Three Ireland wrongly charged more than 1,600 phone users for data roaming when they travelled outside the EU and demanded almost €30,000 from a customer after two days in Monaco, a court has heard. monaco roaming fees

Small but mighty, the Principality dazzles with glamorous events, thrilling casinos, and luxury hotels.

The worst case involved a businessman who was charged 29,298 euros and had his service suspended. A woman who took a day trip to the Principality was charged 376 euros without her telephone ever leaving her bag.

In total 1,600 clients were overcharged for travelling outside the EU and the average overcharge was 385 euros. The company had failed to tell customers when they had reached the 50 euro roaming limit.

Ireland’s Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) conducted an investigation after eight Ireland Three customers complained.

The breaches of Article 15 of the EU roaming regulations were punished by a fine and by a conviction, which the company tried to avoid by offering to make a charity donation, an offer rejected by the court.

Three Ireland say the breaches were caused by system errors that failed to inform customers when they reached €50 of data roaming charges. Photographer: Aidan Crawley / Bloomberg

Despite an abundance of mitigating factors, including refunds, and genuine remorse, he noted that many people had been greatly upset.

He recorded convictions against the phone company and imposed fines totalling €2,400.

Three Ireland identified 1,640 customers affected by at least one of the issues, though many experienced more than one. The total value of the charges to affected customers was about €632,000, or an average of €385. The company wrongly billed more than 120 customers over €1,000 and eight others in excess of €10,000.

The issue primarily affected customers who travelled outside the EU.

The court heard how it affected the eight complainants, most of whom had been on holiday when they incurred the improper charges, and Three Ireland cut them off. None of them had to come and give evidence due to the guilty plea.

Bill Shock cases monaco roaming fees

The first case involved a woman on holiday in France who went on a day trip to Monaco, a non-EU member nation, in November 2021. She used her phone twice for about five minutes, to find her way around. It resulted in being billed €1,485 for data.

The next complainant also took a day trip by bus from France to Monaco in December 2021. Three Ireland charged €376, even though her phone “never left her bag”.

A businessman who had to spend two days in Monaco for work “got a shock” to find he had been charged €29,298, and his service was suspended.

A married couple who were on a Mediterranean cruise from Spain to Italy in February 2022 were also affected. The wife got charged €495 because the boat went into international waters.

Another charge involved a man who went with his family to New York in November 2021 and used data to navigate his way around. He was charged €557. monaco roaming fee