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Charged Data Roaming Whilst at the Beach


I’ve had texts to say I’ve been charged for data roaming but I’m staying in Sheringham, haven’t been outside the UK since May last year…But due to go abroad in 2 weeks and now can’t use my roaming…

Best answer by MZone

You must have roamed onto a foreign network as you were on the coast. You should have got an SMS telling you what the roaming charges are when your phone picked up the foreign network.

This issue seems to be caused by mobile phones connecting to foreign networks, such as those on ferries or cruise ships, which are operating in the nearby shipping lanes.

We would advised to:

  • Disable roaming on your device and mobile account to avoid unexpected charges
  • Set your bill cap to 0 to prevent out-of-plan changes

There are a few examples of this happening on the web for other people that have been charged for using their phone on the Norfolk coast. 

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MZone
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  • May 26, 2025

You must have roamed onto a foreign network as you were on the coast. You should have got an SMS telling you what the roaming charges are when your phone picked up the foreign network.

This issue seems to be caused by mobile phones connecting to foreign networks, such as those on ferries or cruise ships, which are operating in the nearby shipping lanes.

We would advised to:

  • Disable roaming on your device and mobile account to avoid unexpected charges
  • Set your bill cap to 0 to prevent out-of-plan changes

There are a few examples of this happening on the web for other people that have been charged for using their phone on the Norfolk coast. 


Tyler C
iD Mobile Employee
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  • iD Mobile Employee
  • 4541 replies
  • May 26, 2025

Hey there ​@LauraWilson, we’re very sorry to hear that. If you’ve recently been out at sea or at the beach, you may have connected to the maritime network (ships network), which therefore incur charges. Of course if you're in the UK and not at sea, this shouldn’t happen.

 

How much were you charged and when please?

 

In terms of you saying you now can’t use your roaming abroad, can you clarify the reasoning for that please?

 

Thanks,

Tyler


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  • 4 replies
  • June 6, 2025

Hello. I was also in Sheringham last Sunday and have been charged £11.83 for roaming charges! I’ve been speaking to an advisor, but I think he’s confused. He asked if I’d been to the sea and I said yes, meaning the seaside!!! He wouldn’t cancel the charges. This is insane! What if people live in Sheringham???

Can you help me?

Thanks


Richard


MZone
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Richard_K wrote:

Hello. I was also in Sheringham last Sunday and have been charged £11.83 for roaming charges! I’ve been speaking to an advisor, but I think he’s confused. He asked if I’d been to the sea and I said yes, meaning the seaside!!! He wouldn’t cancel the charges. This is insane! What if people live in Sheringham???

Can you help me?

Thanks


Richard

 

iD would advise to:

  • Disable roaming on your device and mobile account to avoid unexpected charges
  • Set your bill cap to 0 to prevent out-of-plan changes

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  • 4 replies
  • June 6, 2025

Absolutely not. Your reply is pointless. Is it really your belief that anyone who goes to the seaside needs to disable roaming? This is ridiculous. What about people who live in Sheringham? Are they meant to permanently disable roaming? Is that your logic.

Please try replying again.


MZone
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Richard_K wrote:

Absolutely not. Your reply is pointless. Is it really your belief that anyone who goes to the seaside needs to disable roaming? This is ridiculous. What about people who live in Sheringham? Are they meant to permanently disable roaming? Is that your logic.

Please try replying again.

I copied and pasted this from a reply given by an iD staff member to another customer with the same issue. If you’re in the U.K. you don’t really need roaming to be on all the time. It can be easily toggled off/on when you go abroad. Also setting spend cap to £0 is no biggie. Here is the full response:

It appears that some users in Norfolk, particularly those near the coast, have been experiencing roaming charges despite not leaving the UK. This issue seems to be caused by mobile phones connecting to foreign networks, such as those on ferries or cruise ships, which are operating in the nearby shipping lanes.

We would advised to:

  • Disable roaming on your device and mobile account to avoid unexpected charges
  • Set your bill cap to 0 to prevent out-of-plan changes

  • New
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  • 4 replies
  • June 6, 2025

Sorry this is unacceptable. How would you know that Norfolk is not a safe place to go for ID Mobile customers? What if you live there? How do you cope?

As Tyler, an iD Mobile employee said “Of course if you're in the UK and not at sea, this shouldn’t happen.”

I want these charges refunded. Failing to do so is totally unacceptable. I’d imagine plenty of media outlets would love to know about this.

 

Please refund my charges.

 

Thank you 


MZone
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  • June 7, 2025

@Tyler ​@Siân Are you able to help with ​@Richard_K issue 


MZone
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Richard_K wrote:

Sorry this is unacceptable. How would you know that Norfolk is not a safe place to go for ID Mobile customers? What if you live there? How do you cope?

As Tyler, an iD Mobile employee said “Of course if you're in the UK and not at sea, this shouldn’t happen.”

I want these charges refunded. Failing to do so is totally unacceptable. I’d imagine plenty of media outlets would love to know about this.

 

Please refund my charges.

 

Thank you 

I have flagged this issue to a member of the iD team. For info this issue is not exclusive to iD and happens on other networks too if you google it you will find many other examples of this happening. Not saying I agree with it but it is in the terms and conditions. I wish you good luck pursing a refund. 


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  • June 7, 2025

Thank you. There is no way that sitting on a bench at a British seaside town, eating a cheese and pickle sandwich ought to incur a fee of £11.83.

I look forward to hearing back from Tyler and receiving my refund.


Siân W
iD Mobile Employee
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  • iD Mobile Employee
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  • June 8, 2025

Hi ​@Richard_K  you are absolutely right!

I would switch off your roaming while you’re in the UK to avoid this happening again.

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.
 


Gabriel Musulbas
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I just had the same thing happening to me and my partner in Norfolk... Both of us are on ID and got charged.

Has your issue been sorted.

 

 


Tyler C
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Hey there ​@Gabriel Musulbas, sorry to hear this. How much were you charged please did you receive a text?

 

Thanks,

Tyler


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  • June 23, 2025

Same here. Sat on the beach at Sheringham on Friday June 13th and was charged £5 data roaming 'rest of the world'. Anyone know if I can get this refunded? 


Tyler C
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  • June 24, 2025

Hey there ​@Pault2020, for future reference, we’d recommend setting your bill cap to £0.00 and ensuring roaming is turned off to ensure you don’t connect to the maritime network. However, as a one-time gesture of goodwill alongside this advice, we’d be happy to credit this back to you.

 

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

 

Thanks,

Tyler


Gabriel Musulbas
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Tyler wrote:

Hey there ​@Gabriel Musulbas, sorry to hear this. How much were you charged please did you receive a text?

 

Thanks,

Tyler

Hello,
I have been charged £5 as that was my bill cap. 
I am at the beach in UK i have not looked at my phone… who knew that i would connect to maritime networks.
But when i did look i have seen a text that i am on another network at which point it was too late. 


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  • iD Mobile Employee
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  • June 25, 2025

Hi ​@Gabriel Musulbas 

 

We’re sorry to hear this. 

 

We’d recommend setting your bill cap to £0.00 and ensuring roaming is turned off to ensure you don’t connect to the maritime network. However, as a one-time gesture of goodwill alongside this advice, we’d be happy to credit this back to you.

 

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

 

Thanks,

 

Anika


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  • June 27, 2025

Hi ​@Tyler ​@Anika I've also had this same issue, have now turned off roaming and set the cap to £0. Would you be able to send me a private message too please


Siân W
iD Mobile Employee
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  • June 30, 2025

Hi ​@UnwillingElk 

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.