Facua (“Consumers in Action” is a non-profit organization) is receiving numerous complaints from users for irregularities in roaming charges outside the EU, as their telecommunications companies skip the 60.50 euros limit (50 plus VAT) that can bill them. It is a limit established in the regulations of the sector and from this amount, operators are obliged to block services and can only reactivate them if consumers expressly authorize it. roaming data limit

Users who, after traveling outside the EU, receive invoices in excess of 60.50 euros for roaming services can claim that their companies rectify the charges since they are only required to pay the aforementioned cap. A higher amount may be charged if the client expressly authorizes his operator to continue providing roaming services after reaching that billing level or if previously the user had decided to establish a consumption limit higher than the one foreseen by default.

FACUA warns those who travel outside the EU that their companies should send them a message with information about the rates that will apply to them when they arrive in the country of destination. In relation to the consumption of data, the association advises to deactivate them and make use of the free wifi networks that are found during the trip. If this is not the case, it is necessary to exercise caution regarding the amount of data downloaded and to know all the details of the rate applied by default or that specifically contracted to navigate roaming.

60.50 euros limit roaming data limit

The association recalls that Regulation (EU) 531/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council, of 13 June 2012, in Article 15, third paragraph, provides that “the roaming provider shall make available one or more maximum financial limits for certain periods of use, with the condition that the client is previously informed of the corresponding volumes.One of these limits (the financial limit by default) will be approximately 50 euros per monthly billing period (without VAT) and may not be higher than this amount “. This European regulation establishes that the default limit of 60.50 euros with VAT included “will apply to all customers who have not opted for another limit”.

FACUA indicates that the regulations state that the telecommunications company must inform the client when it reaches the destination country of the price that the megabyte will cost by means of a message in which it will be informed that it is “roaming” and “will provide it personalized basic information about the rates “. This information will be sent to the customer’s mobile phone by means of “an SMS, by email or by opening a pop-up window” each time it “enters a Member State (of the EU) different from that of its national provider and starts a service for the first time. itinerant “there. This legislation also affects “itinerant customers traveling outside the (European) Union”.

Likewise, the association points out that, according to the regulations, the provider of the roaming service will have to interrupt it when the consumption reaches 60.50 euros to those users who have not expressly requested that an upper limit be applied, and give the necessary instructions in case you want to activate it.

Who can have the €50 cap? 

The exception is if you’re already on a special tariff for data roaming (for example: BlackBerry tariffs).

To prevent bill shock before any departure from EU countries and RLAH regulations would be good idea to check out with your operator worldwide roaming limits – contact Alertify.