# Mobile sims abroad



## barge1914 (Jan 31, 2020)

I notice a lot of mobile sims limit you to 60 days abroad in 120. Does that mean that after 60 days it stops working. Or does it mean a total of 60 days of not necessarily consecutive usage spread out as you wish over 120 days?
Anyone bagged any good deals lately?


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## Mr and Mrs Tupcox (Jan 31, 2020)

I received  this from Tesco 2 days ago .
Left uk Sep 8th returned uk 18 Nov.2019  
Had Christmas at home .Left uk 14th Jan 2020 .

This is  there mesage .

Tesco Mobile: We've noticed that you're using your data more in Home From Home destinations than you are anywhere else. Just letting you know that if you carry on, in 14 days you'll pay an additional charge of 0.35p/MB to use your data while you're away. Here's our fair usage policy: info.tescomobile.com/hfh


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## andyjanet (Jan 31, 2020)

Tesco also charge £1 a min for phone calls after this period, 



Mr and Mrs Tupcox said:


> I received  this from Tesco 2 days ago .
> Left uk Sep 8th returned uk 18 Nov.2019
> Had Christmas at home .Left uk 14th Jan 2020 .
> 
> ...


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## Clunegapyears (Jan 31, 2020)

Been travelling since end Sept. Neither Three nor Vodafone switched us off ... yet!  Voda can use full data limit. Three capped at 20gb. Just hope I don’t wake up to a nasty surprise tomorrow!!!


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## iampatman (Jan 31, 2020)

3 don‘t seem to be to strict on this. I’ve been in Spain for 16 months now apart from a few short trips back to UK and whilst I generally, but not always, have roaming switched off I haven’t been given a warning or had my service cut off yet (fingers crossed). I make or receive calls daily from Europe and the UK. 
Hope things don’t change tomorrow.

Pat


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## witzend (Jan 31, 2020)

Tesco as gifgaf use O2. Gifgaf switched us Off with out warning because we used their sim more in Europe than at home.


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## Sharpie (Jan 31, 2020)

Three do have the option to impose surcharges if their presence monitoring detects that you are are using it abroad for more than two months in four.

This being :

"_To ensure all customers can benefit from Go Roam in Europe with roaming at no extra cost, we reserve the right to apply a surcharge in case of abusive use. In order to help us detect possible abuse of Go Roam in Europe, we may monitor your usage and presence. We’ll look at the balance of your roaming and domestic (UK) activity over four months: if you spend the majority of your time abroad and consume more abroad than at home over the four months, we have the right to add a small surcharge to your usage. This surcharge will be capped at a maximum of 3p/min, 1p/SMS and 0.3p/MB. We will cease to apply this surcharge as soon as our data usage and presence monitoring no longer indicates a risk of abuse or anomalous use of Go Roam in Europe roaming_."

They may choose to apply this lightly at the moment, but it is quite clear in the Ts and Cs. I wouldn't know, because none of my trips has been over 2 months. But a brother who is working a contract in France does, and they did do it to him. So he cancelled the contract, went on to a 321 payg sim and pays extra for a modest data package, otherwise his unlimited (actually 20GB) contract SIM would have been costing him £60 in surcharges, if he actually used it all. Even then they just stopped the data once he hit 20 GB in less than a month. Fortunately he has WiFi at work and where he stays, so doesn't really need a lot of extra data.

When he calls us, we ring him back, even then 3p/minute only costs him £1.80 for an hours conversation, which he can afford.

When he returns he will probably go onto a Smarty 1 month contract, unlimited calls and texts, 30 GB data (20 usable roaming EU, same conditions as Three, actually they are Three, not an MVNP such as Tesco), for £10.


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## Sharpie (Jan 31, 2020)

witzend said:


> Tesco as gifgaf use O2. Gifgaf switched us Off with out warning because we used their sim more in Europe than at home.



Possibly not a GiffGaff decision. They just piggyback off the O2 network. As an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator). Possibly O2 pulled the switch on you and GiffGaff had no say in the matter.

That's always the problem using an MVNO, they are not in complete control. I was with Sainsburys mobile for a while (Vodafone) but out of the blue it seems that they had failed to re-negotiate a deal so it was going to be turned off. Less than a months notice. I thought that Sainsbury were a solid respectable business, but it seems not so clever.

Just as I bank with real banks, not the ones the Supermarkets have done a deal with and added their own brand. I mean, Tesco don't run a bank, wouldn't have the first clue how to, that's outsourced to whom ? As with their FOREX bureaux, actually Travellex. Now that hasn't gone well recently and I'm not sure that they are back up even now. All gone a bit quiet there. And the one in my local has been shut for a long time now.


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## Penny13 (Feb 1, 2020)

EE, so far in 4 years doing 5 moths in Europe I have been fine but I stay under the 15gb fair usage and use wifi where possible. The boss does the same with Three no problems so far ...

There blurb ...
Hi from EE. Great news, while you're in Spain you can use your plan minutes, texts and data allowances at no extra cost. Calls to countries outside the EU are £1.20 per min and texts 50p each. Other charges are the same as when you're in the UK.

For the best network coverage your handset must automatically select a network. To do this, choose your phone from: http://ee.co.uk/help/phones-and-device next select 'Connectivity' then 'Selecting Network'

While in the EU you must comply with EE's roaming fair use policy, including having a stable link to the UK. So, during any four month period you must spend at least two months in the UK or use your inclusive roaming allowances mainly while in the UK. For more info see ee.co.uk/fairuse. 
 Blah Blah Blah

The bit that says your handset must be on automatic network selection is new !!! I did come of it once in Portugal and choose another. Bill was the same. 
I also get streaming on certain channels Netflix, Prime, BBC Iplayer and that’s unlimited, no problems with this either ...


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## barge1914 (Feb 1, 2020)

Are you having to use a vpn to get iPlayer and Netflix?


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## spigot (Feb 2, 2020)

Penny13 said:


> EE, so far in 4 years doing 5 moths in Europe I have been fine but I stay under the 15gb fair usage and use wifi where possible. The boss does the same with Three no problems so far ...
> 
> There blurb ...
> Hi from EE. Great news, while you're in Spain you can use your plan minutes, texts and data allowances at no extra cost. Calls to countries outside the EU are £1.20 per min and texts 50p each. Other charges are the same as when you're in the UK.
> ...



Being thick, I understood hardly any of that.
I’m with EE, do I take it that I can only use my allowance for 2 months, then go on to another WiFi or will incur penalties?
I thought there was a EU directive stating that roaming was to be the same anywhere in the union.
These ISP assholes have always go you by the cobblers.


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## Penny13 (Feb 2, 2020)

Lol ... they think it’s fair usage two months in Europe then you must have a two month period in the Uk and keep repeating  but I have never done that,  full 5 months in Europe never been stopped or charged more. But I do keep below 15gb of data each month away in Europe ...


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## Penny13 (Feb 2, 2020)

And that’s if you have 15gb if it’s less than that’s all you have not 15gb


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