Hit with €305 USA Roaming bill from Three, any options?

coronaextra

In USA last week,

I was stuck for a sat nav while driving and turned roaming on for 15 minutes to use google maps while driving to get back to hotel.

I got a surprise when I got my bill emailed to me 🤯 .

Will I just have to bite the bullet and pay or is there anything that can be done?. I new roaming charges were crazy but didint realise this crazy!

Also just a warning to other potential US travellers, sort something out before you go!! 😭

tayto lover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058266652/hit-with-305-usa-roaming-bill-from-three-any-options

How can they justify that cost?

GSBellew

Your options are probably to pay it or call Three and see if they will make a good will concession and reduce the bill, don't know how much leeway they will have, as they are being charged by the US operator for the service.

I suppose the other option you have is to ignore it and not pay, get cut off and affect your credit rating, but they will end up passing it on to a debt collection agency & you will end up paying more.

Data is €6.15 per mb.

You should have received a text from 3 when you arrived in the States letting you know.

I never realised how much data Google maps ended up using.

Its extremely frustrating, but unfortunately I don't think there is much you can do

Atlantic Dawn

When roaming they are supposed to text you when the bill hits €49.20 and another when you have spent €61.50, did this happen?

Text 1:   Message telling you when you have spent €49.20 – 80% of €61.50 (including VAT).

Text 2:   Message telling you when you have spent €61.50 (including VAT).

https://www.comreg.ie/advice-information/roaming-2/using-your-mobile-outside-the-eu/

coronaextra

Many thanks for the replies,

I did make the decision to opt out of the roaming cap of €61.50, so I text the number to opt out (allowing me to get internet). I was thinking at worst it was going to be another 61.50€ then that would be bad but I can take it, wasn’t expecting 305€. I was after getting lost on a major US city road system and needed to make it back to hotel.

Another problem with their warning texts you basically get the 80% and 100% of the limit at the same time when damage is done. Also looking back at the texts they switch between units eg. data limit of 50 credit limit of 200, no units like € or mb so It can be difficult to follow if your not paying attention.

In shall ring and see what my options are, I’m in the process of saving for a mortgage at the minute so I’m afraid of having any bad credit rating that might cause issues. I understand that this problem is of my own doing and that Three.ie may be the ones having to pay to the US provider the extortionate costs for using the network, however, I think they should make it more clear of the costs for customers.

Anyway, lesson learned, this may act as a warning to others!

I will keep you informed how I get on on .

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119719562#Comment_119719562

bloody nora, that's an astounding rate. watching 1 minute of a 480p video on youtube would end up costing about €50.

Ah-Watch

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119719554#Comment_119719554

Credit rating for banks no but they do now have a central register now that each provider can see if there's a bad debt of over 50E. I'm trying to remember the name of the register, it'll come back to me yet.

Call Three and ask for some type of gesture of goodwill. They used to give a portion of credit towards first time you went over your allowance but that might not include roaming. Best off to call them and ask for some form of goodwill. They have add ons that would have only been a fraction of this cost-500MB US roaming on prepaid would be a fiver. I only say that because the 305 amount is excessive for what you used and you could mention this and try use it as bargaining power. The E6.15 per MB on bill pay is extortionate.

Ten Pin

The networks use a system called Credit Insights to record arrears over a certain amount and timescale.

Don't think it has any impact on credit rating in relation to bank lending but obviously would be an issue for changing networks etc

Arbie

It's worth giving them a call and asking them nicely if they would reduce the bill. I know a couple of people who have been successful.

For future trips, you can download the city/area map ahead of time, then turn off data but still use maps with GPS for free.

BowWow

Move to another supplier.

Pay anything outstanding except this charge.

Ask for a reduced fee - offering to return if they play ball...

o1s1n

We had a layover in Switzerland over the summer (flying to Germany), were only there for about an hour. Didn't occur to us at all that we'd be on non EU data roaming, not something I'd really give much consideration to flying from one European country to another.

I got about 30 seconds of internet usage out of my phone and then data stopped working. I thought my pay as you go plan must have ended, didn't really think anything of it.

My missus continued to browse the internet with her bill pay phone.

Nice bill of about extra 150 euro on her phone that month. Luckily she didn't watch any video. Beware Switzerland!

thebo

This why never go with Bill pay. Pay as you go least only lose whatever credit you have left.