Roaming charges are back

[Mistroma]

Further to my earlier post ASDA has now shifted to the Vodaphone network.

PAYG bundles can be used in most of Europe as at home, according to this:

"Roaming with Asda mobile
With Asda mobile, you can use your selected bundle in 36 European destinations the same as you would at home in the UK!...................... "

Of course this may not suit heavy users but that is a different matter.


.

Their terms seem better than many others.

Looks as if you'll get away with a 4 month period at most. Of course that might be 2 months in UK + 2 months in EU to trigger that, which is a more normal limit. However, they then talk about proof of normal residence (e.g Utiliity bill). That sounds better than most.

When roaming in our European region you will be able to use your bundle allowances at no extra cost. This "roam like at home" facility is available to anybody who is normally resident in the UK or who has stable links entailing a frequent and substantial presence in the UK. If, over a 4 month period, your use of the service suggests to us that you may not meet this requirement we may ask you to provide reasonable evidence of your normal place of residence and of your frequent and substantial presence in the UK. Examples of such evidence might include an address and utility bill, evidence of UK employment or proof of registration with a UK public authority. If you do not provide such evidence within a two week period after our request then we may, without further notice, start to apply additional roaming charges (specified by the European Commission) for your Services (see your Price Plan for details of these additional charges).​

 

[AndersG]

Asda sounds to good to be true but I've read the terms and the fair usage policy and it does say you can use all the data in the EU.

 

[Graham376]

I have a MEO sim for a private number and Portugal to the UK is not a free call - it's charged per minute, in addition to the €13 monthly fee. I didn't actually ask about calls to the rest of the EU. I mainly use WhatsApp for calls anyway.

Same with Vodafone Portugal. We've not had any messages yet about roaming charges being altered for receiving calls when in UK, will just have to wait and see.

 

[syvictoria]

Maybe all is not lost yet...

Virgin Mobile and O2 users will not face EU roaming charges

 

[dgadee]

All very confusing. I am with Smarty - £10 a month on a monthly contract - for more than enough data but it hasn't mentioned charges even though it is owned by Three. There must be a bit of testing what the market will bear/what competitors do. I can't see it costs them more to provide transnational data than not doing so.

 

[Mistroma]

All very confusing. I am with Smarty - £10 a month on a monthly contract - for more than enough data but it hasn't mentioned charges even though it is owned by Three. There must be a bit of testing what the market will bear/what competitors do. I can't see it costs them more to provide transnational data than not doing so.

I was wondering the same thing. I have a VOXI SIM and their website didn't show any change regarding roaming. They not only use the Vodafone network but are owned by Vodafone. Perhaps they are just being very slow to update their terms. It's also possible they are looking at the impact on different types of customer. VOXI used to be only for young customers and they even had an upper age limit when they launched. That didn't last long and I wasn't convinced it was even legal. VOXI still focus on unlimited data for Social Media, Netflix, etc. and are targeting younger consumers.

 

[Sailfree]

I have just informed Three I will be cancelling my contact in March which is renewal date due to EU roaming charges. Just on laptop with Virgin sorting suitable SIM only deal.

Let's hope enough change to stop this mobile phone rip off.

I would point out that buying a new phone in conjunction with a SIM only contract is usually overall much cheaper but it does require an initial outlay in the mobile purchase.

However if its necessary to cancel the phone contract cancelling a £7pm SIM only contract is cheaper than cancelling a say £43 phone & SIM contract!

 

[Hoolie]

I've already ditched Three and have a minimum contract Lebara SIM that is similar but less than half the monthly cost. Although their service is hosted on Vodafone in the UK there is, as yet, no mention of applying roaming charges. In any case I also have a French Lebara SIM hosted on Orange. Sadly each country's operation is run as a completely separate entity.

 

[dgadee]

I have just informed Three I will be cancelling my contact in March which is renewal date due to EU roaming charges. Just on laptop with Virgin sorting suitable SIM only deal.

Let's hope enough change to stop this mobile phone rip off.

I would point out that buying a new phone in conjunction with a SIM only contract is usually overall much cheaper but it does require an initial outlay in the mobile purchase.

However if its necessary to cancel the phone contract cancelling a £7pm SIM only contract is cheaper than cancelling a say £43 phone & SIM contract!

My phones never cost more than £100. Big screens and Android. Big SD card for music. Not sure what people are paying for when they go for ones at £100s.

Currently a Moto g8 Power Lite. £99.95 at Argos now.

 

[Richard10002]

My phones never cost more than £100. Big screens and Android. Big SD card for music. Not sure what people are paying for when they go for ones at £100s.

