British holidaymakers may now see themselves faced with extra charges while using their mobile phones abroad, Martin Lewis has warned.
The MoneySavingExpert founder has told Brits to be aware of a change in the rules due to Brexit that could see them paying for each day they use their mobile while on holiday in an EU country. Previously, mobile companies were banned from charging extra fees to use your UK allowance, including calls, texts and data, while in the EU.
But following the end of the Brexit transition period, Brits are no longer immune to roaming charges and mobile providers can now charge them for using their phone while abroad, The Mirror reports . This means that holidays will now come with an extra cost for millions of people, on top of the rising cost of living .
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MoneySavingExpert has warned Brits to be aware of how their mobile company defines their “daily” charge for roaming abroad. For example, EE describes a day’s use in the EU as anything up to 11.59pm UK time the same day - so if you arrive in your destination country at night and sign up at 11.58pm, you would only get a minute's worth of data for your money.
Vodafone charges £2 which lasts 24 hours from first use in the EU - but in the rest of the world, it charges £6 for roaming, which ends at 11.59pm in the capital of the country you’re visiting. The provider also offers £5 a ‘day’ data passport for unlimited data in the UK and 89 destinations, up to 11.59pm UK time.
A spokesperson for Ofcom said that it is “considering the options” on roaming protections for holidaymakers. But Martin Lewis has said that the way that mobile companies define daily charges and how they communicate this with their customers needs to change.
Martin said: "I've no faith in mobile firms to self-regulate. When we left the EU, they promised not to reintroduce European roaming charges… yet most of the big networks have broken that promise.
“So our report calls on Ofcom to not trust voluntary promises – we need to reintroduce the formal, compulsory consumer protections,” he continued. “And it’s time, too, to define time.
“We need to ban a daily roaming fee charged for use 'up to 11.59pm' without even mentioning in which time zone. Instead, we recommend all providers must define a roaming 'day' as a 24-hour period from first use, clearly explain that in the arrival text, and alert customers at least an hour before the daily charges end.”
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