Roaming costs to be progressively capped

[Janx Spirit 11,331]

 

Daynov, maybe the hope is that many customers won't bother to reply to the letter, and so the operators can continue to charge them the old higher roaming charges?

The letter is for YOU to send, asking for implementation of the new roaming tariff.

[daynov 4]

Does that sound right ? How will people know about the change.. They're going to have to send something to the customers...

 

The whole thing sounds a bit wrong to me.. If they're going to change their roaming policy, why don't they just change it automatically and save a lot of hassle..

[YorkshireLad6 7,152]

The new prices represent a fundamental change the contract you have with your provider. The change has to be agreed by both sides. The provider is obliged to inform you (they'll eventually write to all their customers) and you are required to accept the change before the lower prices can be charged (stupid though that may seem given that it is to the benefit of the customer). Clearly, the longer this process takes, especially over the summer when many people are travelling abroad, the longer they can maintain their inflated revenues from roaming calls. If you initiate the process yourself then you reap the benefits earlier.

[Hutcho 2,227]

Are our providers going to use this opportunity to sign us up to an albeit cheaper roaming contract, but hook us in for another 24 months or something?

[YorkshireLad6 7,152]

They are not allowed to enforce any contractual change beyond the roaming tarifs. That might not stop them, however offering you a great new deal with the new roaming tarifs and another 24 months commitment.

Read the small print!

[Allershausen 6,414]

I've just returned from a trip to England and yesterday got my latest handy bill. It includes about €5 for receiving those automatic SMS's that welcome you to every country you visit. I'd set my phone to be locked into just one provider in England but still kept getting the SMS's, presumably every time I lost and regained the signal. Is there any easy way I can prevent these things being sent to me, because I consider this a complete rip off as I appear to have no control over them and don't need them?

[YorkshireLad6 7,152]

They are required to send you an Flash-SMS (i.e.- one that pops up directly on your screen rather than going into your message centre) with the roaming tariff every time your phone logs into a new (different) roaming partner. I can't imagine why you get the message if repeatedly logging into the same partner, nor can I understand why you are charged (I'm not...)

[Hutcho 2,227]

I've never been charged for receiving an SMS, even when overseas. It should only be when you receive or make a call, or send an SMS that you are charged.

[Allershausen 6,414]

Hmmm, I think I'd better investigate this a bit further.

[Panama 26]

Whether you are charged for incoming sms depends on your contract.

I don't get charged for incomings in Germany, but I get charged for incomings abroad.

The local network message informing you about the cost of the services abroad is not a regular message, it doesn't even show in the messages log, and it is not charged (at least I never pay for those ones).

[Hutcho 2,227]

That's a joke being charged for incoming ones. You can't even choose whether to accept or not!

[adrianlondon 21]

Agree with Hutcho - I thought receiving SMS's was always free as otherwise you could send someone hundreds until they ran out of money. They can't be rejected, and can't be diverted, so there's no way to stop them. ;)

[Darkknight 2,305]

First Capped Voice calls, now capped SMS and Data Prices..

 

EU set to propose slashing text/data costs

 

 

In data, operators will get more time over the summer to cut prices further otherwise caps may be included in the autumn proposal, the source said.

Data roaming is when a customer uses his laptop or mobile phone abroad to send e-mails or download a song.

and for the 3rd step, capped Operator Termination fees..

 

 

The biggest hit operators face comes from separate proposals Reding is due to finalize in the autumn to cut by 70 percent termination fees operators charge each other for handling calls.

[Hutcho 2,227]

Good work by the EU. This is definitely the next rip off that has to be brought under control. It's interesting that they are suggesting 12c be the target for text messages - I pay freaking 19c in Germany! It'll be cheaper to go to Austria and send a text.

[Malcolm Spudbury 3,521]

Excellent news. The network operators have been using data roaming charges to financially rape customers for ages now.

 

Last year I was on a business trip in Finland and had my laptop connected over my phone's GPRS for a couple of hours while in a meeting. The amount they charged for that was shocking - several hundred Euros. Luckily it was a company phone and I didn't have to pay it myself.

[YorkshireLad6 7,152]

 

The network operators have been using data roaming charges to financially rape customers for ages now.

Absolutely true. But do bear in mind that if they lose this source of revenue, with its inflated margins they'll have to find revenue elsewhere to keep shareholders happy, which will probably mean a substantial increase in domestic charges where margins are much more aggressive.

[Hutcho 2,227]

In the article, they state that texting and roaming make up only 1% of revenue anyway, so I don't think it will hit their margins hurt anyway. In fact, if they offered reasonable rates, especially for data, I'd be tempted to actually use it rather than just turning it off completely because I know I'm going to get shafted.

[jvinz 0]

This has been long overdue. Though I'm not that affected because I also use voip and prepaid phone card (onesuite.com) I can see the roaming charges are getting ridicolously high both with data and voice services.

[minga 733]

Another regulation from EU to make per-second billing mandatory for roaming charges. Teltarif news (in german)

[Pas 8,133]

It seems the mobile companies will been forced to amended their pricing. Very happy with the Data one as it costs some people very dearly and the phone companies are shameless when it comes to dealing with that one.

 

Ripoff data and text charges to be controlled