back

nortada

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Provided you don't upgrade at any point.

Correct but just to get it absolutely clear, I have been onto Three and confirmed the following:

All new contracts or upgrades of existing contracts entered into after 1 Oct 21, will attract roaming charges (as quoted above) from 23 May 2022.

However, existing contracts will not attract roaming after 23 May 2023. When an existing contract reaches full term it will convert to a monthly, rolling, contract on the same terms.

Three confirmed that there is no time limit on continuing to run on a monthly rolling contract.

So for those who want to get long time roaming (with Three) time is short as they will have to get a contract by the end of this month.
 
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Martin_J

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Looks like the article also mentions a charge of £5/day for roaming in other destinations outside Europe... I had stayed with Three for many years because of the all inclusive "Feel at Home" roaming.

Another vague part of the article was the mention of £2/day roaming charge in Europe but in the same article there was a line stating "UK law does, however, cap roaming charges at £45 per month".

Not as bad as 30 days x £2 but still rather more than I'm used to.
 

nortada

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Looks like the article also mentions a charge of £5/day for roaming in other destinations outside Europe... I had stayed with Three for many years because of the all inclusive "Feel at Home" roaming.

Another vague part of the article was the mention of £2/day roaming charge in Europe but in the same article there was a line stating "UK law does, however, cap roaming charges at £45 per month".

Not as bad as 30 days x £2 but still rather more than I'm used to.

It was because of possible confusion, I contacted 3.
 

webcraft

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Have you grasped the concept of 1st World problems? The excessive concern for your creature comforts versus the devastation in the 3rd World.

Do tell us what you are doing personally to relieve suffering in the third world, we are all very interested.

Some of us are also curious as to why you are posting on the Liveaboard forum. Is there something you are not telling us?

- W
 

nortada

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Have you grasped the concept of 1st World problems? The excessive concern for your creature comforts versus the devastation in the 3rd World.
Do tell us what you are doing personally to relieve suffering in the third world, we are all very interested.

Some of us are also curious as to why you are posting on the Liveaboard forum. Is there something you are not telling us?

- W

Hi Webby,

Caraway’s initial post was directed at me but as often, it was irrelevant and made no sense so I ignored it.

But now you ask the question. ❓❓

ps. Just curious as I do not intend to get into a slagging match.?
 

roblpm

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Correct but just to get it absolutely clear, I have been onto Three and confirmed the following:

All new contracts or upgrades of existing contracts entered into after 1 Oct 21, will attract roaming charges (as quoted above) from 23 May 2022.

However, existing contracts will not attract roaming after 23 May 2023. When an existing contract reaches full term it will convert to a monthly, rolling, contract on the same terms.

Three confirmed that there is no time limit on continuing to run on a monthly rolling contract.

So for those who want to get long time roaming (with Three) time is short as they will have to get a contract by the end of this month.
But I think that means no phone upgrade ever? At the same rate? So I would be paying £30 a month for the roaming! At the moment we renew on three business every two years. Get a new phone.
 

nortada

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But I think that means no phone upgrade ever? At the same rate? So I would be paying £30 a month for the roaming! At the moment we renew on three business every two years. Get a new phone.
Agree nothing is for ever but you could upgrade between now and the end of this month and lock in for at least the next couple of years.
 

Kelpie

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I don't know if this is a new thing or not, but I'm seeing adverts for mobile deals which only allow you to use a fraction of the advertised data allowance when in the EU, under 'fair use' clauses.
E.g. Giff Gaff offering 80Gb for £20, but you only get to use 20Gb in the EU.
Probably a silly question, but would a VPN get around this? I'm guessing not but in the spirit of clutching at straws thought I might as well ask.
 

Sailfree

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But I think that means no phone upgrade ever? At the same rate? So I would be paying £30 a month for the roaming! At the moment we renew on three business every two years. Get a new phone.

Decided that providers changing their terms was a real risk so about 4yrs ago went over to buying phone outright and taking a SIM only contract (overall its always been cheaper)

Then if I need to cancel or change SIM providers costs are less.

I used to have contracts with both Vodafone (in 2016 free calls in Portugal) and Three (initially charged in 2016 but soon free roaming).

Dumped Vodafone first as expected them to be least consumer friendly but did not expect this move from Three.

Hopefully I can keep my Three SIM only contract for a long time and just buy new Mobiles when necessary. I do maximise the free minutes and data when on any visit to UK.

We use What App for nearly all international calls now but luckily Portugal has good Internet at all big stores cafes etc.

Have local SIM for Portugal calls.

Market forces might enable a new provider with free roaming to enter the market as when the others were forced to offer free roaming due to EU law they were not making any financial loss.

