Thousands of EE customers overcharged and due a refund - how to check if YOU'RE affected
The telecoms giant charged customers travelling to Europe double the usual roaming fees, according to The Sun.
Customers without roaming included in their plan, as part of an add-on, usually pay £2.59 when using their phone in the EU, but this doubled to £5.18 per day.
Previously, phone operators were required to offer fee-free roaming in Europe but this ended after Brexit.
Holiday hell: Thousands of customers were charged double for data roaming last month
Lots of networks, including EE, reintroduced the charges for customers, especially because there is no longer a data roaming cap.
Previously, there was a £45 cap but this is no longer UK law, leaving some customers with huge bills if they use their phone abroad.
EE told The Sun it started giving refunds to affected customers on 8 July, but that the process had taken longer than expected.
It said the billing error had affected customers for a 'short period' at the beginning of June.
Those who were overcharged are being contacted by text and phone calls, but refunds will be automatic.
Customers without roaming included in their plan can switch off data roaming services and set bill limits to avoid any unexpected charges, but it's important to check your policies before going abroad.
Some travellers opt to use an embedded Sim - or eSim - which can be cheaper than using international roaming, especially if you're away for a longer period of time.
ESims make it easier to change networks, and can quickly connect to a local network to pay local rates, without having to swap for a local Sim card.
An Ofcom spokesperson said: 'Any customers that think they were affected by these billing errors, but have not yet been refunded, should contact EE directly.
'Ofcom rules require that bills are accurate and customers are not overcharged. Providers must give customers, on request, and at no extra charge, access to adequate and up-to-date billing information that allows them to monitor their usage and expenditure.'
It added it would consider 'appropriate action' for on evidence of errors. Previously, the regulator fined O2 £10.5 million in 2023 and in 2019 fined GiffGaff £1.4 million for overcharging customers.
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