O2 '50c/MB Data Roaming Promotion' - duping customers

dantelle

As an O2 Bill Pay customer I recently opted in to a new "50c/MB Data Roaming Promotion" after receiving a text message from O2 stating:

"Want great value internet on your phone whenever you're abroad? Freetext ONEMB to 50202 + pay just 50c per MB anywhere in Europe. T+Cs at O2.ie"

I was shocked the next day to receive a text message which read:

"We have now removed the Data CAP from your account, You can now use more than €60.50 inc VAT of Mobile Internet when you are abroad. From O2"

I was not aware that opting into the 50c/MB data roaming offer automatically meant that the cap would removed from my account. I think it very underhand that O2 advertise a seemingly money saving data roaming offer all the while removing our roaming caps!

I contact O2 who told me I could not avail of the 50c/MB offer while keeping the data roaming cap. They were mutually exclusive.

I looked into it and according to the European Commission website (http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/roaming/regulation/index_en.htm) the data roaming cap set by the European Commission is €50 not O2's €60.50.

Needless to say I contacted O2 again and after much wrangling I am now on O2's 50c/MB rate and a I have the EU €50 roaming cap. I advise any O2 customers to contact O2 about this matter and ensure you are not being ripped off.

I am deeply concerned that O2 are duping customers into a €60.50 data roaming cap when the E.C. directive is €50 and, with the current 'offer', are are slyly cutting off customers data cap altogether.

It is also worth noting that, as of July 2011, Data Roaming 'wholesale' charges are capped at 50c/MB in the EU. That's a massive difference from O2's €4.96 per MB. Essentially O2 are making €4.45 on every MB you spend unless you look into it!!

I have sent this complaint to The Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland and The Commission for Communications Regulation Ireland.

Rory

ardmacha

The EU data cap is €50, the €60.50 reflects the cap plus VAT.
But it is pretty sly to remove the cap from the T&Cs for the promotion.
Why not retain the cap, as it would not represent 100MB, so it would not limit people.

With this kind of thing and charging 100 times as much if you use the wrong APN, O2 are obviously keen to extract high charges from anyone that steps out of line.

Kensington

It's a money making racket. Given O2 have a presence in most EU countries through the O2 and movistar brands, an O2 Ireland customer could roam on another Telefonica network and it ultimately doesn't cost O2 anything.

Vodafone have far better roaming options for data. €2.99/50MB per day in the EU on any network. €4.99/10MB per day anywhere else.

jk03

I just had an online chat with and o2 rep who is insisting that you can't keep the cap and also avail of the 50c offer, even after I mentioned seeing this post.

It's very disappointing.

This kind of stuff makes me want to move provider.

I hear Meteor have good deals.

garethmc

Agree O2 will screw you in any way they can to extract maximum monies from the individual... switch network people!!

Samson1

This is exactly why, after more than 10 years, I left o2 & moved to Meteor. Such a difference to deal with decent people. o2 billed €76 for checking email once a day for 7 days while roaming. Never again. Vote with your feet !