O2 GPRS charges abroad

My subscription with O2 includes 1mb GPRS usage (browse & download). Before
leaving for France, I called O2 to make sure that this allowance was also
available abroad and the answer was: yes.

I noticed on my July invoice a £1.17 charge for 79k GPRS usage in France. I
contacted O2 by email twice to dispute the bill. No reply. I finally
called the 0870 number (national rate) and talked with James McDonalds who
agreed that it was a mistake (how can the system make such a mistake?) and
that he was going to refund me on the next bill. I asked for a confirmation
email. He said that it was not necessary because I would be able to see the
refund on my Unbilled Calls on the website. I was never refunded. I gave
up because the cost of calling again the 0870 number would have reached the
amount they had charged me by mistake.

This month, I get billed again the same amount, this time for 3k GPRS usage
in France. I disputed the bill again on the website but they never reply
anyway. I am stuck to call the 0870 number again, the person will tell me
again that they will refund me and they won't. What can I do?

--
ah

ah wrote:

> What can I do?

Write to them.

Be sure that your agreement does in fact include overseas GPRS roaming.
What tariff with O2 allows that?

>> What tariff with O2 allows that? <<

I have a pay monthly 50 min anytime any network (+ 50% because I took
the contract online i.e.75 min) and 200 txts (+ 50% = 300 txts) plus
1mb inclusive browse and download.

Do you think that my 1mb GPRS allowance does not include overseas
roaming? Why did they say it did when I called?

--
ah

Colin Forrester wrote:

> ah wrote:
>
> > What can I do?
>
> Write to them.
>
> Be sure that your agreement does in fact include overseas GPRS roaming.
> What tariff with O2 allows that?
Colin Forrester wrote:
> ah wrote:
>
> > What can I do?
>
> Write to them.
>
> Be sure that your agreement does in fact include overseas GPRS roaming.
> What tariff with O2 allows that?

anonewsgr@hotmail.com wrote:

>>> What tariff with O2 allows that? <<
>
> I have a pay monthly 50 min anytime any network (+ 50% because I took
> the contract online i.e.75 min) and 200 txts (+ 50% = 300 txts) plus
> 1mb inclusive browse and download.
>
> Do you think that my 1mb GPRS allowance does not include overseas
> roaming? Why did they say it did when I called?

Personally I haven't come across any general tariff which includes GPRS
roaming from an allowance (except a series of tariffs on Vodafone aimed
at contract Business customers).

They said it because a) it might be true, b) they didn't understand the
question or c) they lied.

>> They said it because a) it might be true, b) they didn't understand the
> question or c) they lied. <<

Or perhaps they indeed understood the question but did not know the
correct answer so they replied the first thing that came to their mind?

The problem is that I can't find this information anywhere on my
contract online. It says 1mb GPRS browse and download but the
geographical area is not specified. And if the information they give
when you call is inaccurate, I am stuck to snailmail, as you first
suggested, which is a big waste of time and energy.

--
ah

Colin Forrester wrote:
> anonewsgr@hotmail.com wrote:
>
> >>> What tariff with O2 allows that? <<
> >
> > I have a pay monthly 50 min anytime any network (+ 50% because I took
> > the contract online i.e.75 min) and 200 txts (+ 50% = 300 txts) plus
> > 1mb inclusive browse and download.
> >
> > Do you think that my 1mb GPRS allowance does not include overseas
> > roaming? Why did they say it did when I called?
>
> Personally I haven't come across any general tariff which includes GPRS
> roaming from an allowance (except a series of tariffs on Vodafone aimed
> at contract Business customers).
>
> They said it because a) it might be true, b) they didn't understand the
> question or c) they lied.

> I noticed on my July invoice a £1.17 charge for 79k GPRS usage in France.
> I contacted O2 by email twice to dispute the bill. No reply. I finally
> called the 0870 number (national rate) and talked with James McDonalds who
> agreed that it was a mistake (how can the system make such a mistake?) and
> that he was going to refund me on the next bill. I asked for a
> confirmation email. He said that it was not necessary because I would be
> able to see the refund on my Unbilled Calls on the website. I was never
> refunded. I gave up because the cost of calling again the 0870 number
> would have reached the amount they had charged me by mistake.

The operators you spoke to are wrong to suggest GPRS usage abroad is
included in your allowance.

http://www.o2.co.uk/business/sme/bus...internetabroad

O2 Online Pay Monthly terms & conditions
1.. .....
2.. .....
3.. O2 Browse and Download rates are quoted by the MB, charged by the
kilobyte and rounded up to the nearest penny. O2 Active Browsing access
whilst you are abroad is charged at the rate determined by O2's agreement
with the host operator. Charges may vary by operator.

Thanks for this. I had not looked in the business pages, since I have
a private contract.

--
ah

Joe wrote:
> > I noticed on my July invoice a £1.17 charge for 79k GPRS usage in France.
> > I contacted O2 by email twice to dispute the bill. No reply. I finally
> > called the 0870 number (national rate) and talked with James McDonalds who
> > agreed that it was a mistake (how can the system make such a mistake?) and
> > that he was going to refund me on the next bill. I asked for a
> > confirmation email. He said that it was not necessary because I would be
> > able to see the refund on my Unbilled Calls on the website. I was never
> > refunded. I gave up because the cost of calling again the 0870 number
> > would have reached the amount they had charged me by mistake.
>
> The operators you spoke to are wrong to suggest GPRS usage abroad is
> included in your allowance.
>
> http://www.o2.co.uk/business/sme/bus...internetabroad
>
> O2 Online Pay Monthly terms & conditions
> 1.. .....
> 2.. .....
> 3.. O2 Browse and Download rates are quoted by the MB, charged by the
> kilobyte and rounded up to the nearest penny. O2 Active Browsing access
> whilst you are abroad is charged at the rate determined by O2's agreement
> with the host operator. Charges may vary by operator.