With current rip off roaming charges lets hope for new provider unfortunately I wonder how big a demand would be as business users will probably accept the charges.
 

anoccasionalyachtsman

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only to find that dual sim in, AFAIK, all current Android phones has now changed to 'hybrid sim' meaning the 2nd sim occupies the SD card slot so 2 sims plus SD is not possible, which is no use, for me at least.

That's disappointing. I've worked my way through the Moto G range and see that the next ones up from my current 8 all do that. How stupid.
 

nortada

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I don't know if this is a new thing or not, but I'm seeing adverts for mobile deals which only allow you to use a fraction of the advertised data allowance when in the EU, under 'fair use' clauses.
E.g. Giff Gaff offering 80Gb for £20, but you only get to use 20Gb in the EU.
Probably a silly question, but would a VPN get around this? I'm guessing not but in the spirit of clutching at straws thought I might as well ask.

‘Fair use’ use has always been there but not always applied. Plus a reduction in available data within the contract, which is invariably applied and overseas can lead to the fair usage restrictions being applied.

In the past implementation of fair usage has been haphazard but for the future, who knows.

You should be able to pick-up UK TV without recoursing to using VPN.

VPN will not get you around roaming charges.
 

nortada

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Decided that providers changing their terms was a real risk so about 4yrs ago went over to buying phone outright and taking a SIM only contract (overall its always been cheaper)

Then if I need to cancel or change SIM providers costs are less.

I used to have contracts with both Vodafone (in 2016 free calls in Portugal) and Three (initially charged in 2016 but soon free roaming).

Dumped Vodafone first as expected them to be least consumer friendly but did not expect this move from Three.

Hopefully I can keep my Three SIM only contract for a long time and just buy new Mobiles when necessary. I do maximise the free minutes and data when on any visit to UK.

We use What App for nearly all international calls now but luckily Portugal has good Internet at all big stores cafes etc.

Have local SIM for Portugal calls.

Market forces might enable a new provider with free roaming to enter the market as when the others were forced to offer free roaming due to EU law they were not making any financial loss.

With current rip off roaming charges lets hope for new provider unfortunately I wonder how big a demand would be as business users will probably accept the charges.


We do the same. Never explored What App but that time could be approaching.

Aware that roaming applies to phone calls and texts but what about data.

Assume that What App requires data but as you say, in Portugal, sources of free data are plentiful and very good. Another drawback of living in a backward country.??
 

Kelpie

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Yes data is included in roaming.
Can't say I've found a single useable source of WiFi since we left home. Maybe we don't spend enough time in bars/restaurants/marinas.
 

Graham376

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We do the same. Never explored What App but that time could be approaching.
Aware that roaming applies to phone calls and texts but what about data.
Assume that What App requires data but as you say, in Portugal, sources of free data are plentiful and very good. Another drawback of living in a backward country.??

Wife uses Whats App for most calls to the UK as we have 4G data sim onboard. What I can't find in the roaming charges is - does the surcharge apply for calls or texts received or just those sent? Presumably, just switching a phone on doesn't trigger the roaming charge?
 

nortada

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Yes data is included in roaming.
Can't say I've found a single useable source of WiFi since we left home. Maybe we don't spend enough time in bars/restaurants/marinas.
Many towns in Portugal offer free municipal WIFI.

For example, Olhao has Wifi aerials on the market on the sea front and with a directional booster it is possible to get useable wifi in the Culatra and Farol anchorages. Same is true at Alcoutim with the WiFi in the local library.
 

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I have had a Three contract for years and spend a lot of time in France. They have just cut me off, saying I've been out of the UK for too long :(. I am not at all happy about this as I think most operators just apply a usage limit or surcharge on use after a certain period. Three coverage at our place in the UK is crap anyway, so time to change!

For me it is convenient to retain a UK number that, apart from personal use, is used for SMS on-line verification etc. I have been looking at Lebara, hosted on Vodafone. who seem to apply only a usage limit out of the UK. But I can't find a time limit specified anywhere on their website. Does anyone have a Lebara UK SIM who can verify this?
 

st599

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Wife uses Whats App for most calls to the UK as we have 4G data sim onboard. What I can't find in the roaming charges is - does the surcharge apply for calls or texts received or just those sent? Presumably, just switching a phone on doesn't trigger the roaming charge?

Three's new offer seems to be 2 pounds per day to connect a phone to an EU network or 5 pounds per day elsewhere - it doesn't seem to make a mention of actually using the phone to trigger that.

BUT, that's the media centre announcement - until the new deal has it's rules available on the website we won't know for sure.
 

Hoolie

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The Three website says the charge will apply from the moment you use your phone for anything however small. In practice it means you have to maintain your existing contract to avoid these charges, at least until they change the rules again. For me, it's bye-bye Three anyway!
 
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