Another Brexit Win

[Hymie]

Mobile phone roaming charges

Martin Lewis, of MoneySavingExpert, says: '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. We need formal, compulsory consumer protections.'

Read the full story here:-
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/holidays/article-11096299/Dont-burnt-sky-high-mobile-bill-guide-roaming-fees.html

[bobbinwales]

Why is this due to Brexit? Was it an EU law that says the providers had to provide it in EU countys?
There not all doing it, so shop around if your a high user on holidays... but if someone can afford a holiday abroad then a few quid on there calls wont break the bank

[bobbinwales]

Anyway- guess what. we'er out . I was a remainer but now think we should stop the sour grapes and make the best of things..

[TheChair]

//Was it an EU law that says the providers had to provide it in EU countys?//
Yes. Like many consumer protection laws, it was enacted by the EU.

[New Judge]

Governments have no business regulating product prices for goods or services where there are plenty of providers. The EU excels at it, normal countries don't entertain it.

A snippet from the article:

//...and many firms charge significantly more for using your mobile phone outside of the EU.//

Which they always have done. So what has that to do with Brexit?

[Hymie]

Q: So what has that to do with Brexit?

A: If we were still in the EU, mobile phone companies would not be able to rip-off UK customers who roam from one country to another (within the EU).

[Old_Geezer]

Roaming charges should be reintroduced. It costs to use the International network. It ought not be up to those who can't afford a foreign holiday to subsidise business and those who can afford to travel.

[Zacs-Master]

‘Roaming charges should be reintroduced’

Erm…..they have been. That’s what this whole thread is about.

[bobbinwales]

//would not be able to rip-off UK customers who roam from one country to another (within the EU).//
If the costs are known beforehand its not ripping off, and other providers and ways of calling via internet using free wifi or whattsapp etc are available

[bobbinwales]

zacs... i think Old Geezer means everywhere even for EU citizens in EU countries

[New Judge]

Perhaps I could put it another way:

Q. What has this got to do with Brexit?:

//...and many firms charge significantly more for using your mobile phone ***outside of the EU.***//

And how does this answer the above question?:

A: If we were still in the EU, mobile phone companies would not be able to rip-off UK customers who roam from one country to another ***(within the EU)***.

Perhaps I can help. Mobile providers have always charged the market rate for use of their services outside the EU. Brexit has not changed that. So the answer to my question is "nothing".

What Brexit has changed is that it has enabled UK customers' providers to similarly charge their customers the market rate for their services within the EU (instead of being artificially constrained by a supra-national government). So the Brexit "win" is that companies can charge for their services as they see fit. Customers must shop around to find a deal that suits them best. It's called "market forces" - something the EU is not particularly fond of.

[Zacs-Master]

Then he should have said that. It’s £6 a day in Turkey (yes, I know….outside the EU) and £2 a day in Italy with Vodafone.

[JDavis]

Totally agree, Hymie. The Brexiteers, as usual, bend over backwards to deny it. In any case, stop moaning because you can afford it anyway!

[Zacs-Master]

‘ Mobile providers have always charged the market rate for use of their services outside the EU’

No they haven’t. It used to be free in Turkey with a Vodafone.

[JDavis]

And why should we have to shop around? We didn't need to bother before Brexit.

[bobbinwales]

Well if it makes you feel good about yourself and you can sleep easy knowing you were right along to vote remain then good for you... but I voted Remain and wish we'd won but we didn't so have moved on , lifes too short

[New Judge]

//No they haven’t. It used to be free in Turkey with a Vodafone.//

Clearly what they considered to be the market rate, Zacs. The market rate does not have to be the highest rate or a uniform rate. It simply has to be what the provider considers it can charge.

//The Brexiteers, as usual, bend over backwards to deny it.//

Deny what? The idea of Brexit is to rid the UK of the EU's pernicious influence over its affairs. That includes things like regulating private companies' pricing policies as mentioned here. If the UK government wants to introduce similar legislation it can do so. They could either do so off their own bat, or it could be included in party manifestos at the next GE. Or, of course, they need not.

[New Judge]

//And why should we have to shop around? We didn't need to bother before Brexit.//

Because we've left the EU and the UK can now behave like normal countries.

[Zacs-Master]

But Vodafone didn’t charge anything, NJ.

[New Judge]

Then that was their choice Zacs. They obviously believed it would gain them customers. Other companies didn't feel the need to do so. It's the market, innit?

[bobbinwales]

No idea why Zacs but it was there choice, maybe they wanted to increase market share or there costs were so low in Turkey they could afford it... but still nothing to do with EU