Mobile data abroad - unable to use it

[pdg54]

I have been in Australia now for 6 days and have not been able to use mobile data.  On arrival I received a text from O2 stating that I could use mobile data at a cost of £4.99 per day if I phoned, text or used data.

Everyhting is switched to the correct settings, including 'Data Roaming' to on.

I have made two calls this evening to O2 and in the most recent one (at 1141 GMT) the agent instructed me to reset Network Settings.  The agent said he would call back in 15 minutes.  Having 'Reset Network' Settings' I now have no network and have 'SOS only', which of course means i cannot phone O2 to resolve the problem, and the agent cannot phine me to check!  I am worse off than before i tried to resolve the original probelm.

How do i get out of this loop?  I have no phone in Australia now.  There is no agent to 'chat' with online!

[pdg54]

Thanks for your help,  Not sure what to do now.  No agent has appeared, so I can't even tell O2 about my problem

It's gone midnight here now, and they'll be closed when I wake up, unless its before 5am.

This feels like a real aaaagggghhh moment!!

[MI5]

So what's happening now with your phone?
You've changed data apn to mobile.o2.co.uk ?
You've manually searched for and selected a different network?
You've turned off and back on again and still no signal at all?

[pdg54]

I'll do that!

Done it!  No joy I'm afraid - still 'SOS only'

[MI5]

When you search for a network manually, do you get a list of networks to choose from?

[pdg54]

Thbaks no joy woth phine, but at least i am now talking to an agewnt on Live Chat

Thanks very much

[MI5]

OK, let us know how it goes and check you haven't accidentally put phone in airplane mode too

[Martin-O2]

Hey @pdg54 is there any update on this? 

[pdg54 · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Apologies for not responding straightaway.  This was resolved after 1 hour and 20 minutes of Live Chat and well over three hours of trying to communicate and resolve with O2 by phone and Chat.  A total of five agents were involved and the final solution was very simple and I think could/should have been identified at the outset.

The issue it turns out was that O2 had put a restriction on my use of the phone.  The agent didn't tell me what or why!  This is all a mystery as i called O2 the day before travelling to make sure I was on the right deal and could use the phone in Australia.  

It also highlighted a longer term problem in that if one is having problems abroad then getting in touch with O2 Help can be difficult.  Myt time difference is 11 hours so when the agents are available, is when I am not easily able to talk!  I completed the solution at 2.00am local time.

So yes solved thanks, but not easily!  

For others its worth looking at different browsers to help get to Chat with O2.  Safara wouldn't at all yesterday, but Chrome did later in the process.

[Cleoriff]

I'm pleased this is solved @pdg54 but find it absolutely ridiculous that the cause was a bar on your phone, when you specifically rang CS before you went..... purely to make sure everything was in order for travel to Australia!!

Unbelievable!!

[pdg54]

There's an extra point to this.  When I returned from Australia I came back through Singapore.  Interestingly when I was in Singapore, only at the airport so not a massive problem, I was in the same situation as I had been in Australia.  I was not able to use data at all.  I suspenct that the restriction had not been lifted completely.  If i had needed to make a call on the way home to arrange pick up or anything else i would not have been able to.

Awful service all round.

PS Thanks for all the help from everyone.