Massive Roaming Charges for Some UK iPhone Users Mystery

[Maura]

This is a story which has been picked up by the British media, which tends to get a bit hysterical about these things, so have a pinch of salt ready when you're reading it. It's possible that there is a kernel of truth in the story though, in which case it's something that British iPhone users possibly need to be aware of when travelling overseas this summer. According to a report in the Telegraph newspaper, as well as other newspapers, some UK iPhone customers have been returning home from trips abroad to find themselves with big data bills, despite having turned off the data roaming option.

Apparently many users have complained to consumer champion Martin Lewis's well-known MoneySavingExpert.com website about the matter, with one user even saying that she was charged almost £1,500, despite having turned off data roaming during a recent trip to the US. According to the report, many users who have complained have managed to get their charges refunded. Apparently the complaints are from users of all mobile networks in the UK, although the most complaints have been from O2 customers, that's probably because they have the highest number of iPhone users, according to the Telegraph. Martin Lewis is advising those who think they have been unjustly charged to contact their network and ask for a refund. According to Lewis, the number of complaints about this issue coming into his website have increased greatly in the past week.

An O2 spokesman has said that the company is "investigating these problems with Apple", so watch this space in other words!

Source: The Telegraph

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[wookiecarr]

hope not just got back from tenerife this morning.

will be checking my phone bill with great detail.

[edmouse]

not to hijack this thread, but only to add to the subject, there are threads on the Apple board about Americans being hit with overnight data usage charges by ATT on the 3G network while they are asleep, the phone is sleeping, and there is wi-fi in the house.

The largest of these is 22 pages and continuing.

[1badsup]

When I went to San Diego, near the border of Mexico, I got roaming charges for voice and data. I called AT&T and they reversed the charges.