Fone Forum

Hi all,

It seems Lyca Mobile UK is choosing to deliberately ignore the spirit and wording of the recently implemented roaming regulations. Checking at http://www.lycamobile.co.uk/en/eu-roaming-is-changing?awc=6021_1497910292_6a0789e4709773da9fbf38c4d06a516b you will see that they state bundles cannot be used for EU roaming and incoming calls while roaming in the EU are subject to a 200 minutes per month fair use policy.

Both of these are a clear contravention of the regulations. I suspect they will be only one of many networks to try to sidestep the regulations.

Dave

Ofcom and possibly trading standards could help with that.

Update

Just checked the Polish site and come across a similar restriction.  Local packages are not available when roaming.

http://www.lycamobile.pl/po/roaming-w-ue-si%C4%99-zmienia

There must be a pan European regulator that will be able to enforce changes.

dlR

I have reported the issue to OfCom and the EC digital single market team.

I've also found that Vodafone UK are not completely obeying the law either. On PAYG they are charging 75ppm to call any 084/087 number from Europe!

I believe the EU roaming regulations cover only calls made to ordinary landline and mobile numbers.

I assume that freephone 080 numbers are not free to call when roaming?

I don't believe the regulations make any distinction about types of numbers. I might be wrong though.

Even if I am wrong, they should be charging the service charge + access charge for 084/087 numbers, not a flat 75ppm charge. My theory at the moment is that Vodafone believes that certain number types are excluded and also believes that the service+access charge regulation doesn't apply when you are roaming.

As 080 numbers are free from the UK and you are supposed to be charged your standard UK rate while roaming, I believe they should be free. Whether they actually are or not is a different matter.

I have also found that Vodafone Greece has not yet applied the roaming regulation for all of their prepaid subscribers and is claiming that they will have it done by the 29th of June. Another clear breach.

..and my UK vodafone roaming in Greece can't call 03/08 numbers; nor can my GiffGaff SIM roaming on WIND or Cosmote.  I'd raise a complaint with EETT (the Greek Ofcom), but Brexit will be done and dusted before I'd get a reply.

I believe the difficulties with calling 08 numbers while roaming are down to the UK network, not the Greek. That was always the case before anyway. You are 100% right about EETT though!

I suppose now the fun is over, there is no harm in revealing that during these years of regulated roaming rates, it has been possible to call 08 + 070 + 118 (on O2) and also 08 + 09 + 118 + 070 (on EE contracts) at regulated rates while roaming.

Some of the above at some time  didn't even register calls made to premium numbers...

dlR

That's true. It seemed to go through periods of showing up charged at regulated roaming rates and periods of not showing at all. I wasn't the only one who noticed then!

I have just received an email from the European Commission confirming that Lyca Mobile are in breach of the roaming regulation. They are already in discussion with Ofcom on the matter.

Would you please let us know their email address.

Many thanks.

dlR

The email comes from a "No Reply" mailbox. Initial contact was made via this form:

https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/contact

My Vodafone UK sim has no issue calling 08 numbers, at least when connected to Vodafone GR.

Hmm - that's interesting.  Do you have their nongeo add-on (possibly a silly question ;D)

I do, yes. I don't expect that to make any difference though.

Post-Brexit roaming charges will cost business travellers to EU up to £778 per month, says new research

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-roaming-charges-costs-uk-business-return-eu-visit-phones-internet-a8270916.html

Perhaps you might find the answer you seek here (http://www.foneforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,2090.0.html).    ;)