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Charged for data roaming outside of EU but in Norfolk - no refund!

  • 12 September 2023
  • 15 replies
  • 301 views
CatC
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Last weekend I was in Norfolk, on the sea front queing up for fish and chips as you do. I then got a text notification saying ‘Looks like you are roaming outside of the EU,  be aware that roaming costs can be expensive’.Shortly after I got a notification that I had reached 100 percent of my data cap and had been charged £15, some of which might be through location sharing but not all and as far as I know Wells Next the Sea isn’t outside the EU 🤣 I went on the online chat, twice to try and get it resolved and got nowhere, only to be told that I’d be charged for ‘maritime roaming charges’ even if you are in the UK next to the sea.

What??

This sounds madness. I’ve seen similar posts so I’m not the only one but did anyone get it resolved and refunded?

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Best answer by andewhite 12 September 2023, 14:51

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andewhite
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This seems to happen in the Cromer / Sheringham area, under certain weather conditions @CatC. 

There are shipping routes to/from the Humber Estuary that appear to pass close to the Norfolk coast in that area.

You should get a refund, but may need to do this by making a complaint, if Live Chat aren’t helping.

https://www.idmobile.co.uk/help-and-advice/complaints-procedure

🤞

WelshPaul
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Mobile roaming doesn’t imply that you’re out of a certain country, at sea or in the air. It simply means at that point in time (when a call was made, sms sent or data used) you were roaming on a network other than the home network. This is easily done and if you don’t want to incur additional charges, configure your device appropriately.

user2021
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"Wells Next the Sea isn’t outside the EU" I think it is, after the Brexit. 

ID Mobile doesn't work very well.
Kash
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Hi @CatC,

We’ll shortly send you a Private Message to your Community account so we can discuss your issue further.

To access your messages, click your profile picture in the top right hand corner and then click ‘Private Messages’.

Alternatively, if you are currently logged in, you can use the following link: https://community.idmobile.co.uk/inbox/overview

We’ll see you there.

 

Kash

I hope I was able to help you with your question. If my answer resolved your issue, then please mark my answer as ‘Most Helpful’ using the button below the message with the answer.
Gavin Old
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@WelshPaul  First and foremost, something is broken if by whatever means, false roaming charges are  being applied to people’s bills. This is a black and white situation which is totally and utterly unacceptable.  Nobody should feel compelled to turn roaming off when they have not even left the country.  There is absolutely no excuse  for the customer ending up having to pay for such failures in the system.  Leaving your data roaming switched on when you’re in the UK means you can access 4G and 5G when you’re out and about ... which is the precisely the point of having it!

andewhite
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Don’t think data roaming needs to be enabled, in order to use your UK mobile network service provider’s 4G & 5G data services. 

These mobile network data services should work even with mobile data roaming turned off on your device @Gavin Old.

WelshPaul
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@WelshPaul  First and foremost, something is broken if by whatever means, false roaming charges are  being applied to people’s bills. This is a black and white situation which is totally and utterly unacceptable.  Nobody should feel compelled to turn roaming off when they have not even left the country.  There is absolutely no excuse  for the customer ending up having to pay for such failures in the system.  Leaving your data roaming switched on when you’re in the UK means you can access 4G and 5G when you’re out and about ... which is the precisely the point of having it!

You don’t know what you’re talking about!

Also, the roaming option on your device plays no part in accessing 4G or 5G on the home network.

Gavin Old
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@WelshPaul  The home network we are talking about is iD mobile.  It piggy-backs Three and network coverage can be a liability. Generally, the advice is to keep roaming on, as it gives the option to jump onto other networks even within the UK which is particularly useful if you're in locations that don't have a great 3G, 4G or 5G signal.  But all of this is incidental.  No-one should be being charged ‘Rest of World Roaming’ fees on home soil in this way.  There is simply no excuse for it!

 

andewhite
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While data roaming might be possible in the UK, I think roaming for UK mobile numbers within the UK is probably limited to emergency calls on any UK network, not mobile roaming data. 

Perhaps you’ve unwittingly connected to a satellite based maritime mobile network @Gavin Old, which typically operate onboard the many commercial services using the shipping lanes close to the North Norfolk coast.

Gavin Old
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I have ‘unwittingly’ been charged a ‘rest of world Roaming’ fee by iD.  I appreciate the explanation, but how this was allowed to happen on home soil is not my problem, but the problem of the network provider.  The customer should never be the one footing the bill for a weak point in the system.  How many other people are there out there who have been charged, and are perhaps still unaware?

WelshPaul
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Turn off roaming until you want to roam. Simples! 

Gavin Old
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To do that would be going against the general advice of reputable consumer guidance bodies for UK use.

WelshPaul
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To do that would be going against the general advice of reputable consumer guidance bodies for UK use.

Then leave it on but be prepared to pay for any additional roaming costs incurred as a result.

andewhite
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Userlevel 8
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Alternatively, just set your iD account bill cap to £0. This will prevent any unexpected charges and ensure you can only use your plan allowances for calls, texts and mobile data.

 

Kash
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Hi @Gavin Old,

Please let us know if you require further assistance and we can help you out.

 

Kash

I hope I was able to help you with your question. If my answer resolved your issue, then please mark my answer as ‘Most Helpful’ using the button below the message with the answer.

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