Question

EU Roaming - 4 months or "roam like at home"

  • 19 October 2023
  • 29 replies
  • 766 views
T
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Userlevel 3

Hello, we are UK residents and own a place in Spain, spending as much time as we can there within the 90 days out of 180 days EU rules.

Our unlimited plan began in January 2021, so your current 30 gb usage policy appears not to apply.

One section of the ID Mobile policy refers to spending more time abroad than in the UK over a 4 month period and another section of your policy refers to data use, i.e. using more UK data in a 4 month period than in the EU.

Is your policy based on data usage in the UK/EU or on the months spent in the EU?

Thanks for your help,

Tony G

 

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29 replies

T
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Userlevel 2

Whilst not a complete answer by my experience networks treat it as number of days connected to a roaming network.

So if you spent a full continuous 90 days in Spain this could be an issue, iD should text you if you hit this though before surcharging you. You can stop the surcharges accidentally starting by setting your bill cap down to £0.

However local SIMs in Spain are very cheap. I’d just pick a SIM up over there really and use that, and you’ll also have a Spanish number which could be helpful. And (as long as you don’t choose Orange ES) you’ll get roaming back in the UK as well.

T
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Userlevel 3

Hi all,

Re. EU roaming regulations, this was taken from the EU commission press release on 30 June 22:-

“1 July 2022, the new improved Roaming regulation enters into force. It extends “Roam-like-at-home” until 2032 – the scheme thanks to which travellers in the EU and the EEA can call, text and surf abroad without extra charges. “

Interesting.

Still not clear about the “over a 4 month period” in the id mobile terms.

Does this mean: -

        1.  roaming for longer than a 4 month period, or

  1. roaming for longer than time spent in the UK, during a 4 month period, i.e. roaming for 2 months and one day.

Thanks for all your help,

Tony G

 

 

andewhite
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Not sure that EU roaming regulations apply to UK network operators after Brexit, although iD appear to have decided to use them on a de facto basis - whatever that might be. 

Did you find any mention of the roaming data allowance, or how it might be determined, when researching EU regs @Tony G?

 

Kash
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Hi @andewhite,

It looks like it may have been meant for @Tony G.

 

Kash

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Kash
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Hi @urbanadventurer,

Thanks for getting back to us.

You’ll be notified if you are roaming for a constant period of over 4 months.

The text would confirm the next steps and what documents would be required.

If you aren’t roaming more than 4 months at a time you don’t need to worry.

 

Kash

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Kash
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Hi @Tony G,

You can use your full allowances whilst abroad.

However if you roam more than the UK over a 4 month period or more than 4 months then we would notify you.

If you are going abroad for up to 4 months you don’t need to worry.

 

Kash

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U
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Hi @Kash 

 

I think you are incorrect saying ‘more than 4 months travelling’. The terms and conditions seem to say if you spend more time out of the UK, then inside, within a 4 month period. So this means 2 months + 1 day would trigger Permanent Roaming.

 

 

andewhite
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The iD Mobile open data fair usage policy no longer applies, so customers who joined iD or upgraded on or before 20th June 2023 can use their UK data allowance in our 50 free Roaming destinations without incurring a surcharge. 

I guess for a plan with unlimited data, the roaming data limit would be 30GB/month. 

I reckon data usage and time spent within the 50 EU & EEA destinations are treated separately.
If iD consider you’re permanently roaming, it looks like there’s a surcharge of 10p per MB for roaming mobile data use.

U
Rank

Hi @Tom @Kash 

Both my partner and I are on IDMobile, and have been since before June 2022.

We’re planning a 90 day trip in Europe this year, before returning to the UK.

I know you say your policy states we will need to provide proof that we are still residents in the UK, not permanently roaming.

What documents do you need, and how can we provide them? Can we do this in advance so it’s one less thing to worry about on our trip?

 

Kash
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Hi @urbanadventurer,

Are you able to provide strong ties to the UK?

We would notify you if we think that you are permanently roaming.

In this case all the information regarding the next steps would be advised and the information required.


Kash

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T
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Hello, thanks for responding quickly.

