Renewing Contract Whilst in EU - Fair Usage Policy

[Dannuccino19275]

Hi all

I'll soon be going to Germany for around 88 days. I understand that the fair usage for O2's international roaming is limited to 63 days within a four month period, however, during this period, my contract will expire very early on.

If I renew the contract, will the counter for this fair usage reset, or will it continue ticking?

If I was to end the contract and take out a new one, I assume I'd then get a new counter?

[MI5]

@Dannuccino19275 

No it wouldn't reset.

The only way to reset is to connect back to O2-UK

https://www.o2.co.uk/termsandconditions/mobile/roamfairuse

[pgn]

https://www.o2.co.uk/termsandconditions/mobile/roamfairuse has the t&cs, which you seem to have read, @Dannuccino19275 

If you keep your number on contract change, the counter will likely continue to track your usage.

If you get a new number on your new contract, then the counter will likely reset.

How do you propose to renew your contract without returning to the UK?

[Dannuccino19275]

I don't see why I wouldn't be able to renew it whilst being abroad, I'm only there for a visit afterall, I'm still a UK resident with a UK permanent address.

[pgn]

A new contract requires a new SIM, @Dannuccino19275 - and that means either being back at your home address to get it, or having it sent to you via post by a friend or family member.

If you are thinking about eSIM as an answer, then there are low success rates getting O2 eSIMs to activate in the UK, never mind outside of it, for new numbers or renewals that have asked for eSIM: eSIM - How to activate  

[Dannuccino19275 · Accepted solution]

I currently have an eSim.

I'm happy with my contract, so I guess the solution I should do is renew my contract anyway, maybe even before heading to DE, then when I get the warning to stop using data outside of the UK, I'll temporarily disable the eSim and pick up a pre-paid local sim for the rest of the trip, and resume using the O2 one once I'm back home.

[pgn]

The local SIM option would work, although those are hard to get without a registered address in Germany - you may be able to get a Travel Europe SIM from Amazon or similar in the UK, I know people have got those for using data on PAYG phones in the United States (where the changes to 3G service mean either data communication (WhatsApp or similar) or a phone capable of using 4G Calling/VoLTE [O2 PAYG does not offer this!] is required).

Good luck @Dannuccino19275 

[Dannuccino19275]

Don't worry about the local sim issue, my partner is a German citizen who I'm travelling to visit, already got the options lined up if that was going to be the solution!

Thanks for the replies!

[pgn]

Also: gute Reisen, @Dannuccino19275 👍

[Enlli]

So, you will be 15 days over. Even if you get a message straight away you will still be able to use your phone but will have to pay the surcharges. If you keep your usage down they would not be onerous 

Using our inclusive roaming services outside the UK for more than 63 days in any four-month period is what we consider to be unfair use. If you do this, we’ll send you a fair usage notification by text. If you continue to use these services after we’ve notified you, we’ll apply surcharges for further usage that we recognise as overage.

These surcharges are £3.50 per GB for data, 3.3p per minute for calls and 1p per text. The surcharges will appear on your next month’s bill. We’ll stop applying surcharges to your non-UK usage once the majority of your usage over the previous four months has been in the UK.