I Phone charges

If you get nowhere with customer services, its worth making a formal complaint to OFCOM. They wont get involded as such, but will pass your complaint onto someone senior at the network. I did this a few years ago with Orange after I had major hassle with them and ended up on a Vodaphone netowork but being billed by orange, something that solved my complaint in 1 day compated to 6 months of major hassle with orange.
Its something to consider as a last resort if you hit a brick wall like I did.

If you get nowhere with customer services, its worth making a formal complaint to OFCOM. They wont get involded as such, but will pass your complaint onto someone senior at the network. I did this a few years ago with Orange after I had major hassle with them and ended up on a Vodaphone netowork but being billed by orange, something that solved my complaint in 1 day compated to 6 months of major hassle with orange.
Its something to consider as a last resort if you hit a brick wall like I did.

[Darren Wheeler]

OFCOM will now point any complaints down the formalised process and only get involved at the last step.

Mobile Complaints

[Darren Wheeler]

OFCOM will now point any complaints down the formalised process and only get involved at the last step.

Mobile Complaints

I'm currently in the UK (early here, I know) on holiday (seeing friends/family), but prior to leaving the US, I did PLENTY of research to make sure this didn't happen to me. I had heard many a horror story about this on various forums over the Internet.

I can't speak about O2's fees abroad because frankly I don't know them, but AT&T over in the US has a 'Global Data Package'... which gives you like 20MB or 50MB a month to 'globally roam' for about USD30 or USD60 (respectively) a month. It's useful if you're traveling, but then again, there's no need to check email if you've got a great laptop. What will get you is checking your email if you're not IMAP supported (.Mac or Gmail accounts are, whilst POP3 accounts like earthlink, hotmail, yahoo, etc aren't) and if your preferences are set to 'check daily' instead of 'check only when I check my email'.

Also, abroad, besides voice and data (including visual voicemail!), but SMS messages as well can be quite expensive if you text message frequently...EVEN if your contract/p-a-y-g plan says 'unlimited text messaging', that might be the case in your country, so not necessarily abroad.

To anyone looking to use their iPhones abroad, make sure you check with your carrier about voice AND data charges (including internet usage, Visual Voicemail and SMS), or you might end up with a 54-page bill like some unfortunate person did, posting her story on MacRumors.com...

I'm currently in the UK (early here, I know) on holiday (seeing friends/family), but prior to leaving the US, I did PLENTY of research to make sure this didn't happen to me. I had heard many a horror story about this on various forums over the Internet.

I can't speak about O2's fees abroad because frankly I don't know them, but AT&T over in the US has a 'Global Data Package'... which gives you like 20MB or 50MB a month to 'globally roam' for about USD30 or USD60 (respectively) a month. It's useful if you're traveling, but then again, there's no need to check email if you've got a great laptop. What will get you is checking your email if you're not IMAP supported (.Mac or Gmail accounts are, whilst POP3 accounts like earthlink, hotmail, yahoo, etc aren't) and if your preferences are set to 'check daily' instead of 'check only when I check my email'.

Also, abroad, besides voice and data (including visual voicemail!), but SMS messages as well can be quite expensive if you text message frequently...EVEN if your contract/p-a-y-g plan says 'unlimited text messaging', that might be the case in your country, so not necessarily abroad.

To anyone looking to use their iPhones abroad, make sure you check with your carrier about voice AND data charges (including internet usage, Visual Voicemail and SMS), or you might end up with a 54-page bill like some unfortunate person did, posting her story on MacRumors.com...

I'm currently in the UK (early here, I know) on holiday (seeing friends/family), but prior to leaving the US, I did PLENTY of research to make sure this didn't happen to me. I had heard many a horror story about this on various forums over the Internet.

I can't speak about O2's fees abroad because frankly I don't know them, but AT&T over in the US has a 'Global Data Package'... which gives you like 20MB or 50MB a month to 'globally roam' for about USD30 or USD60 (respectively) a month. It's useful if you're traveling, but then again, there's no need to check email if you've got a great laptop. What will get you is checking your email if you're not IMAP supported (.Mac or Gmail accounts are, whilst POP3 accounts like earthlink, hotmail, yahoo, etc aren't) and if your preferences are set to 'check daily' instead of 'check only when I check my email'.

Also, abroad, besides voice and data (including visual voicemail!), but SMS messages as well can be quite expensive if you text message frequently...EVEN if your contract/p-a-y-g plan says 'unlimited text messaging', that might be the case in your country, so not necessarily abroad.

To anyone looking to use their iPhones abroad, make sure you check with your carrier about voice AND data charges (including internet usage, Visual Voicemail and SMS), or you might end up with a 54-page bill like some unfortunate person did, posting her story on MacRumors.com...