Currently a Moto g8 Power Lite. £99.95 at Argos now.

I recently needed a cheap phone and was tempted by the Moto phones. However, I discovered that each phone has a finite time for which it is supported by the manufacturer. Motos had a fairly short support life, and Samsung longer, so I paid £219 for a Samsung A32.

 

[Kelpie]

I've tried phones of various budgets. A top of the range one will last for years and years, continuing to be supported with the latest OS and able to run every app.
A cheap phone will last maybe a year before you run the risk of not being able to run various apps. The NHS one has caught a lot of people out. Cheaper phones also tend to be slower and more glitchy to use, which only gets worse with time. And of course you have to put up with worse specs like minimal internal storage and grainy screen resolution.

Last time I changed phone, I bought a secondhand 4yr old top range model, for about the same as I could have bought a really cheap brand new one. The specs and support are all superior to a cheap phone, but the big downside has been battery life.

 

[dgadee]

Well, I usually keep a mobile a couple of years at least until I crack the screen. Never had any problem with non updating OS or unusable apps.

 

[syvictoria]

I've tried phones of various budgets. A top of the range one will last for years and years, continuing to be supported with the latest OS and able to run every app.
A cheap phone will last maybe a year before you run the risk of not being able to run various apps. The NHS one has caught a lot of people out. Cheaper phones also tend to be slower and more glitchy to use, which only gets worse with time. And of course you have to put up with worse specs like minimal internal storage and grainy screen resolution.

Last time I changed phone, I bought a secondhand 4yr old top range model, for about the same as I could have bought a really cheap brand new one. The specs and support are all superior to a cheap phone, but the big downside has been battery life.

I'm afraid that I have to disagree with much of the above! Just my opinion and experience of course. (Feel free to ignore the rest of this post!)

Most phones will last for 'years and years', regardless of whether it's a £100-£150 Moto G or a £600+ Samsung. My own phone is a 5+ year old Moto G4 which has been in heavy daily use (business and personal) since new.

The big problem with Android phones is lack of ongoing (usually annual) operating system updates. often blamed on hardware compatibility, but more likely a marketing ploy I suspect. By buying a four year old Android phone, you will be buying a phone which will likely receive no more big updates, and may already be one or even two versions (depending upon manufacturer) behind what you would get by buying new - and the new phone will still continue to get more updates going forwards. You are therefore arguably going to be more susceptible to malware, viruses (fortunately not a big problem with Android) and app incompatibility problems with your 'high spec' old purchase than you would be with a cheaper new purchase - especially a couple of years into ownership.

As for minimal internal storage - buy a card! And grainy screen resolution - not a problem with many low-mid range phones (not to the average person's naked eye anyway!). And poor battery life - again the Moto G range (and others) are commonly sold with much bigger batteries than the supposedly high spec alternative! Slower and more glitchy - much like a computer, you need to uninstall bloatware and anything you don't use. Computers/tablets/phones don't really slow down over time (without manufacturer interference, that is!) - they get full up!

I have to confess to having never owned a REALLY cheap Android. I've had Moto G's for years. And, despite running a business and maintaining a website from my phone, I have never felt the need to spend more than £160 either.

Buy an expensive phone if you like a badge, have (often undeserved) brand loyalty, or you need specific apps that require a very high spec, perhaps for work or gaming. Otherwise, security has to be key (for banking, etc.) and then only a new phone will be the best option.

All that said, I personally run my whole life and finances on a grossly outdated OS. However, I'm also very passionate about only buying what I need (and, I agree, secondhand whenever I can) and my bloomin' Moto G4 refuses to die!!!

P.S. Sorry for the thread drift!!!

 

[Kelpie]

I'm afraid that I have to disagree with much of the above! Just my opinion and experience of course. (Feel free to ignore the rest of this post!)

Most phones will last for 'years and years', regardless of whether it's a £100-£150 Moto G or a £600+ Samsung. My own phone is a 5+ year old Moto G4 which has been in heavy daily use (business and personal) since new.

The big problem with Android phones is lack of ongoing (usually annual) operating system updates. often blamed on hardware compatibility, but more likely a marketing ploy I suspect. By buying a four year old Android phone, you will be buying a phone which will likely receive no more big updates, and may already be one or even two versions (depending upon manufacturer) behind what you would get by buying new - and the new phone will still continue to get more updates going forwards. You are therefore arguably going to be more susceptible to malware, viruses (fortunately not a big problem with Android) and app incompatibility problems with your 'high spec' old purchase than you would be with a cheaper new purchase - especially a couple of years into ownership.