Now I am confused - if we can use our “UK data allowance in our 50 free Roaming destinations without incurring a surcharge.” how can there be a limit and a surcharge?

It reads to me as the 30GB/month limit only applies to new/upgraded contracts after the 20th June 23.

Could you confirm this?

Thanks.

Tony G 

andewhite
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Perhaps best to chat with iD Mobile about this @Tony G - try https://idmobile.co.uk/live-chat.

You stated you’ve got an unlimited everything plan, so the 30GB/month roaming mobile data limit applies. Not aware of any UK operator providing unlimited roaming mobile data. 

You’d be charged the surcharge if you exceeded the 30GB/month limit for roaming mobile data, in any given month.

 

U
Rank

Hi @kash

 

Thanks for the welcome and quick response.

 

I’m confused though, as your colleague @Tom gave a different response to this question above, where he said “Your second option would be the correct one.”

The second option he referred to was below:

Still not clear about the “over a 4 month period” in the id mobile terms.

Does this mean: -

        1.  roaming for longer than a 4 month period, or

  1. roaming for longer than time spent in the UK, during a 4 month period, i.e. roaming for 2 months and one day.

 

So I’m confused, as you say it is for longer than 4 months, but @Tom says it is for 2 months plus 1 day.

 

Could you confirm which is correct?

Tom
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Hi @Tony G 

 

Your second option would be the correct one.

 

Tom

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Tom
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Hi @andewhite 

 

I’m not quite sure what you’re looking for, a couple of helpful pages about roaming can be found below;

 

https://www.idmobile.co.uk/help-and-advice/eu-roaming/fair-usage-policy

 

https://www.idmobile.co.uk/help-and-advice/international-and-roaming-charges

 

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

 

Tom

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andewhite
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Hi @andewhite 

I’m not quite sure what you’re looking for, a couple of helpful pages about roaming can be found below;

https://www.idmobile.co.uk/help-and-advice/eu-roaming/fair-usage-policy

https://www.idmobile.co.uk/help-and-advice/international-and-roaming-charges

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

Tom
 

Hey @Tom, a little confused by this post - I’m not looking for anything. 

Was your reply meant for the forum member @Tony G?

Kash
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Hi @urbanadventurer,

Welcome to the Community!

As you aren’t roaming for more than 4 months at a time you don’t have anything to worry about.

We would notify the customer via text message after the 4 month period if we assumed that you are permanently roaming, however in your case it is only a 90 day trip.

 

Kash

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Kash
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Hi @Tony G,

Our open data fair usage policy no longer applies, meaning customers who joined iD or upgraded on or before 20th June 2023 can use their full data allowance in our 50 free Roaming destinations without incurring a surcharge.

If you joined or upgraded after this date you can view the policy HERE

However we would advise to still review our permanent roaming policy HERE

 

Kash

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U
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Hi @Kash @Tom could you please help clarify, as you both seem to say different things about this 4 months rule? thanks

T
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Userlevel 3

Thank you Kash for clarifying this.

We joined/upgraded before 20th June 2023.

Do I assume (for unlimited plans) your “Roam like at home” statement also no longer applies?

We are trying hard to keep within our 90 days roaming in any 180 days (EU travel rules limit). Am I safe to assume id mobile would not consider us to be ‘permanent roamers’ even after a maximum 90 day stay abroad?

Thanks for your help, Tony G

andewhite
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Hey @urbanadventurer, the wording online in the iD fair usage policy, appears to suggest @Tom is correct.

 

U
Rank

Thanks @andewhite! This was my understanding too, so got confused by @Kash response.

@Kash @Tom can you still provide clarity on what ‘proof of strong ties to the UK’ means?

Kash
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Hi @urbanadventurer,

We would usually notify the customer via SMS regarding the permanent roaming warning.

In this case the customer would need to contact us and we can take this from there.

 

Kash

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U
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Thanks @Kash but can you confirm please what 'proof of strong ties to the UK' means in practice? Then I can ensure I have the relevant proof ready for ID mobile.

T
Rank
Userlevel 3

Good luck with getting a definitive answer out of ID on this subject!

Online chat is not clear on the roaming subject either.

Tony

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