I'm currently in the UK (early here, I know) on holiday (seeing friends/family), but prior to leaving the US, I did PLENTY of research to make sure this didn't happen to me. I had heard many a horror story about this on various forums over the Internet.

I can't speak about O2's fees abroad because frankly I don't know them, but AT&T over in the US has a 'Global Data Package'... which gives you like 20MB or 50MB a month to 'globally roam' for about USD30 or USD60 (respectively) a month. It's useful if you're traveling, but then again, there's no need to check email if you've got a great laptop. What will get you is checking your email if you're not IMAP supported (.Mac or Gmail accounts are, whilst POP3 accounts like earthlink, hotmail, yahoo, etc aren't) and if your preferences are set to 'check daily' instead of 'check only when I check my email'.

Also, abroad, besides voice and data (including visual voicemail!), but SMS messages as well can be quite expensive if you text message frequently...EVEN if your contract/p-a-y-g plan says 'unlimited text messaging', that might be the case in your country, so not necessarily abroad.

To anyone looking to use their iPhones abroad, make sure you check with your carrier about voice AND data charges (including internet usage, Visual Voicemail and SMS), or you might end up with a 54-page bill like some unfortunate person did, posting her story on MacRumors.com...

Originally posted by zootvd
I did PLENTY of research to make sure this didn't happen to me.

Yeah, I thought I had. My Vodafone Mobile Connect Travel plan costs £95pm and included 100Mb roaming on selected countries. I checked online, and saw that the Vodafone Mobile Broadband Travel plan costing £95pm included Jersey, where I was working for two days last month. Note the subtle difference in naming of the plans despite the same price.

Imagine my surprise at a £1,300 bill and that I was cut off, even though I was not in default! Of course, I was told if I paid right away they would unblock me, but then how would I ever get the money refunded if they found in my favour?

After a couple of hours of farting around with half a dozen ****ing call centres, I got reconnected and the entire £1,300 was refunded.

It turned out that the Vodafone Mobile Connect Travel plan has been replaced with the slightly renamed Vodafone Mobile Broadband Travel, but you need to phone them up to change plans and take advantage of the new coutries. Meanwhile, nowhere online can you find the list of countries that my old tariff supported included in the 100Mb inclusive roaming.

Cheers, Howard

Originally posted by zootvd
I did PLENTY of research to make sure this didn't happen to me.

Yeah, I thought I had. My Vodafone Mobile Connect Travel plan costs 95pm and included 100Mb roaming on selected countries. I checked online, and saw that the Vodafone Mobile Broadband Travel plan costing 95pm included Jersey, where I was working for two days last month. Note the subtle difference in naming of the plans despite the same price.

Imagine my surprise at a 1,300 bill and that I was cut off, even though I was not in default! Of course, I was told if I paid right away they would unblock me, but then how would I ever get the money refunded if they found in my favour?

After a couple of hours of farting around with half a dozen ****ing call centres, I got reconnected and the entire 1,300 was refunded.

It turned out that the Vodafone Mobile Connect Travel plan has been replaced with the slightly renamed Vodafone Mobile Broadband Travel, but you need to phone them up to change plans and take advantage of the new coutries. Meanwhile, nowhere online can you find the list of countries that my old tariff supported included in the 100Mb inclusive roaming.

Cheers, Howard

A big thankyou for all your very sound advice and an update. My son has spoken to O2 who have set up a dedicated line for Iphone problems and they have agreed to reimburse him the total amount. It may be due to the recent Watchdog programme highlighting the problem but the whole process was an example of how customer service should be and he is supremely relieved. Needless to say he will not be taking this particular phone abroad again!!

A big thankyou for all your very sound advice and an update. My son has spoken to O2 who have set up a dedicated line for Iphone problems and they have agreed to reimburse him the total amount. It may be due to the recent Watchdog programme highlighting the problem but the whole process was an example of how customer service should be and he is supremely relieved. Needless to say he will not be taking this particular phone abroad again!!

That was a good result for your son. I never realised this problem existed on the iphone. Not that I have an iphone but at least I know in the future when I do get one.

That was a good result for your son. I never realised this problem existed on the iphone. Not that I have an iphone but at least I know in the future when I do get one.

Absolutely, when he spoke to the first guy at O2 he told him that his bill of £1200 was nothing compared with some he had dealt with, someone on the Watchdog programme received one for £9000. Hopefully our experience has highlighted the need to investigate all call charges thoroughly before buying.

Absolutely, when he spoke to the first guy at O2 he told him that his bill of 1200 was nothing compared with some he had dealt with, someone on the Watchdog programme received one for 9000. Hopefully our experience has highlighted the need to investigate all call charges thoroughly before buying.