As for minimal internal storage - buy a card! And grainy screen resolution - not a problem with many low-mid range phones (not to the average person's naked eye anyway!). And poor battery life - again the Moto G range (and others) are commonly sold with much bigger batteries than the supposedly high spec alternative! Slower and more glitchy - much like a computer, you need to uninstall bloatware and anything you don't use. Computers/tablets/phones don't really slow down over time (without manufacturer interference, that is!) - they get full up!

I have to confess to having never owned a REALLY cheap Android. I've had Moto G's for years. And, despite running a business and maintaining a website from my phone, I have never felt the need to spend more than £160 either.

Buy an expensive phone if you like a badge, have (often undeserved) brand loyalty, or you need specific apps that require a very high spec, perhaps for work or gaming. Otherwise, security has to be key (for banking, etc.) and then only a new phone will be the best option.

All that said, I personally run my whole life and finances on a grossly outdated OS. However, I'm also very passionate about only buying what I need (and, I agree, secondhand whenever I can) and my bloomin' Moto G4 refuses to die!!!

P.S. Sorry for the thread drift!!!

We're maybe talking at cross purposes a little.
I'll admit I've not owned a Moto, but between the family we have had various Samsungs, Sony, Huawei, and a Google Pixel.
What we've noticed in common is that the phones that were at some point a top end model seem to last the longest, even when they are much older than a similarly priced budget model. Manufacturers do not seem to support every phone for the same length of time and a budget phone will be 'dropped' quite quickly.
But maybe Moto buck that trend- I hope so because I might be looking for a new phone soon and they seem decent value.

Buying a card doesn't solve the memory problem. Most apps can only be installed on internal storage, so adding an SD card doesn't help. This is a particular problem on the low end Samsung J series. By the time you have all the obligatory Android/Samsung/Google apps installed (which of course you cannot delete) you can only fit a handful of other apps on. I was trying to help my dad with his J5 the other day, and he had to choose between WhatsApp and iPlayer. It's very annoying because the office has been perfectly well looked after and is physically in mint condition. It even runs ok, if a bit clunky. I suppose it's a form of built in obsolescence.

 

[TonyMS]

I´ve only studied O2, but their announcement has no increase for PAYG. So, it seems an answer is to use PAYG minimally and contact friends and rellies using WhatsApp and internet. For internet, I´m thinking O2 or Tesco PAYG, plus Cosmote when their summer deals come online (if I remember right, unlimited for 12 euros a month laast year).

 

[dgadee]

Are we the only couple who regularly (not annually, though) have to replace phones due to cracked screens? Are we just butter fingered? I've had one go whilst in my back pocket when I sat in the car. Dropped another two on hard surfaces. And that's just me over the past 8 or 9 years.

 

[Sailfree]

Are we the only couple who regularly (not annually, though) have to replace phones due to cracked screens? Are we just butter fingered? I've had one go whilst in my back pocket when I sat in the car. Dropped another two on hard surfaces. And that's just me over the past 8 or 9 years.

You are not the only ones.

Dropped i pod cost me £350 and have cracked 2 Samsung screens.

Solution is to get decent phone cases that offer more protection.

 

[syvictoria]

A case is definitely a very good idea, as is not sitting on your phone! Not dropping your phone is somewhat harder to guarantee. Fortunately I've never had a broken screen (yet!), but I do always use a case. Just a simple silicon case offers a lot of protection.

 

[nortada]

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.

Possibly useful to restate Three’s stated position published last October.

Because of continuing medical problems we are still stuck in the UK but hope to return home to Portugal before too long when we will test the Three promise. We have no intention of upgrading/changing our existing contracts. In addition to the Three contracts we have a Vodafone Portugal contract for internal coms. Adequate data is provided free around Lagos.

If 3 renegade on their promise then we will be looking for a new provider.

 

[dslittle]

I've already ditched Three and have a minimum contract Lebara SIM that is similar but less than half the monthly cost. Although their service is hosted on Vodafone in the UK there is, as yet, no mention of applying roaming charges. In any case I also have a French Lebara SIM hosted on Orange. Sadly each country's operation is run as a completely separate entity.

I have just ditched Three and gone onto GiffGaff (who use O2).
I had been with Three for much longer than I can remember, most recently on a 30 day rolling contract. Never had any problems during extended stays abroad or at home.
As others have said, I received an email from Three telling me that they were ’putting‘ me on a new rolling contract which DID NOT include ‘free’ roaming abroad (£2pd). GiffGaff (and O2) are still offering ‘free’ roaming abroad.
I wonder when Three eventually realise that they are losing quite a few customers…